Caramelized Banana Cheesecake
Break way from bland strawberry or plain cheesecake and create this amazing caramelized banana cheesecake. This is a delicious dessert that looks incredibly impressive for a dinner party.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pecan halves
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 medium bananas, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoon dark rum, optional
- 8 ounce package fat-free cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounce package light cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1 medium banana, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup your favorite preserves, such as apricot, melted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Place pecans on baking sheet, toast in oven about 8 minutes. Check frequently to avoid burning, set aside. Leave oven on.
- Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cook, stirring frequently, until melted, about 6 minutes. Add 2 sliced bananas, cook until bananas are caramelized and soft enough to mash with back of spoon. Remove from heat, set aside. Stir in rum, if using.
- Combine cream cheeses and 3/4 cup of sugar in large bowl of electric mixer. Beat until completely blended. Add sour cream, egg and egg whites, mix well. Add caramelized banana mixture, beat until incorporated.
- Put remaining tablespoon of butter, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and toasted pecans in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process until finely ground, press on bottom of ungreased 8-inch springform pan. Pack down firmly using palm of hand.
- Pour filling mixture over crust. Place pan inside larger pan and put on oven rack. Add water to depth of 2 inches. Bake until firm to touch, about 1-1/2 hours. Remove from oven, let sit on wire rack 1 hour.
- Refrigerate, covered, at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. For topping, stir banana slices into melted preserves, spoon over chilled cheesecake.