Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad (No Whipped Cream)
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.
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
Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 7gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 8mgPotassium: 622mgFiber: 5gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 53IUVitamin C: 83mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 3mg
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