No Bake Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Caramelized Bananas

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse until ground (see photos).
3. Add the sugar and melted butter and pulse once or twice to combine. Don't let the food processor run or you will end up with almond butter.
4. Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crust at least 1 inch up the sides of the pan. I like to use a measuring cup to press it evenly.
5. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately press the crust down again, as it will have puffed up while baking. Place in the freezer to cool.
6. Once the crust is not hot anymore, make the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the jar of salted caramel and beat well.
7. In another bowl, beat the cream until soft peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
8. With a rubber spatula, stir about one-third of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then fold in remainder. It should be fully incorporated, but try hard not to overwork it.
9. Scrape the mixture into the cooled crust and even out the top. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2-3 hours.
10. Caramelize the bananas. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter and brown sugar. Continually stir the sugar so that it doesn’t scorch. Cook until the butter and sugar have melted together.
11. Add the bananas and cook for 1-2 minutes. You want the edges to caramelize and coat in the sugar but you don’t want them to get too soft. Gently turn the bananas so that each side gets caramelized. Turn off the heat and remove to a plate to let cool. I stuck mine in the freezer to speed it up.
12. Once the cheesecake and the caramelized bananas are cold, arrange the bananas on top of the cheesecake. Drizzle with more salted caramel sauce. Enjoy!