Chai Banoffee Pie

A creative, wholefoods flavour spin on a classic! This Chai Banoffee Pie has a light and crispy almond coconut crust, a creamy, subtly spiced date, almond butter and chai tea caramel centre, fresh banana and fluffy coconut cream. If you’re not a fan of banana in desserts, you can simply leave it out and have this as a vegan/gluten free caramel tart! It’s sweet and rich, sure to cure those cravings without a massive blood sugar spike.

Almond Base

 1 cup almond meal

 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

 1/3 cup tapioca flour

 Pinch of salt

 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Chai Caramel

1 ½ cups (330g) medjool dates (this was 15 large dates for me)

1 cup plant-based milk (I use Bonsoy)

1 tbsp. Prana Chai tea

3 tbsp. almond butter

Pinch of sea salt

Vanilla Cream

1 can coconut cream, refrigerated overnight

1 tbsp. tapioca flour (optional)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-3 bananas, thickly sliced on a diagonal

70% dark chocolate, shaved

Almond Base

1.     Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a round non-stick tart tin with coconut oil.

2.     Place almond meal, desiccated coconut, tapioca flour and a small pinch of salt into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla, then mix until it comes together.

3.     Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and around the edges. It will be quite wet and sticky. Prick it a few times with a fork and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Chai Caramel

1.     Pour the milk into a small saucepan along with the chai tea. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat with the lid on for about 5-10 minutes, or until well infused. Strain the tea into a jug and discard the tea leaves.

2.     Pit the dates and place them into the small saucepan along with the hot, infused chai tea. Allow to simmer with the lid on for a further 5-10 minutes to soften the dates. 1.     Add the dates and chai tea to a food processor along with the almond butter and sea salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides.

2.     Pour the caramel into the cooked and cooled base and place in the fridge to firm up.

Vanilla Cream

1.     Remove the coconut cream from the fridge, and carefully open (be sure not to shake or move the can too much). Scoop the hardened coconut cream from the top and place into a mixing bowl, ensuring you do not get any of the water beneath (save the water for a smoothie).

2.     Add the tapioca flour and vanilla to the bowl with the cream and use electric hand beaters to beat the cream until it is light and fluffy.

3.     Assemble the banana slices around the outside edge of the tart and then add another layer to the inside of this, slightly overlapping the rows, until you have covered the caramel layer.

4.     Dollop the whipped cream over the banana layer, in the centre of the tart and gently smooth out toward the edges.

5.     Use a vegetable peeler to shave the dark chocolate over the whipped cream and serve immediately. Enjoy!