Easy Tahini Banana No-Bake Dessert That’s Better Than Cheesecake

A very talented foodie friend who has the most amazing cooking and baking skills introduced me to this dessert a couple years ago. Although I’ve modified her recipe, it’s still very close to Laura’s original.

What I love about this no-bake dessert is that even though it’s deliciously creamy and decadent, it’s also impressive in terms of its nutritional quality. Compared to a traditional mini-cheesecake recipe, the differences are fairly substantial:

• Regular mini-cheesecake dessert: 17g fat, 5g saturated fat, 45-50g carbs/sugar, 39mg cholesterol, 230mg sodium, 0.90g fiber
• Laura’s tahini banana no-bake dessert: 11g fat, 2.8g saturated fat, ~33g carbs/sugar, 0mg cholesterol, 2.4mg sodium, 2.95g fiber

While the protein content is similar, the no-bake dessert contains considerably less fat, sugar, and sodium. And I’ll vouch for it myself — this dessert tastes just as sweet and indulgent as any good dessert should. (By that same token, remember this is intended to be a treat, not a daily staple!)

If you want to be extra naughty on a special occasion, go ahead and drizzle some good quality dark chocolate over this. The chocolate will set right away. But if you’d rather stick to the rules and stay within the Whole Challenge guidelines, then either sprinkle with a light dusting of cinnamon, experiment with fresh fruit, or eat without any topping at all.

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Easy Tahini Banana No-Bake Dessert

What I love about this no-bake dessert is that even though it’s deliciously creamy and decadent, it’s also impressive in terms of its nutritional quality.

Category Dessert

Compliance Level Kickstart, Lifestyle

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 12

Author Jannine Myers

Ingredients

Base Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw unsalted almonds
• 1 cup gluten-free oats or regular oats
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Dash of sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 1 to 2 tbsp coconut oil

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 bananas
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 6 dates
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp coconut nectar optional

Instructions

1. Put all of the base ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until a semi-crumbly dough forms.
2. Add tablespoonfuls of the dough mixture to a muffin/cupcake pan and press the mixture down firmly.
3. Add all of the filling ingredients to the food processor or blender and pulse until nice and creamy.
4. Pour the mixture over the crumb bases.
5. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
6. Top with the item(s) of your choice — cinnamon, fruit, or cacao powder could all work.

Jannine Myers

Jannine is an avid trail runner, freelance writer/blogger, and running and nutrition coach. She currently resides in Okinawa, Japan, but will soon be moving back to her hometown of Auckland, New Zealand. You can follow her running adventures and nutrition tips by liking her Facebook page or reading her blog.