This Banana Bread Cheesecake recipe uses baked banana bread blended into a creamy cheesecake batter for an authentic banana bread-flavored cheesecake with a toasted pecan graham cracker crust garnished with salted caramel, toasted pecans and brown sugar whipped cream. This baked cheesecake is filled with banana bread flavor from real banana bread slices. If you have leftover banana bread, this is the perfect recipe to use it up.
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The inspiration for this cheesecake came to me in a Chili’s (lol). I asked my brother-in-law what he wanted me to bake for his birthday. His two favorite things are banana bread and cheesecake. We started spitballing and I got this harebrained idea to blend baked banana bread into cheesecake batter. I was worried about the final texture, but could not let go of the idea. I knew it would give the dessert an authentic banana bread flavor, and I also knew the perfect recipe to use for the banana bread, which comes from Easy Gay Oven.
I took the cheesecake batter base from my Blueberry Cheesecake recipe, which I love because it is pared down, just requiring mostly cream cheese, eggs and heavy cream. If you are looking for another banana-inspired dessert, try my banana macarons.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- There is an authentic banana bread flavor.
- The garnishes complement the flavors of banana bread.
- The graham cracker crust is made with brown sugar and salt for a salty/sweet flavor profile.
Ingredients
- Banana bread in the batter and crust brings an authentic flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream adds richness and moisture to the cheesecake and the base for the whipped cream.
- Cream cheese is the base of the dessert and provides tang and structure.
- Dark brown sugar and granulated sugar sweetens the cheesecake batter and whipped cream.
- Light brown sugar sweetens the crust.
- Vanilla extract and kosher salt balance the overall flavor profile.
- Ground cinnamon adds extra banana bread flavor to the cheesecake batter.
- Eggs provide structure to the cheesecake.
- Pecans add a textural variation and toasted nutty flavor.
- Unsalted butter adds richness and moisture to the crust.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here’s how to customize this cheesecake to your liking:
- Crust variations — use a store-bought crust (if they are smaller you may need two) or omit the banana bread crumbs and pecans, if desired.
- No brown sugar — swap any instance of light or dark brown sugar for granulated sugar.
- Garnish variations — omit any garnishes and/or decorate as you see fit.
- No cinnamon — omit the cinnamon or swap for another spice.
- Another nut — swap pecans for walnut, or another nut.
This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make banana bread cheesecake
Step 1: Make the crust according to recipe instructions.
Step 2: Make the cheesecake batter according to recipe instructions. Pour into the prepared crust and bake. Cool slowly according to instructions, then chill overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Make the whipped cream according to recipe instructions and pipe a border around the cheesecake top.
Step 4: Fill the middle with salted caramel and garnish with pecans and chunks of banana bread.
Hot tips
- I used Easy Gay Oven’s recipe for banana bread baked in a 9×5 tin. To make banana bread crumbs, cut a 1-inch slice of banana bread. Pulse in a food processor or break apart with your hands and spread thin on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F until dried out.
- Measure pecans after chopping, not while whole or halved.
- If you don’t have foil, an alternative for the bain-marie step is to place the cheesecake into a 10-inch cake tin and place that pan into a larger baking dish and fill the larger pan with water until halfway up the side of the cake tin.
Recipe FAQs
Store a cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic and stored in an airtight container.
This is not recommended. If you would like a plain cheesecake, I recommend this recipe.
A bain-marie is a water bath. Baking in a water bath ensures the cheesecake bakes evenly and prevents cracking.
More recipes you’ll love
Lastly, if you make this Banana Bread Cheesecake recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Banana Bread Cheesecake
Equipment
- Hand beaters
Ingredients
Banana bread cheesecake batter
- 3 1-inch slices banana bread* (270g)
- 1 ⅓ cup heavy cream divided (313g)
- 4, 8- ounce packages cream cheese room temperature (904g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (55g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Graham cracker banana pecan crust
- 18 graham cracker sheets (two packs from a 14.4 ounce box)
- ½ cup banana bread crumbs* optional from 1-inch thick slice (38g)
- ½ cup chopped** pecans (55g)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar (70g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks) melted
Brown sugar whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (235g)
- 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar or light brown sugar
Garnish
- ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce optional, I used Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe
- ½ cup chopped pecans toasted
Instructions
Warning
- This is a multi-day baking project. Day 1: Bake the banana bread and soak half overnight (see below). Day 2: Bake the cheesecake and chill overnight. Day 3: Garnish and enjoy.
Do ahead
- Cut the banana bread slices for the cheesecake batter into 1-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Cover with ¾ cup heavy cream. Let sit at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Set the cream cheese packages in warm water while you are prepping other ingredients to ensure it is completely softened.
- The crust can be baked a day ahead on Day 1, if desired. Just keep it stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic.
Make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, banana bread crumbs, pecans, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Add the melted butter and mix to combine.
- Pour into a greased and parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan. Pat firmly into the bottom and up the sides.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and tamp down again, if it puffed out of shape. Let cool while preparing the filling.
Make the cheesecake batter
- Combine the room temperature cream cheese and sugars in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, or until smooth.
- Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, mixing in between.
- In a blender or food processor, add the prepared heavy cream soaked banana bread mixture and ¼ cup heavy cream. Blend until completely smooth. Pour this mixture into the cheesecake batter and mix in just until combined. Add the remaining ⅓ cup heavy cream and mix just until combined.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the baked and cooled crust.
Bake
- Create a bain-marie: Cut large pieces of foil. Stack them on top of each other in opposite directions. Place the cheesecake on top of the foil stack and bring the foil up around the edges. You basically want to make it so that no water can get to the cheesecake pan. This is important otherwise your cheesecake could get waterlogged and ruined.
- Place the foiled cheesecake pan inside of a larger baking dish. Pour boiling (or very hot) water into the larger baking dish so that it reaches at least halfway up the sides of the foiled cheesecake pan (but not so much that you risk getting water into the cheesecake pan). See notes for alternative options.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, the first 10 minutes at 350℉ and then lower the oven to 325℉. You’ll know it is ready when it looks firm, but there is still a slight jiggle.
- Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside while the oven cools down. The key here is letting the cheesecake cool very gradually to prevent cracks. After about 30 minutes, crack the oven door with a wooden spoon or just open it slightly. Let cool in there another 30 minutes before removing to the counter to cool down to room temperature.
- Finally, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill completely overnight.
Make the whipped cream
- In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or with hand beaters in a large bowl, beat the heavy cream and brown sugar together until stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag, if desired.
Garnish
- Garnish with a crown of whipped cream, salted caramel sauce, chopped pecans and chunks of remaining banana bread.
