For the Crust:
About 3 cups (plus more for sprinkling on top) Simple Mills Cookies (I used a mix of the Toasted Pecan flavor and Cinnamon flavor)
3 medjool dates
2 tablespoons coconut oil
For the Cheesecake Filling:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, then drained
1/4 cup fresh, ripe (but not to ripe) bananas, sliced
1/4 cup coconut cream (I refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight and then scrape the thick part off the top)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
The seeds of 1/2 of one vanilla bean pod (optional, but adds a really nice flavor)
A pinch of sea salt
1. Line a muffin tin with silicone cupcake liners.
2. Process all the ingredients for the crust in a food processor until a crumbly dough forms.
3. Press about 1-2 tablespoons of the crust into the silicone cupcake liners.
4. Place the crusts in the freezer to set while you make the filling.
5. Process the cashews in a food processor until they form a sticky dough-almost like a thick nut butter (it's okay if the cashews are completely processed into a smooth nut butter texture--the mixture will become smooth after adding the other ingredients, I promise.
6. Add the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla (if using) and sea salt to the food processor. Process the mixture again until it is smooth.
7. Add the coconut cream to the food processor and process until smooth one more time, being sure to scrape the sides in between processing (the cashews tend to stick to the sides).
8. Remove the crusts from the freezer and fill the cupcake liners up with the banana cashew cream.
9. Crush some more Simple Mills cookies and sprinkle them on top of the cheesecakes.
10. Place the muffin tin with the cheesecakes in the freezer to set for about 4 hours or overnight.
11. Once the cheesecakes have set, remove them from the freezer and serve (I was able to eat mine right out of the freezer without thawing, but you can always let them sit out for a few minutes until they are to your desired temperature/texture).
12. Enjoy!