Smoked Banana Cream Cheesecake

Cheesecake has a rich history (pun intended), dating back before the first century A.D., and was even served to the athletes that took part in the first Olympic games. Arnold Reuben is credited with perfecting the decadent dessert we enjoy today, in all its creamy deliciousness, way back in 1929. To achieve the next step in its velvety evolution, our Traeger chef smokes the cream beforehand to enhance the range and depth of the cheesecake’s sweetness with a distinct, robust accent. If you’ve never tried a smoked dessert, dive in with Smoked Banana Cream Cheesecake—the water’s fine.

SMOKED BANANA CREAM CHEESECAKE

DIFFICULTY: 3/5
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOK TIME:7 hours 30 minutes (6 hours cooling time)
RECOMMENDED PELLETS: Alder, Oak
SERVES: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

20 Vanilla Cream-Filled Sandwich Cookies
1/4 cup Margarine, melted

Filling:

24 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
3 Eggs
¾ cup Mashed Banana
½ cup Whipping Cream (Smoked)
2 Tbsp. Vanilla

METHOD

• When ready to cook, start your Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes).
• Pour the cream into a shallow, 9x13 cake pan, place on the grill and smoke for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Use a blender to finely chop the cookie, add the melted margarine and blend until they are combined, press the mixture into the bottom of a 10” spring form pan and smooth it out. Refrigerate the crust while making the filling.
• Turn the grill up to 350°F and preheat, lid closed (10-15 minutes).
• Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it is creamy, followed by the sugar, cornstarch and eggs (one at a time). Next, add the bananas, smoked whipping cream, and vanilla. When all the ingredients have been combined, pour the mixture into the crust, and put in onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes on the Traeger. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 200°F and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes more, or until the cheesecake has fully cooked in the center.
• Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan. Tip: Before removing the pan run warm water over a knife and slide it around the edge of the cake pan to separate the cake pan cleanly. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours before cutting. Enjoy!

PRINTABLE RECIPE:

Traeger Banana Cream Cheesecake.pdf (48.02 kb)