Healthy Banana Cheesecakes with an Oatmeal Flax Crust

It's back to being freezing here in New England today and the cold weather is supposed to last until Wednesday. It is so depressing. But on a positive note, these little healthy cheesecakes are absolutely delicious and comforting! 

I made these cheesecakes a couple days ago when it was warm out and they were the perfect little treat to enjoy on a spring day. My boyfriend and I actually enjoyed them for breakfast. They may be called cheesecakes, but they are healthy enough to have for breakfast, so I did not feel an ounce of guilt about having dessert for breakfast.

The crust for these cheesecakes is made with the simple and nutritious ingredients of homemade unsweetened applesauce, rolled oats and flaxseed meal. The crust alone will give you a great burst of energy that you need to start your day if you also decide to eat these for breakfast.

These cheesecakes are packed with nutrition and health benefits. The oatmeal and flax in the crust will give you great energy for the day and the cream cheese will give you the protein that you need to keep you full and satisfied throughout the morning.

The whole mashed banana also adds creaminess, nutrition and great banana flavor to the cheesecake. You can definitely tell that there is banana in these cheesecakes, so if you're not a banana fan, then I wouldn't recommend making them. If you are a banana fan, you will love these!

I have a few more ripe bananas left that I have a feeling will end up being baked into one of these cheesecakes again. I can't wait for you to try this recipe. I also thought I would include a nice springy picture of some fresh herbs I bought at my local farmer's market over the weekend. I got some fresh basil and parsley and I can't wait to start using them once they grow some more!

Healthy Banana Cheesecakes with an Oatmeal Flax Crust:

(recipe slightly adapted from: http://amyshealthybaking.com/)

Servings: 2

1/4 cup instant oats (I pulsed 1/4 cup of rolled oats in the food processor until fine)

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal

2 tablespoon applesauce

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon honey (I used local honey)

1 ripe banana, mashed

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 300° and grease 2 ramekins with non-stick spray.
2. In a small bowl combine the oats, flaxseed meal and applesauce. Divide the crust mixture between the 2 ramekins and bake for 8 minutes.
3. In a large bowl cream together the cream cheese and honey. Add in the banana, cornstarch and vanilla. Blend together until combined. Divide the mixture between the 2 ramekins and bake for 20-22 minutes, until the centers do not jiggle.
4. Let the cheesecakes cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. I topped mine with a drizzle of honey and some cacao nibs.