Best Ever Banana Cheesecake Recipe

This creamy banana cheesecake is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas. So delectable and satisfying! Top it off with caramel sauce for good measure!

This is my last bit of “business” to wrap up before we head out for our yearly family waterpark vacation. We all look forward to this trip and it always seems to fly by. I intend to savor every moment with my boys! Just like I savored every bite of this cheesecake!

Elijah was flipping through my foodie calendar early in January and happened to notice that January 20th was Cheese Lover’s Day. This boy loves cheese more than he loves a giant bag filled with Halloween candy, so he requested a cheesecake for this special day…along with cheese sticks, cottage cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich and milk.

When I asked the boys what kind of cheesecake I should make, Sammy blurted out, “BANANA!” while Elijah said, “CARAMEL!” So there you go. Introducing a super yummy boy-inspired banana caramel cheesecake on this bitterly cold Valentine’s Day! This cheesecake was a huge hit with my crew. The banana flavor in this sweet dessert is irresistible!

HOW TO MAKE BANANA CHEESECAKE

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the Nilla Wafer crumbs (use a food processor to form crumbs or put them into a large ziploc bag and break them down using a heavy spoon) and the butter. Stir until crumbly. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake the crust for 8 minutes in the preheated oven.

STEP 2

In a small bowl, combine 2 mashed ripe bananas and 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Mix on medium speed (hand-held or stand-up mixer) for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth.

STEP 3

Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in the banana mixture. Pour the mixture over the prepared crust and bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is cooked through (the center should uniformly jiggle with a gentle shake).

Let cool completely (this will take approximately 30 minutes), cover and chill for a minimum of 1 hour. Cut into slices and top with Nilla wafers, banana slices and caramel sauce!

RECIPE NOTES

• Let your cream cheese come to room temperature before using it. It’ll be easier to beat into a creamy texture for your cake, you’ll avoid a lumpy mixture and it’ll mix with other ingredients better.
• Skip the low fat cheese and go for full fat. This keeps your cheesecake creamy. none of the low-fat fillers would be ideal for this dessert.
• Buy homemade or make your own homemade salted caramel sauce to top your cheesecake with!
• Refrigerate until right before slicing and serving!
• Sprinkle lots of extra crushed or whole vanilla wafers over the top for an added crunch and bit of yum!
• The Nilla wafers take the place of graham crackers in this recipe, but you can definitely use crushed graham crackers as a replacement.
• Adding a few tablespoons of banana pudding mix to the cheesecake batter would be DELISH!
• Caramel sauce is the BEST topping for this cheesecake, but whipped cream (cool whip OR homemade!) and extra sliced bananas are delicious, too!

CAN YOU FREEZE CHEESECAKE

Cheesecake freezes extremely well! Wrap the cheesecake tightly in foil and place inside a resealable freezer bag for up to 6 months. When you are ready to enjoy the cheesecake, allow it to thaw completely in the fridge overnight.

HOW LONG DOES CHEESECAKE LAST

Tightly wrap cheesecake in plastic wrap or foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

HOW TO TELL IF CHEESECAKE IS DONE

You’ll be able to tell when your cheesecake is done when you gently shake the pan and the cheesecake jiggles uniformly. If the center jiggles at a different rate than the outer edge, put it back in the oven for 5-minute bursts, checking for a uniform jiggle after each. In addition, cheesecake will have a very slightly golden brown top when it is done cooking.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM

I am a huge proponent for homemade dessert toppings because they are WAY tastier than anything you can buy in the store and they take such little time to prepare. Homemade whipped cream is no exception! You’ll need only THREE ingredients and they are probably already in your kitchen.

Go pull out 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Before you do that, place a metal bowl along with your metal beaters in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Immediately after removing the bowl/beaters from the freezer, place all of the ingredients into the bowl and start mixing! Go high speed!

One to two minutes later you should have the most perfectly creamy whipped cream at your fingertips, ready to be spooned onto a nearby dessert. Seriously, it just doesn’t get any easier than that.

OTHER DELICIOUS CHEESECAKES

• Cherry Almond Cheesecake – Saturated with almond flavoring and delicious tart cherries, this is the yummiest cherry cheesecake you’ll ever make! Layers of tart cherries below and above the cheesecake, you’ll have an incredible flavorful bite no matter what you do.
• Creamy Butterfinger Cheesecake – As if cheesecake couldn’t get more delicious, add Butterfinger candy bars to send it over the top!
• Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake – This cheesecake is so festive and deliciously minty! Plus, what isn’t delicious when it’s drizzled with chocolate!
• Peach Topped Blueberry Cheesecake – The combination of blueberries and peaches is to-die-for in this cheesecake! Great dessert for summer.
• Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake – The only thing better than salted caramel apples? Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake! This creamy, moist cheesecake is paired with cooked apples and drizzled with a salted caramel sauce. This is the perfect fall treat and a great way to use up apples!

WHAT TO DO WITH RIPE BANANAS?

Are you like me and constantly finding a fruit bowl filled with ripe bananas? It works well to throw them into the freezer to thaw and use at a later time, or you can mash them up and throw them into one of these delicious recipes!

• Best Banana Bread – This Banana Bread recipe is tried, tested, delicious and EASY! Great way to use up those ripe bananas staring at you from your counter!
• Banana Bars with Maple Brown Sugar Frosting – These Banana Bars are in my Top 3 list of Best Desserts Ever. These are TO DIE FOR and the best way to use up ripe bananas, in my opinion.
• Banana Crumb Muffins – This Banana Crumb Muffins recipe is a delicious way to use up ripe bananas. You will love the crumb topping with brown sugar as an afternoon treat on these tender muffins. So tasty you may want to find friends to send them too! Otherwise be prepared to eat them all yourself!
• Pumpkin Banana Bread – Pumpkin AND bananas join forces in this tasty bread! This is a great fall treat and your house has never smelled so good.
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies – Adding bananas to Chocolate Chip Cookies is a great way to use up ripe bananas! These cookies are super moist and delicious!
• Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – This is my favorite delicious twist on Banana Bread! Cream cheese makes EVERYTHING better.
• Reese’s Banana Bread – Add Reese’s peanut butter cups to Banana Bread to make it a delectable treat! You’ll never look at a loaf of banana bread the same ever again.