A Cup of Catherine

Virtual Vegan Potluck: Almost-Raw Banoffee Pie Bites

by

vegan banoffee pie bites

As a lover of bananas and all things British, you’d better believe I adore banoffee pie. Oddly enough, I never did taste it while I studied in London (8 years ago!). Since then, however, I have sampled this delectable dessert in my own kitchen.

vvpLOGO

Because today’s Virtual Vegan Potluck is a celebration of the vegan lifestyle and the beautiful, creative, and plant-based food it inspires, I’ve created a healthier, dairy-free version of this normally rich treat.

Though not a true replica of banoffee pie as one may know it, these vegan banoffee pie bites do evoke the same toffee, banana, and whipped cream flavors as the original—and are every bit as delicious and decadent.

Almost-Raw, Vegan Banoffee Pie Bites

banoffee pie bite 1

For the crust:

pie-crust

  • 1 cup pitted medjool dates
  • 1 cup raw nuts*
  • ¼ cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
  • 2 tbsp rolled oats
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of salt

For the toffee:

toffee

  • ½ cup chopped, pitted dates
  • ½ cup almond milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:

coconut-cream

  • 1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the refrigerator**
  • 2 tsp maple syrup***
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Other ingredients:

banana-nutmeg

  • 1 large banana (or 2 small)
  • ground nutmeg, to garnish

*Any mix of nuts will do. I used cashews and walnuts because I had them on hand, but almonds would make a fantastic crust.

**Make sure to use full fat (not light) coconut milk—and one that doesn’t contain emulsifiers (like xantham or guar gum)—or this process won’t work. Depending on the brand of coconut milk you use—and how much cream you desire—you may need 2 cans. 

***Powdered sugar or stevia would work beautifully here. I used maple syrup because I didn’t have vegan sugar.

Directions

  1. In a food processor, blend nuts and coconut until very finely chopped.
  2. Add the dates, oats, cinnamon, and salt, and blend until well combined. Mixture should be crumbly but should hold together when squeezed in hand.
  3. Pour the “dough” onto a wax paper-covered cutting board, and flatten with your hands (approximately ¼ -inch thick).
  4. Cut the dough with a small 1-½ inch cookie cutter. Alternatively, you can form balls with your hands, flattening into pie shapes. (Yields 16-18 mini pies.)
  5. Place pie crusts on a baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours (or overnight) until hardened.
  6. To make the toffee, add chopped dates, non-dairy milk, almond butter, and vanilla into a blender and blend until smooth.
  7. In a sauce-pan over low, heat the toffee mixture until bubbly and thickened.
  8. Set aside to cool.
  9. To make the whipped cream, spoon the hardened coconut “cream” into a large bowl. (Reserve the liquid for smoothies, sauces, oats, etc.).
  10. Using a hand-held mixer, mix the cream until well whipped (like regular whipped cream). Add sweetener and vanilla, whipping again until incorporated.
  11. To assemble, spread a small amount of toffee onto each pie crust. Add a thin slice of banana, and top with whipped cream. Garnish with a sprinkling of ground nutmeg.

banoffee pie bite 2

For authenticity, serve with your favorite cup’a tea. 🙂

While I don’t practice a vegan lifestyle myself, I realize the importance of following a primarily plant-based diet.

Over the last year, I’ve actually come to prefer vegan versions of staple dishes such as lentil loaves, veggie burgers, and desserts over their meat and dairy-based counterparts.

It’s my hope that friends, family, and readers become more aware of their own health and dietary choices. Vegan food isn’t weird—and it’s certainly not boring.

To check out the next delicious dessert from Cocina de Nihacc, click below.

go_forward-300x243

Or go back to view the previous delectable creation from The Hearty Herbivore.

go_bck-300x257

To learn even more about the potluck and see the full list of participating blogs, click here. Special thanks to Vegan Bloggers Unite! for hosting the potluck. 🙂

    • WANT MORE?

    SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THE LATEST BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS, FOODIE FAVORITES, AND MUCH MORE!

    We don’t spam--ever!--and we know you value your privacy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    10. Oh gosh I just LOVE these! I have always wanted to try banoffee pie, but it’s full of things I’d rather not eat. This is perfect and I love that you can have just one bite instead of a whole slice!

      Happy Potluck!

      • Thanks. You could probably make an allergy-free, more traditional crust & leave out the almond butter in the toffee…maybe. I’m sure you could come up with something! I love the idea of virtual potlucks, too. The blog community should host them more often.

    17. This looks so yummy! They look like tiny little bite-sized treats that will be very easy to pop multiple in my mouth. Thank you for the recipe. I know you mention to add small amounts of toffee, but that just sounds crazy… I will probably add large dollops of toffee and making a giant mess while eating, but it is going to be really tasty 🙂