Banana baked cheesecake with peanut butter swirls

June 30, 2015 by Caroline's Cooking

This banana baked cheesecake is low in sugar and lightened with yogurt rather than cream. But despite these healthier twists, it's sweet, creamy and delicious.

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I have to admit, despite all the things I have made in my time, a baked cheesecake was not one of them, until now. Between the fact they are not as common in the UK as in the US, and that we are not massive dessert people, it's just never quite happened.

However, a friend was moving away not so long ago and we were having a last get together, and a cheesecake seemed like the perfect thing to take. Mind you, starting with a bit of an experiment in this banana baked cheesecake was potentially a bit of a risky move.

Thankfully, though, it was most definitely an experiment that worked out well. It was one of the most delicious cheesecakes I have had, if I do say so myself. And all the better for being pretty healthy.

A lighter take on cheesecake

There are a few 'skinny' or 'healthy' cheesecakes I have seen that use yogurt (and low fat if you really want to cut the calories) rather than cream and sour cream, that I was intrigued to try out. I also had the thought of mixing banana in with the topping to add some natural sweetness, as well as a delicious flavor, and from there a bit of peanut butter was a natural perfect partner.

There's only a little bit of honey as additional sweetener, so as I say, you can feel fairly good about eating it. Which is just as well, as it's so tasty, I suspect like me you'll want to come back for seconds. Hey, my excuse is I'm eating for two (though I suspect I would be back even without that excuse).

Making the base

The base is a classic graham cracker base (digestives the closest UK-equivalent), although not too heavy on the butter and without additional sugar, as many recipes add. Instead, there's a bit of peanut butter for extra 'glue' and peanutiness. Please let that be a word!

The base does come out a bit softer than I might have liked, I think mainly because of the fairly soft topping, but it still tastes delicious. I might experiment with non-cookie/cracker bases in future to see if that comes out any differently as it would also be a little healthier, but for now, this is pretty great as it is despite that slight flaw. It does, however, all hold together really well so you don't lose any crumbs from your slice.

Making the filling

To make the main filling, you blend the cream cheese until smooth then add the banana followed by the yogurt and then eggs. Make sure you blend it nice and smooth at the early stages, as it becomes more liquid as you progress and you can't really get lumps out. Plus, you don't want to make it full of bubbles as you add the eggs, you just want them combined.

To cook, you make a 'bain marie' or water bath to keep the temperature even, but before make sure you cover your tin with foil at least as high as the water will go (around 1in/2.5cm deep) to avoid any water leaking in.

Adding the spiral

The peanut butter swirls have led to the cheesecake cracking a bit, but it's a fair trade off in my view. They are really easy to do, just create a spiral with some peanut butter into the topping once it's in the mould then use a skewer to drag the peanut butter out or in to make a nice pattern.

Don't worry if it doesn't come out perfectly even - I think it is probably almost impossible to make it perfect - it will still look good slightly rustic and will taste great either way. It is worth, however, trying to avoid having the line of peanut butter too thick, as both it's more likely to crack and will also probably sink rather than stay towards the top. A little sinking is fine (as I had in the centre) but you don't really want that all over.

This banana baked cheesecake is really not hard to make, even if it seems like it takes a while. Most of that is just baking and then cooling. And the result is so tasty, it was met with 'yum' noises by all who tried it, including my toddler who happily gobbled as much down as I would give him.

The banana flavor is really delicious and the whole thing is beautifully creamy. It holds together really well - you can hold a slice to eat it if you like rather than using a fork, as we found out. Plus, it's relatively healthy so what could be a better excuse to try another slice! It would be great for your next party/gathering, or just because you feel like it, which I think will be my excuse to make it again pretty soon.

Try these other cheesecake-like desserts:

Ostkaka - Swedish cheesecake
Mango cheesecake parfait
Berry phyllo cups with lemon cheesecake cream
Plus get more dessert recipes in the archives.

And if you're a banana fan, try my roasted banana ice cream and this banana bread recipe from House of Nash Eats.

banana baked cheesecake with peanut butter swirls (that's healthy too!)

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5 from 3 votes