Using gluten free oats for its base it remains gluten free.
Using maple syrup and dates to sweeten it, it stays refined (white) sugar free. The chocolate chips do contain refined sugar but these are optional extras so feel free to not include them.
The creamy topping is made from coconut cream whipped up to make it extra fluffy. This makes this little dessert dairy free too!
We have also used sunflower seeds for the base and the option of peanut butter or sunflower seed butter (for those who suffer from tree nut allergies) for the date caramel. So this banoffee pie can be made tree nut free also.
All in all the healthiest banoffee pie we’ve tried!
You can make it as one large banoffee pie or as 8 mini tartlets. Enjoy!
Summary
Prep: 20 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Intermediate
Makes: 1 large pie or 8 mini pies (10cm)
Banoffee pie
Banoffee pie is a classic British dessert which is made in three layers.
First you have a biscuit base, usually made using digestive biscuits and butter.
Then you have a caramel layer on top of the base, traditionally made with sugar and butter.
This is then topped with layers of cream and sliced bananas.
Delicious? Absolutely! But unfortunately also quite full of refined sugar and fats.
This skinny banoffee pie is a lighter, healthier way to get this amazing combination of flavours and textures.
So we used dates and creamy sunflower seed butter to make a great caramel free from both dairy and refined sugar.
And as for the biscuit base? Oats coated in maple syrup and blended with coconut oil, so that it has all the sweetness and crunchiness of a classic biscuit base.
Instead of whipped cream, we’ve used coconut cream, packed with healthy fats. Together with banana slices it makes for a very moorish and healthy dessert!
We did sneak in some chocolate chips which do have refined sugars and dairy but they are entirely optional.
If you prefer you can give it a light dusting of cocoa powder instead to get all the flavour of that chocolate, without the chocolate.
Ingredients
Oat crust base
- ¾ cup sunflower seeds (120 grams)
- 3 cups gluten-free oats (270 grams)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted (90 ml)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup (70 ml)
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoons water, or as needed
Date caramel
- 2 ¼ cups large Medjool dates (about 400 grams)
- 4 tablespoons smooth sunflower seed butter or peanut butter or
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Topping
- 3 x 400ml cans coconut cream – ideally straight from the fridge
- 4 bananas, cut into thick slices
- 6 tablespoons of small milk chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Grease an 8” loose bottom tart pan or 5 x 10cm tartlet pans with butter or with an oil spray.
- Soak the dates in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. This is for the caramel later on.
- Place the sunflower seeds, gluten free oats, cinnamon and salt in the food processor and blend until the texture is sandy and fine.
- Add the maple syrup and coconut oil to the mixture and pulse until it begins to hold together. Add in water (1 tablespoon at a time) as needed until the mixture starts to create clumps that can be pressed together.
- Sprinkle the dough into your tart pans and working from the centre press the dough firmly into the pans. Add more dough to cover the edges of the pan and compact everything with your fingers until it makes a thin layer.
- Poke these base layers of each tartlet a few times with a fork. This helps the hot air to escape while it’s baking.
- Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.
- Remove and let cool on a cooling rack.
- Start making your ‘date caramel’ by putting your pitted soaked dates, peanut or sunflower seed butter, salt, lemon juice and vanilla into the processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Press the date mixture into the prepared crusts with the back of a wet spoon.
- Pour the coconut cream into a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it puffs up a little.
- Cut the bananas into slices. Push half of the banana pieces into the date mixture and top with the whipped coconut cream.
- Garnish with the remaining bananas and chocolate chips if you are adding.
- Enjoy these delicious mini banoffee pies!
Creamy vegan banoffee pie – our step by step guide:
Soak the dates
Begin making your toffee mixture by soaking your dates in a bowl filled with boiling water.
Soak them for 5-10 minutes, or until they have softened. They will be used later on for the caramel.
Make the oat base
Place your sunflower seeds, oats, cinnamon and salt into your food processor.
Pulse until your mixture has a sandy texture.
Add the melted coconut oil and maple syrup into the blender and process.
If you need to add some water, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture gets doughy and holds together enough while still being slightly crumbly.
Prepare your tartlet pans
Scatter your dough into greased tartlet pans and press it down firmly with your fingers.
If you’re using mini tartlet pans, you should be able to make bases for 8 pies about 10 cm wide.
If you’re making 1 large tart, it should cover the base of a 30cm tart tin.
Cook the tart bases
Press the dough firmly against the base and into the sides of the pan.
Prick the bottoms of the crusts a few times with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Drain the soaked dates and put them into the bowl of your food processor.
Add the almond butter, lemon juice, salt and vanilla to your dates and process them until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
Set this aside while you begin working on the coconut cream topping.
Make your date caramel
Drain the soaked dates and put them into the bowl of your food processor.
Add the peanut butter, lemon juice, salt and vanilla to your dates and blend them until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
Set this aside while you begin working on the coconut cream topping.
Whip the coconut cream
Beat the coconut cream oh high speed with your hand held mixer or whisk until it’s smooth and fluffy.
Start layering your banoffee pies
Fill your cooled crusts with your date mixture.
Smooth the mixture into the crusts using the back of a wet spoon.
Fill almost to the top of your crust.
Add banana slices
Push half of your bananas gently into the date mixture.
Layer on the coconut cream
Add your coconut cream with a large spoon.
More banana slices and chocolate chips!
Garnish your pies with more banana and chocolate chips.
Enjoy this deliciously creamy vegan banoffee pie!
Creamy vegan banoffee pie
Ingredients
Oat crust base
- ¾ cup ground sunflower seeds (120 grams)
- 3 cups gluten free oats (270 grams)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil (90 ml)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 4 ½ tbsp maple syrup (70 ml)
- 1 tbsp water or as needed
- pinch salt
Date Caramel
- 2 ¼ cups large Medjool dates (about 400 grams)
- 4 tbsp smooth sunflower seed or peanut butter
- 1 ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Creamy Topping
- 3 x 400ml cans coconut cream ideally straight from the fridge
- 4 bananas cut into thick slices
- 6 tbsp milk chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
Cook the banoffee pie base
-
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
-
Grease an 8” loose bottom tart pan or 5 x 10cm tartlet pans with butter or with an oil spray.
-
Soak the dates in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. This is for the caramel later on.
-
Place the sunflower seeds, gluten free oats, cinnamon and salt in the food processor and blend until the texture is sandy and fine.
-
Add the maple syrup and coconut oil to the mixture and pulse until it begins to hold together. Add in water (1 tablespoon at a time) as needed until the mixture starts to create clumps that can be pressed together.
-
Sprinkle the dough into your tart pans and working from the centre press the dough firmly into the pans. Add more dough to cover the edges of the pan and compact everything with your fingers until it makes a thin layer.
-
Poke these base layers of each tartlet a few times with a fork. This helps the hot air to escape while it’s baking.
-
Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.
-
Remove and let it cool on a cooling rack.
Make your date caramel
-
Start making your ‘date caramel’ by putting your pitted soaked dates, sunflower seed butter or peanut butter, salt, lemon juice and vanilla into the processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
-
Press the date mixture into the prepared crusts with the back of a wet spoon.
Create the layers
-
Pour the coconut cream into a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it puffs up a little.
-
Cut the bananas into slices. Push half of the banana pieces into the date mixture and top with the whipped coconut cream.
-
Garnish with the remaining bananas and chocolate chips if you are adding.
-
Enjoy these delicious mini banoffee pies!
If you’re following a vegan diet you might also want to look at some of our top picks for vegan multivitamins here:
