I am a big fan of bananas. They are loaded with potassium, B6 and fiber. They are also extremely portable, as they come with their own carrying case that is very easy to discard (yes, I am referring to the peel). I had a couple of ripe bananas sitting on the counter just begging to be turned into something wonderful. The walnut crust and touch of chocolate are the perfect compliments to the banana infused filling. This recipe makes four, 4″ tarts.
Banana Cream Tart with Walnut Crust
Crust:
- 1 1/2 C Walnuts
- 1 C Brazil Nuts
- 5 Dates (soaked until soft)
- 2 T Coconut Butter
Pulse walnuts and brazil nuts in food processor until coarsely chopped. Chop dates and add to food processor with coconut butter. Process until well blended. Press into tart shells two 4 inch tart shells. Crust should be 1/4″ thick all around.
Filling:
- 2 C Cashews (Soaked at least 3 hours)
- 1 C Young Coconut Flesh
- 1/4 C Coconut Water (from fresh coconut)
- 1/4 C Coconut Butter
- 1 t. lemon juice
- 1/4 C Agave
- 1 Vanilla Bean
- 2 Bananas, sliced, separated
Process cashews, young coconut flesh and coconut water in food processor until well blended. Add 1 t. lemon juice, 1/4 C agave, 1/4 coconut butter and one banana and continue to process until light, fluffy and very well processed. Transfer to bowl and add second sliced banana, stir to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, spoon into crusts and sprinkle with left over crust mixture and dried coconut. Top with melted raw chocolate.
Raw Chocolate:
- 1 C Raw Cacao Butter
- 1 t. Vanilla
- 3 T Coconut Oil
- 1/3 C Powdered Sucanat (finely ground in coffee grinder)
- 2 T Agave
- 7 oz. Cacao Powder
Melt cacao butter and coconut oil in dehydrator or over hot water. In food processor, combine melted cacao butter, coconut oil and vanilla. Remove 1/2 mixture and set aside. Add 1/2 cacao powder and combine. Add sucanant and combine. Add coconut butter that was set aside and combine. Add remaining cacao powder, mix well. It should be quite liquid at this point. It will harden as it cools.
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Hey Susan
THIS LOOKS AND SOUNDS WONDERFUL!
I’m a novice..what are you soaking your cashews in?
Thanks!
lo
Filtered water…
Looks amazing! or should I say Rawmazing. I have trouble getting coconuts where I live though so I find it hard to make yummy recipes with coconut meat as an ingredient. Are there any substitutions? I do have coconut butter and coconut oil. Thanks!
Oooh, i love bananas too – even better with choccie! Your tart is beautiful. Looks like I can reach in and grab it
Mmmm
That tart looks incredible… love the photography! I’m adding this to my list of recipes to make
My co-workers see me with a banana and say, “How many is that today?”. Haha, I love ‘em. This sounds delicious, and it’s so pretty!
Absolutely goregous!
YUM! Amazing! I need to get a tart pan!
This looks incredibly delicious!
Thanks for sharing!
Woman. You are a culinary goddess.
yep, she is a culinary goddess. SUSAN is amazing… an artist and a gourmet. i think i’ve burned out on nuts, tho, so i am enjoying simple raw, living foods… plenty of fruit & greens. my most complicated recipe now is for pecan pie: one date spread flat, pecans to cover. eat. hahaha…
This looks absolutely amazing! I cannot wait to try it. I consume a lot of bananas too..especially when it comes to my green smoothies! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this really looks fantastic. Any chance you’ll feature it in an upcoming class?
Great picture, can’t wait to try cooking this stuff.
I agree with RawSierra – what are possible substitutions for coconut meat as an ingredient.
Thanks
I don’t know of anything that you can substitute. You could try local Asian markets. Sometimes they even carry frozen young coconut flesh. You can order them online but the cost is very high. I have seen them on amazon for 26.00 for three.
This looks amazing! I can get young coconuts where I live, but my problem is that I’m too intimidated to cut them open. I’ll have to check the Asian markets for frozen. One question – I have virgin coconut oil, does that work as oil when melted and as butter when solid? Or is coconut butter a separate product? Thank you!
I am going to post today or tomorrow on how to open a coconut. It really is easy once you know how. Also will be addressing the difference between coconut butter and coconut oil!
Divine!
How can you go wrong with Bananas Cream? Beautiful
Oh yum! Bananas are one of my favorites, too! I can’t wait to try this one, it looks amazing!
Oh MY!
This looks devilishly delicious- thank you!
Beautiful!
Dear Susan,
I am a very big fan of all your works and the pictures of the simplest salad look like a piece of heaven. However I am a bit worried about the sweetners you use in the recipe (I mean the agave nectar) as my ressearches recently have found that it is not what it is supposed to be – a raw AGAVE palm nectar but a simple pineapple tree juice full of starch which is bleached using chemicals, and then baked. I am really shocked but here is the full link for this information:
http://www.westonaprice.org/Agave-Nectar-Worse-Than-We-Thought/Print.html
So what you really think about agave? Because I have switched completely away from it as far as it is not what everybody tninks it is…
Enlightening to see such delicious desserts being made from raw ingredients!
You bring up an interesting point. First of all, you need to re-read the article you linked to. It didn’t say it comes from pineapple juice, but the pineapple shaped core of the agave. Second, there is controversial information about agave. But if you make sure your sources are reputable, you can find organic agave. You can even find raw agave if you look. I think that it is important to really research and know what your food sources are for everything. I use agave sparingly in recipes. Some people may substitute dates. But even that can cause problems because of the quantity of dates used. I believe in moderation. It takes just a little agave to sweeten. You can certainly choose not to use it or make the recipes that include it. There is some good information provided by Madhava Agave on their fact sheet. Theirs is not raw, but can clear up some misinformation that is circulating out there. http://www.madhavasagave.com/FAQ.aspx#q13
Dear Susan,
It was my mistake to mention about the pineapple tree but not the core. Thank you very much for bringing back the hope. We are also buying raw organic agave, however I have no chance to make sure whether the source is reliable. Anyway my intention was not to be against agave as I do like the no taste sweetener too and after I stopped using the honey, the maple syrup and the agave nectar are the ones we used.
P.S. Thanks as well for the link. It really explained to me a few things I was looking for.
Best regards to you and all your INCREDIBLE WORKS !!!
I would suggest calling the company and talking directly to them. Many people are very open to this and will be able to let you know exactly how their product is being made.
As for the sweeteners, good call on the sucanat. I have it in the pantry but rarely think to use it for anything. I will try that next time I’m in the mood for chocolate (less and less lately
)… To the best of my knowledge the Raw Agave nectars are fermented with an enzyme (kind of like HFCS…ugh) versus the cooking process. During the process, (this information gets hard to clarify…any takers?) the temperature may rise above 115-120 which would bring up a “raw” argument with some raw foodists. In my opinion as long as we are finding the best we have available and fully enjoying it for what it is moderation seems to come naturally. Thank you again Susan for another raw gem, great work! btw- I also think a book of your recipes would do well 
OMG!….that looks so delish!
Enjoy!