Banana Cream Pie With Graham Cracker Crust
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If there is a banana lover in your life, then you need to make them this delicious banana cream pie with graham cracker crust immediately. Typically this pie is made with a regular pie crust, but I decided to mix things up and make this in a cookie crust so it’s ready even faster. Just top it off with homemade whipped cream for a perfect pie to serve to guests.
One of my husband’s favorite dessert in the whole wide world is a banana cream pie. I mean serve me up a slice of key lime pie or coconut cream pie, but hey I get it. It’s still PIE. Now traditionally a banana cream pie is made with a butter pie crust. But personally I think a banana cream is infinitely better when made with a buttery graham cracker crust.
After making this easy no bake banana pudding cheesecake bars I knew I was on to something. And let’s not forget the fact that a graham cracker crust is WAY easier than a pastry crust that I have to chill, roll out, and blind bake before adding the filling.
A homemade graham cracker crust takes just a few minutes in my food processor and it’s ready. You could even freeze the crust skipping turning the oven on at all. Making it perfect for the warmer months!
So if banana cream pie is one your favorite cream pies too, then you have to try completely from scratch version!
Table of contents
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Why This Recipe Works
- Easy graham cracker crust
- No blind baking required
- Made with fresh banana slices and creamy custard
- No instant pudding mix- all from scratch!
- Great make ahead pie for Thanksgiving
Ingredients Needed
- Graham crackers – If you don’t have any, you can use vanilla wafers, or digestive biscuits
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Large Egg yolks – Read more here about how to separate eggs.
- Milk – Use whole milk for richness. Low-fat milk will not properly thicken.
- Pure Vanilla extract
- Bananas
- Homemade whipped cream – Made from heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. You can also use pre-made whipped topping.
How to Make Homemade Banana Cream Pie
Preheat and prepare dish. Preheat oven to 350oF (180oC). Lightly grease a 9’’ pie dish with cooking spray.
Make the crust. Add cookies to a food processor and pulse until crumbs. Or place them in a sealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Add cookie crumbs to a bowl and stir in melted butter and sugar.
Press mixture firmly into the pie plate and up the sides. I like to press the crumbs in using the bottom of a measuring cup.
Bake the crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the bananas and custard filling.
Make custard filling. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, salt and cornstarch together in a bowl until foamy and double in size.
In a saucepan, heat milk over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is simmering.
Temper the eggs. Stir a small quantity of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture.
Return to the stove and continue to heat, until mixture bubbles and thickens. This happens quickly and be sure to whisk constantly. Once bubbling, cook for one more minute whisking constantly.
Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency. If your cream has any curdled egg bits you can strain through a mesh sieve set over a bowl. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes covered with plastic wrap. Do not let it cool longer as it can be too thick spread into the pie.
Add bananas. Slice bananas into the bottom of the cooled crust. Top with pudding mixture. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cover and chill for 4 hours.
Make whipped cream and garnish. When ready to serve, make the whipped cream. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Spread or pipe onto the chilled pie. Garnish with extra banana slices. Slice and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t press down too much on the crust. This can make it too crunchy and hard to remove from the pie plate.
- Cook the vanilla custard long enough. If the cream doesn’t bubble, the cornstarch won’t reach it’s maximum thickening power and your custard won’t properly set.
- Temper the eggs slowly. This ensures that the eggs don’t scramble and you get a smooth custard.
- Do not garnish until right before serving. The bananas can brown and the whipped cream will not hold up well.
Recipe Variations
- Use a regular pie crust. Instead of a graham cracker crust, you can make a traditional pie crust instead. You can use my single pie crust recipe. After the pie dough is rolled out and place into the pie plate, you will need to blind bake the pie crust.
- Top with Cool Whip instead of whipped cream.
- Top with chocolate shavings.
- Drizzle on caramel sauce before serving.
- Use pudding mix. I highly recommend making the pastry cream from scratch for the ultimate banana cream pie but you could in a pinch use vanilla pudding mix (or try banana pudding mix) for more banana flavor.
