Banana Cream Pie

5 from 1 vote

If there is a banana lover in your life, then you need to make them this pie 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 treat!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Chilling time4

Total Time4 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 477kcal

Author: Heather Perine

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.

Nutrition