Truth be told, I'm not a big pie lover. I enjoy a slice of vegan pumpkin pie or apple pie when the season calls for it. (Hello, autumn!) But really, making pie crust petrifies me. I have this weird fear that the crust would turn up all burnt even before I add in the fruits. But I'm slowly conquering my fears in the kitchen one pan at a time. 

Now, I'm still uncomfortable at the idea of baking a pie crust from scratch, but at least I'm willing to make pies in general. So what better pie is there to bake than banoffee pie? If you're not familiar of what this delicious pie is, just check wiki. It's just flavour bomb from the first layer to the last.

Making a vegan version isn't so easy. I needed biscuits for the crust, a substitute for the toffee layer. And how in the world was I going to find a substitute for the dulce de leche? A little research with the help of Google helped a little bit, but a lot of the recipes called for a raw version. I'm not a big fan of a nutty crust (sorry, not sorry). The dulce de leche was usually made of cashews. Again, I only really like cashews when I make frosting for carrot cake. For banoffee pie? I need something lighter. I stumbled upon coconut cream, which is really just whipped chilled coconut milk. Sign me up!

Vegan Banoffee Pie
Makes 8 slices

Crust:

• 13-15 gingerbread cookies/Maria cookies
• 5 tbsp melted coconut oil/vegan butter

Banoffee Layer:

• 1 1/2 cups medjool dates, soaked in hot water
• 2 tbsp peanut butter/almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt

 

Coconut Cream Layer: 

• 1 can coconut milk, chilled overnight
• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 bananas, sliced 

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two small pie tins or a classic pie dish (about 9 inch) with coconut oil.

Process the cookies in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add melted coconut oil and process until the crumbs are finer.

Press the mixture into the pan(s) until the layer is even. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

For the banoffee layer, process all ingredients together in the food processor until smooth. When the crust has cooled, add this layer evenly.

For the coconut cream, scoop out the coconut milk from the top of the can. Discard remaining water. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, mix the chilled coconut milk until it looks like cream. Add maple syrup for a hint of sweetness and whisk some more.

Add a layer of bananas on top of the banoffee layer. Top with coconut cream and add the remaining banana slices.

Chill in the fridge before serving.

Enjoy! xx