Storage Instructions
Any leftover pie can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. The whipped cream may begin to weep, and the banana slices may begin to brown.
This isn’t the best pie to freeze as texture and taste can change slightly upon thawing. However, leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
This probably means you didn’t temper the eggs slowly enough causing little bits of cooked egg to form. You can always strain the pudding mixture after it’s cooked so it’s super smooth.
This means you didn’t cook the custard long enough on the stovetop. You want to make sure to cook the custard long enough so it bubbles, which means the cornstarch will thicken properly.
You can make the graham cracker crust the day before and wrap well in plastic wrap. You can also assemble the banana cream pie the day before and cover with plastic wrap. Right before serving, then top with fresh banana slices and whipped cream. The banana slices will brown, so it’s best to not assemble more than one day before or top with fresh slices until ready to serve. You can always spritz the banana slices with lemon juice to help combat browning.
More Recipes To Try
If you’re looking for more irresistible banana desserts be sure to try my easy no bake banana split cake! It’s a great, easy dessert for summer time.
If you’re craving more pie, then be sure to try my fresh raspberry pie recipe made with my easy 3 ingredient pie crust. It’s an easy three ingredient filling!
Or try my easy no bake strawberry cream cheese pie made in a graham cracker crust. Much easier than a regular cheesecake! And if you’re craving chocolate, be sure to try this chocolate chess pie from my fellow blogger, Stetted!
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Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the cookie crust:
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) graham cracker cookies, crushed (about 12 crackers)
- 5 tablespoons (71 g) unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
For the custard filling:
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup (28 g) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 large egg yolks beaten
- 2 ½ cups (600 mL) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 bananas sliced
For whipped cream:
- 1 cup (240 mL) cold heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Garnish: more sliced bananas
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish. Preheat oven to 350°F (18o℃). Lightly grease a 9’’ pie dish with cooking spray.
- Make the crust. Add cookies to a food processor and pulse until crumbs. Or place them in a sealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Add cookie crumbs to a bowl and stir in melted butter and sugar. Press mixture firmly into the pie plate and up the sides. 1 ½ cups (180 g) graham cracker cookies, crushed 5 tablespoons (71 g) unsalted butter ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- Bake the crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the bananas and custard filling.
- Make custard filling. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, salt and cornstarch together in a bowl until foamy and double in size. 6 large egg yolks ½ cup (100 g) granulated white sugar ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup (28 g) cornstarch
- In a saucepan, heat milk over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is simmering. 2 ½ cups (600 mL) whole milk
- Temper the eggs. Stir a small quantity of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Return to the stove and continue to heat, until mixture bubbles and thickens. This happens quickly and be sure to whisk constantly. Once bubbling, cook for one more minute whisking constantly. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency. If your cream has any curdled egg bits you can strain through a mesh sieve set over a bowl. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes covered with plastic wrap. Do not let it cool longer as it can be too thick spread into the pie. 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add bananas. Slice bananas into the bottom of the cooled crust. Top with pudding mixture. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then chill for 4 hours. 2-3 bananas
- Make whipped cream. When ready to serve, make the whipped cream. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spread or pipe onto the chilled pie. Garnish with more sliced bananas. Slice and serve. 1 cup (240 mL) cold heavy cream 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish: more sliced bananas
Notes
- Make ahead: You can make the graham cracker crust the day before and wrap well in plastic wrap. You can also assemble the banana cream pie the day before and cover with plastic wrap. Right before serving, then top with fresh banana slices and whipped cream. The banana slices will brown, so it’s best to not assemble more than one day before or top with fresh slices until ready to serve. You can always spritz the banana slices with lemon juice to help combat browning.
- Storage: Any leftover pie can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. The whipped cream may begin to weep, and the banana slices may begin to brown. This isn’t the best pie to freeze as texture and taste can change slightly upon thawing. However, leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Graham crackers – If you don’t have any, you can use vanilla wafers, or digestive biscuits
- Milk – Use whole milk for richness. Low-fat milk will not properly thicken.
