No-Bake Mini Banana Cheesecakes

Prep time: 45 mins Cook time: Chill 6 hours - overnight Total time: 6 hours 45 mins - overnight

Ingredients

The Crust

3 cups digestive cookie crumbs

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 

Cheesecake filling

½ cup heavy whipping cream

450g full fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 -3 bananas, sliced in rounds 

Equipment

2 four inch springform pans

Food processor or two plastic bags and rolling pin

2 Medium bowls

Large bowl

Handheld electric whisk

Spatula or spoon

Plastic/Cling wrap

Knife (medium or large sized)

How To

The Crust

Place digestive biscuits into a food processor or two plastic bags and beat down and blend until you have a fine texture. Pour into a medium bowl together with butter and mix well. 

Pour into the springform pans and using your fingers, start pressing the mixture against the pan's wall slightly up to the brim. Then do the base by pressing the mixture to the bottom of the pan. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Cheesecake Filling

Using a handheld electric whisk, beat the cream cheese and strawberry jam in a large bowl. Beat until creamy. Once creamy, add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, sour cream and sugar. Beat until well combined.

In another medium bowl, using the handheld whisk beat the whipped cream until it forms stiff peaks.

Fold in the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. Do it slowly so you hold the air.

Remove the crust from the freezer. Pour half the filling into the pan and smooth the top of the filling with a spatula or spoon.  Add two layers of banana slices. Top with the cheese filling to the brim of the pan. Repeat with the other mini-cake pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

Once ready to serve, take the cheesecake out of the fridge. Remove the springform. Insert a small knife underneath the cheesecake crust and gently move it all around to help loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Using the same knife, lift the cheesecake a bit and insert a flat spatula underneath. Do the same in the opposite direction. Holding both spatula and knife, swiftly and confidently transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate.

Alternatively you can just remove the side of the springform pan, and leave the base. You can put the cheesecake with the base onto a serving plate.

Put a few scoops of whipped cream on top of the cheesecake. Top with banana slices for a nice decorative look.