(Yield: 16 servings)

Crust:

• 1 cup packaged chocolate cookie crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
• Cooking spray

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) blocks fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) carton low-fat sour cream
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Toppings:

• 1/3 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 1/3 cup strawberry sundae syrup
• 1/3 cup chocolate syrup
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or almonds
• 16 maraschino cherries, drained

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. To prepare crust, combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of 9-inch spring form pan coated with cooking spray.

3. To prepare filling, beat cheeses and sour cream at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, banana, flour and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition.

4. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched.

5. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around the outside edge. Cool cheesecake to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon pineapple, 1 teaspoon strawberry syrup, 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup, 3/4 teaspoon nuts, and 1 cherry.

6. (Though we're not hung up on that sort of thing, in case you're interested, it's 317 calories and 1.6 grams fat per serving.)

 Subscribe in a reader

Purchase “The Dish”