Banana Cheesecake with Pecan Bacon Crust

I was going to call this "Elvis" cheesecake, but it's missing the peanut butter element. (According to legend, Elvis Presley liked to eat peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwiches.) When I eat a slice, I add some peanut butter on the side! If you are a fan of decadent cheesecakes that are low in sugar and full of delicious nutrients, then this recipe is for you.

I've made banana cheesecakes before, but this time I had three ripe bananas to use up. Three bananas makes for a sweeter, lighter cheesecake batter. (I no longer add sugar to my cheesecake batter.) I added chocolate chips because you can never go wrong with chocolate. (The chocolate provides more sweetness, as well!) My hubby had already fried up an entire pound of bacon (this is another story) so I snagged three slices for the crust. 

Ingredients:

Crust:
3 slices cooked bacon
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
3 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
8 oz light cream cheese (Neufchatel, NOT non-fat!)
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. In the bowl of a large food processor, pulse all crust ingredients until the mixture begins to stick together. If necessary, add a tablespoon or two of hot water. Dump the mixture into the bottom of a deep dish Pyrex pie pan. Press with fingers to form crust along bottom and sides of pan. Bake for 11 minutes in 350F oven. Remove from oven, reduce heat to 325F, and let crust cool while preparing batter.

Using an immersion blender (or any blender or food processor) combine all filling ingredients except chocolate chips. Blend well, until batter is completely smooth. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust, then pour batter over chocolate chips. Bake cheesecake at 325F for about 45 minutes, or until mostly firm. Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate cheesecake for several hours or over night before serving. Makes 8 servings.

ENJOY!