This Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad is a dream come true for healthy dessert lovers. Fresh, juicy strawberries and sweet banana slices mingle with a velvety smooth, vegan cashew cream, creating a rich and creamy fruit salad that tastes like ice cream.
But the best part? This strawberry banana cheesecake salad is ready in under 10 minutes and packed with healthy goodness!
No yogurt, whipped cream, or heavy cream are needed for this recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights or a fun and nutritious snack for the kids. This delightful salad is also gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and bursting with refreshing summer flavor.
Love strawberries and want some easy recipe ideas? Here are some ways to enjoy them all day long:
- Eat them fresh!
- Blend them into a smoothie or smoothie bowl.
- Add them to a salad for a sweet twist.
- Enjoy them in homemade strawberry oat milk.
- Prep overnight oats with strawberries for a grab-and-go breakfast.
- Bake gluten-free muffins packed with strawberries.
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Ingredients
I love making this delightful salad when strawberries are in season but you can make it all year round if they are available in your country. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this fruit salad:
- Fresh strawberries: Look for ripe, juicy berries with a bright red color.
- Bananas: Choose ripe bananas with yellow peels and some brown speckles, but avoid overly ripe bananas as they can get mushy in the salad.
- Raw cashews: When blended, cashews create a rich and creamy "cheesecake" base.
- Agave nectar (or maple syrup): A natural sweetener to balance the tartness of the fruit. Choose your favorite!
- Lemon juice: Adds a touch of tang and brightens up the flavors.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor.
- Cold water: Thins the cashew cream to the perfect consistency.
As always, you can find the full recipe with a list of ingredients with measurements in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
How To Make Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad
Slice the fruit. First, soak the cashews in hot boiling water for 5 minutes while you prepare the fruit. Next, carefully rinse strawberries with cold running water and pat them dry. Hull and cut them into halves. Then, slice the bananas into rings. Put sliced fruit into a large bowl.
Make cheesecake dressing. After that, add 1 cup of soaked, drained cashews, ½ cup strawberries, 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup cold water to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the salad. Finally, pour strawberry-cashew dressing over sliced fruit and gently stir until evenly coated. Optionally, reserve a few strawberries and banana slices for decoration.
Serve chilled and enjoy. You can serve this salad immediately or let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. Also, you can freeze it for 1-2 hours before serving it for an ice-creamy texture and taste (my favorite way).
Keep any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Substitutions + Variations
- Sweetener - Substitute agave nectar with pure maple syrup, date syrup, or coconut nectar.
- Fruit - Fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, cherries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, or peaches would be a wonderful addition.
- Cashews - Swap the cashews with pine nuts or use coconut cream instead. If using coconut cream omit the water.
- Lemon juice - Lime or orange juice are great alternatives.
- Nuts - You can throw in chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, or pistachios to add a nutty crunchy flavor.
- Berry Blast - Swap some strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries for a burst of tartness.
- Add fresh mint - Gently fold in some chopped fresh mint leaves for a refreshing touch.
- Seed sprinkle - Add a sprinkle of chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds for extra texture and a touch of healthy fats.
Storage
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze them in a freezer-friendly container or bags for up to 2 months.
Top Tips
- Don't skip the cashews soaking step. It's only 5 minutes but it really makes the difference, especially if you don't have a high-powered blender. It helps to soften up the cashews and to get a silky creamy consistency. Of course, you can soak them for a few hours or overnight. In this case, my advice is to keep soaked cashews in the fridge. Don't forget to drain them after soaking.
- Always pick ripe strawberries with bright red color that are plump and firm to the touch and have a sweet fragrant taste.
- With a paper towel, pat the strawberries dry after washing, as quickly as possible. Otherwise, excess water will thin out the mixture.
- Depending on the sweetness of the strawberries you may need to adjust the agave syrup to your taste.
- Toss any leftovers into your blender with a splash of cashew milk or almond milk and make a nourishing breakfast or post-workout smoothie.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Absolutely! If you make it in advance I recommend you freeze it immediately after prepping since the banana starts to brown quickly. Thaw for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Yes, strawberry banana cheesecake salad can be a healthy dessert option. It is made with fresh fruit, cashews, and a minimal amount of sweetener. Strawberries and bananas are good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Cashews are a good source of healthy fats and plant protein. However, it is important to note that the salad does contain some sugar from the agave nectar or maple syrup. So, it is still best to enjoy it in moderation.
This salad contains 306 calories per serving.
Yes, you can! If you want to serve the salad right away let frozen strawberries defrost, remove excess liquid, then slice and mix in the salad.
There are many fruits that pair well with strawberries! Blueberries, raspberries, mango, pineapple, kiwi, and peaches would all be delicious additions.
Of course, you can blend in a scoop of vegan protein powder with the cheesecake dressing ingredients or sprinkle with hemp seeds for a nutty crunch and extra protein.
One way is to toss the banana slices in a little bit of lemon or orange juice before adding them to the salad or wait to add the bananas to the salad until right before serving.
Easy Recipes With Strawberries
What can I do with too many strawberries? Here are some ideas:
More Refreshing Summer Salads
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad (No Whipped Cream)
Equipment
- High-powered blender
- Knife
- Cutting board
- lemon squeezer
Ingredients
Fruit
- 3 cups fresh strawberries halved
- 2 bananas sliced into rings
Cheesecake Dressing
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, drained
- ½ cup strawberries fresh or frozen (for cool dressing if you serve it immediatelly)
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup (add more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, soak the cashews in hot boiling water for 5 minutes while you prepare the fruit. Next, carefully rinse strawberries with cold running water and pat them dry. Hull and cut them into halves. Then, slice the bananas into rings. Put sliced fruit into a large bowl.
- After that, add 1 cup of soaked, drained cashews, ½ cup strawberries, 2 tablespoons agave nectar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup cold water to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Finally, pour strawberry-cashew dressing over sliced fruit and gently stir until evenly coated. Optionally, reserve a few strawberries and banana slices for decoration.
- You can serve this salad immediately or let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. Also, you can freeze it for 1-2 hours before serving for an ice-creamy texture and taste (my favorite way).Keep any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Storage: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze them in a freezer-friendly container or bags for up to 2 months. Don't skip the cashews soaking step. It's only 5 minutes but it really makes the difference, especially if you don't have a high-powered blender. It helps to soften up the cashews and to get a silky creamy consistency. Of course, you can soak them for a few hours or overnight. In this case, my advice is to keep soaked cashews in the fridge. Don't forget to drain them after soaking.
- Always pick ripe strawberries with bright red color that are plump and firm to the touch and have a sweet fragrant taste.
- With a paper towel, pat the strawberries dry after washing, as quickly as possible. Otherwise, excess water will thin out the mixture.
- Depending on the sweetness of the strawberries you may need to adjust the agave syrup to your taste.
- Toss any leftovers into your blender with a splash of cashew milk or almond milk and make a nourishing breakfast or post-workout smoothie.
- See the post above for more substitutions and variations ideas.
Nutrition
If you try this cheesecake fruit salad, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @go_eatgreen on Instagram.
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Aneta says
I truly enjoyed ❤️🥰
Marinela says
That's amazing! Thank you for sharing, Aneta!