Somewhere in-between last weekend’s hangover and this week’s flu I managed to bake these beauties. Of course if there was one thing that I would fit into the only day this week when I wasn’t bedridden, it would be baking.
As I have an insatiable sweet-tooth, I’m always on the lookout for sweet, snacky desserts I can make. I optimistically aim for two requirements though: (1) that they require minimal effort (2) that they have some inkling of nutritional value. I’m not talking about faddy ‘antioxidants’ or ‘superfoods’. I just mean gimme a bit of fibre, some good fats and a bit of protein maybe. The type of thing where it’s still a cake with fat, starch, frosting and nutrients….not a cake-shaped-object made of blended beans and applesauce.
I’ve made a ‘healthy’ variation on banoffee pie before in the form of a breakfast parfait with a delish stove-top granola, to boot! You see, thanks to date caramel, it’s an easy task. One change I made to the caramel this time was opting for medjool dates instead of deglet. I’ve always read that they taste a lot more like caramel and less…datey…I never really trusted that advice though until I tried them for myself. I’ve got to say that it’s true, medjool dates taste like straight up molasses making them perfect for a quick, plant-based caramel. If you can’t get hold of medjool dates, deglet will work just fine though!
Notes:
– Vegan option: replace the ricotta topping with either…
a) cashew cream: 1/2 cup (60 g) cashews (soaked for 8h and drained) blended with 3 tbsp water, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt
or b) Coconut cream: chill a can of coconut milk overnight, open and scoop off the top cream layer to a bowl. Whisk the cream until fluffy with 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
– I added a pinch of ground vanilla bean to my ricotta mixture for the speckly effect 🙂
– Make sure you use gluten-free oats if you can’t tolerate gluten.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- ~1/2 cup , (125 ml) water
- 1/4 cup ( almonds
- 1/4 cup ( buckwheat flour
- 1 cup (80 g) oats
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp olive oil
For the caramel:
- 8 medjool dates , , soaked for 10 minutes in boiling water then drained
- 1 tbsp coconut butter , (or other nut butter)
- 1 tbsp boiling water
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping: (see notes for vegan option)
- 3 tbsp ricotta
- 1 tsp plain yogurt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 small banana , , thinly sliced into coins
- to decorate: grated unsweetened chocolate , , bee pollen
Instructions
Make the pastry:
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
- Mix the chia seeds in a small bowl with 2 tbsp of water and set aside.
- In a food processor, combine the almonds, buckwheat flour, oats and salt. Blend until the almonds and oats have broken down into flour.
- Add in the chia mixture and olive oil then pulse in until combined.
- Drizzle in the remaining water a tablespoon at a time while pulsing the mixture until a dough forms (you might not need all of the water). Roll the pastry out on a piece of baking paper until it's only a few mm thick. Cut into 9 cm (~3.5 inch) diameter circles and push each one into the well of a tartlet pan. Bake for 12 minutes until dry. Leave to cool.
For the caramel:
- Pit the soaked dates and place into a blender with the coconut butter, boiling water, salt and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth.
For the topping:
- Stir together the ricotta. yogurt and vanilla in a small bowl.
To assemble:
- Smear some caramel into the base of each pastry cup. Top with a few slices of banana, then the ricotta mixture, then some grated chocolate and bee pollen (if you want). Finish with a slice of banana to decorate.
These little bites look so yummy! A good banoffee filling is the best.
Positively B-E-A-utiful!! And a must have recovery treat for hangovers and flus to be sure! Hope you’re on the mend!
omg baking is THE BEST cure for illness and feelings of blah – gimme that nutritional value hidden in a coat of sugar-infused desire 😀 😀 love the tarts!!!! they look so good!!
How darling are these!? I’ve never had banoffee pie. I’m so, so curious! Happy to hear you are feeling better…
Such cute little pies!! Love the almond + buckwheat + chia crust, it sounds so wholesome and delicious, too 🙂
I feel ya, girl. If I want to drink any respectable amount, I have to plan on spending theater next day sleeping/recovering from the torment I inflicted on my bod. Not fun. I WILL be makin’ these little beauties though.
I feel you girl! I’m the same – if there are sweets at home I’m the first one to eat them haha. This looks and sounds absolutely incredible – have to try it sometime 🙂
Have a wonderful week!
Love, Kerstin
http://www.missgetaway.com
wow your images are so beautiful, cant wait to try this recipe, it is so hard to find a good ‘healthy’ pastry recipe, thanks for sharing
This looks SO GOOD!
How many does it make?
I made 12 little tartlets! 🙂
These looks super yummy and they’re so darn cute! Thanks for sharing!
These look super yummy and they’re so darn cute! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious little treats! I love that they have a good dose of healthy ingredients yet still look tempting enough to call them dessert. 🙂
Thanks for the vegan options!
xoxo
Banoffee pie is SO good. My flatmate from a few years ago loved them so I would make it for her and then we would just sit in the kitchen and stuff our faces. Date caramel is the best and these little pies are adorable! Hope you feel better soon!
Wowowow! Looks amazing!! Can’t believe you managed to bake between a hangover and the flu… I’d barely be able to open the fridge!!
Banoffee Pie is my favourtie sweet treat! These look lovely x
HUNGOVER AND ILL??? see what happens when I leave you alone? email me asap punk <3 (no I didn't use the scarce internet on my mum's laptop just to read your blog because I missed you……)
These look delicious Izy! I have never had banoffee pie (but have always wanted to since watching Love Actually and Keira Knightly has it!) but banana is my favorite flavor – so I think I need to try these out! I wonder if it just isn’t a very popular pie in America? It should be – it sounds amazing! xx
These are absolutely adorable! And omg we need to ship you some fresh California dates, girl. Nothing like a fresh date—takes that caramel to a whole new level. Can’t wait to make these!
I just want to jump out of bed and make them ASAP!
Hey Izy, I just want to say that I think your recipes are genius! Your attitude towards food is just the same as mine. I am also a cake-baking-food obsessed individual, but I think health is important as well. The cheats you find to make treats healthier are awesome! And thankfully, you don’t use those unaccessible ingredients or superfoods.
I made these for a party. Superb for the following reasons: 1) Great vegan pastry! I baked the shells twice for crispness, second time for 6 mins, until just browning. 2) Taste discovery! Didn’t have almond butter for the date caramel, so used peanut butter. Wow! 3) The topping! Been searching for a room temperature-stable vegan frosting for ages – I mixed chilled coconut cream (from a small box) with cashew cream (Ina mashup of your alternatives), and it held beautifully. Big thanks. A huge hit at the party too.
This looks delicious! Especially that tart base 🙂