Ok, so I’ll be honest, I’ve never had banoffee pie before, but I’ve been craving it!  Is it even possible to crave something you’ve never had? I would say it is!  I had heard of this ‘banoffee pie’ before, but it wasn’t until I watched Chef April Bloomfield whip one up on The Mind of a Chef (which is a must see show on PBS for all you food lovers out there!) that I started dreaming up making one of my own.  While watching the show, I began brainstorming a way to make this traditional English pastry a bit healthier and I think I succeeded. Tell me what you think!

Ingredients:
Crust (recipe from Elana’s pantry):
2 c almond flour
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 egg
dash of salt

Dulce de Leche:
2 13.5 oz cans of full fat coconut milk (my favorite-no additives, thickeners, or preservatives!)
1 c coconut sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp vanilla

3-4 bananas, sliced

Coconut Whipped Cream
2 13.5 oz cans of full fat coconut milk or 1 can of goya coconut cream, chilled overnight
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

1 piece of dark chocolate, shaved

Directions
Crust:
Place almond flour and salt in food processor and pulse briefly to incorporate.  Add coconut oil and the egg and pulse until a ball of dough is formed.  Bake at 350 9-12 minutes or until done. Set aside to cool.

Dulce de Leche:
While crust is baking, start the dulce de leche.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together coconut milk and coconut sugar until the sugar has dissolved.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently for 45-60 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by about half and caramel in color, being careful not to burn.  Let cool, stirring occasionally.  Stir in salt, ghee, and vanilla. Set aside.

Coconut Whipped Cream:
Place the can(s) of coconut milk in the fridge overnight (this causes the cream and water to separate). Chill a medium mixing bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes.  Remove the chilled coconut milk from the fridge and carefully flip the can upside down.  Open the can and pour off the coconut water into a container (You won’t be using the water for this recipe. Save it for smoothies, rice, or soups!).  Scoop out the hardened coconut cream and place it in the chilled bowl.  Whip with a hand mixer until fluffy.  Add maple syrup and vanilla to taste, and whip again.

Assembly:
Spread dulce de leche into an even layer on bottom of pie crust. Assemble banana slices in a concentric circle, allowing the slices to overlap.  Top with a coconut whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings.