Banana Cheesecake

Banana Cheesecake! A rich cheesecake flavored with very ripe bananas topped with bananas roasted with rum, brown sugar, butter and vanilla.

banana cheesecake with roasted bananas

This dessert offers a twist on the classic cheesecake, with a smooth texture and lovely flavor from the fresh bananas.

Whether you’re an experienced baker or a beginner, this easy-to-follow recipe allows you to enjoy big banana flavor.

Ingredients

ingredients for banana cheesecake in glass bowls on a white surface.

Ingredient Notes

  • Bananas- Very ripe bananas are your best option for this recipe.
  • Cream Cheese – Use only full-fat cream cheese for this recipe.
  • Sour Cream – Adds a tangy note to the flavor of the cake.
  • Lemon juice – Sparks the flavor of the peaches.

How to make Banana Cheesecake

mixing graham cracker crumbs for crust. Crust in cake pan.
  • Toss the melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs.
  • Press the crumbs into the prepared pan and bake until golden and fragrant.
Cream cheese in a bowl. Sour cream added, eggs added.
  • Mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  • Add the sour cream.
  • Add the mashed bananas and eggs.
Cheesecake batter pouring into pan. Water pouring between pans. Cheesecake baked on a rack.
  • Pour the cheesecake batter over the baked crust.
  • Set the pan into a larger pan and pour water to come half way up the pan.
  • Bake the cake, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until very cold.
  • Combine the ingredients for the rum glaze.
  • Slice the bananas and toss with the rum glaze.
  • Bake the bananas for 10 minutes. Arrange the bananas on the cake just before serving or serve then as a sauce.

Pastry Chef tips for making cheesecake

  1. To avoid lumps of cream cheese in the batter, make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature before mixing. Thoroughly scrape the bowl after mixing the cheese, after adding the sugar and after each addition of eggs to the batter.
  2. Do not over mix the batter or mix on high speed, especially after the eggs are added. Over mixing aerates the batter, causing it to puff up and crack as it bakes.
  3. Chill the cake completely in the refrigerator before unmolding.

More Cheesecake Recipes

banana cheesecake topped with roasted bananas

If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.

banana cheesecake with roasted bananas
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5 from 3 reviews

Banana Cheesecake With Rum Roasted Bananas

Ultra creamy banana cheesecake topped with rum-roasted bananas.
Prep Time30 minutes
Bake Time50 minutes
Chilling Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 20 minutes
16 servings
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Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 oz butter (melted)

Cheesecake

  • 16 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 6 oz granulated sugar (¾ cup)
  • 8 oz sour cream (1 cup)
  • 8 oz very ripe bananas (about 2 medium, smashed with a fork)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ½ vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
  • 3 large eggs (whisked together)

Topping

  • 4 oz brown sugar (½ cup)
  • 2 tablespoons dark rum
  • ½ vanilla bean
  • 2 oz butter (¼ cup)
  • 4 medium bananas (sliced)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line the bottom of a 9"x3" cake pan or springform pan with a parchment paper round. If you're using a spring form pan wrap the outside of the pan with a piece of aluminum foil to cover the bottom and sides.

To make the Crust

  • Combine 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 oz granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour 3 oz butter (melted) over the crumbs and toss to combine. Dump the crumbs into the cake pan and press to an even layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F.

Make the cheesecake batter

  • Combine the softened 16 oz cream cheese and 6 oz granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed to combine the ingredients, scraping the bowl and beaters often to avoid lumps.
  • Once the mix is smooth, add 8 oz sour cream, 8 oz very ripe bananas, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and the seeds from ½ vanilla bean. Scrape the bowl. Add the eggs in three stages, scraping well after each addition. Mix just until the eggs are combined, do not over mix.
  • Pour the batter into the cake pan. Set the pan into a sheet pan or roasting pan. Set the pan into the middle rack of the oven and pour water to come at least ½ way up the side of the cake pan.
  • Bake until the cake softly jiggles as a mass when the pan is shaken, about 45-50 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a thin sharp knife that has been moistened with warm water around the sides of the cake to release it from the pan (this will prevent the cake from cracking while it cools). Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Assembly

  • Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. To make the topping, combine 4 oz brown sugar, 2 tablespoons dark rum, seeds from ½ vanilla bean and 2 oz butter in a small saucepan. Heat to melt the ingredients together. Toss the sauce with 4 medium bananas (sliced).
  • Roast the bananas on the prepared sheet pan until the bananas have softened slightly and the sauce is caramelized and bubbly (about 10 minutes).
  • Remove the cold cheesecake from the refrigerator. If you used a spring form pan run a knife around the edges of the cake and release the pan.
  • If you used a regular cake pan, set the cold cake into a bowl of very hot water for 20-30 seconds to release the sides. Run a warm knife around the sides of the cake. Place a plate or cardboard cake circle on top of the cake pan. Immediately flip the cake over and remove the pan and the parchment circle. Flip the cake over onto a serving plate
  • Arrange the roasted bananas onto the cake in concentric circles.

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Notes

I like to add the bananas to the chilled cheesecake just before serving. I prefer not to refrigerate the roasted bananas because the texture is not as nice when cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 763IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!

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4 Comments

    1. Hi Bonnie – Sorry if that wasn’t clear. That’s 1 pound of cream cheese (16 ounces). I’ve changed it in the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out.
      Eileen