Banana Coconut Cheesecake

Prep Time: 15 mins  | Cook Time: 45 mins | Course: Dessert | Yield: 10 

Bananas, brown sugar and coconut rum star in this amazing cheesecake. I used samoa girl scout cookies for the crust base but any cookies or graham crackers would work great. Showing off in the photo is the butterscotch rum sauce that cooks into a layer of bananas atop the cookie base.

Base:

15 oz samoa cookies or 1 sleeve graham crackers

¼ cup butter, melted

2 bananas, sliced

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp malibu rum

Filling:

2 pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 banana

¾ cup sugar

3 Tbsp malibu rum

2 eggs

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup brown sugar

1 banana, sliced for garnish

Coconut flakes, optional garnish

Preheat oven to 325*. Wrap the outside of a 9” springform pan tightly with three overlapping layers of foil (to make the pan water tight). Mix cookies/crackers, and butter in a food processor until the crumb mixture is fine. If not using a food processor, roll cookies/crackers in a gallon ziplock bag to fine crumbs using a rolling pin; stir crumbs with melted butter in a mixing bowl. Press mixture into foil wrapped springform pan and using a flat bottomed cup press the mixture up the sides of the pan. Arrange 2 sliced bananas over the crumb base. Mix together the brown sugar and rum and pour over the bananas.

In a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer), beat the cream cheese, banana, and sugar together until well blended. Stir in the rum, eggs, sour cream and vanilla until just incorporated. Pour filling over the bananas and place in a baking dish or a 12” pan that will hold the springform pan comfortably. Pour water in the baking dish so that it comes halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Mix the topping ingredients together in a mixing bowl and spread over the top of the cheesecake. Run a knife around the edges and release the springform side, place base on a platter and slice to serve. Sliced bananas and coconut may be used to garnish outer edges.