Sample a slice of heaven with this Banana Cream Pie—a crushed vanilla wafer crust filled with vanilla custard, banana slices, and whipped cream.
I have a theory about bananas: they were put on this earth to end up in pies and puddings. These dense, sweet fruits basically turn into pudding when mashed, and when you put them anywhere near vanilla wafers, some kind of mysterious alchemy takes place. Don’t question it: just take alternating bites of vanilla wafers and a banana. You’ll be a believer soon.
This decadent banana cream pie recipe combines everything bananas were made for. At the bottom, crushed vanilla wafers and butter combine to create the most divine container for sliced bananas and creamy custard. Once that thick pudding is added and firms up in the fridge, homemade whipped cream goes on top, and back into the fridge it goes.
As you might have guessed, this pie takes several chilling periods before it’s ready to serve, but boy is it worth every minute! The utter creaminess; the banana-vanilla explosion; the cookie crust texture mixed with custard and fluffy whip—just set aside a day and make this banana Mona Lisa. You won’t regret it.
Is Banana Cream Pie Healthy?
In a word, no. Dessert pies rarely are. Yes, it has bananas in it, but even bananas are sometimes less healthy for you if served in sugary desserts. There are eggs in the pie, which do contain protein, but I wouldn’t exactly recommend downing a slice of this pie after a workout. If you’re after a “healthier” version of banana cream pie, use crushed nuts with coconut oil and almond flour for your crust instead of butter and vanilla wafers. Another healthier swap is to use honey, maple syrup, or stevia instead of sugar. This is definitely a dish to enjoy in moderation.
About Banana Ripeness
For those out of the banana loop, just-ripe bananas (so, new bananas whose skins are slightly greenish) contain starch. Enzymes in the fruit gradually change this starch into sugars (i.e., fructose, glucose, sucrose). Those same enzymes also impact the texture of the fruit, taking it from starchy to smooth. Just-ripe bananas are also considered healthier than overripe ones, too.
Many banana desserts call for overripe bananas due to their smooth texture and extra sweetness. For this recipe, you’re welcome to use overripe bananas, but you don’t necessarily need to go looking for those specifically. We won’t be blending or mashing the bananas for this pie, so ripeness (soft texture and sweetness) isn’t a huge issue. Even underripe bananas are fairly sweet. Plus, I like the firmer slices of banana; I find they give the pie a nice variety in texture.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of choice (or a matter of whichever bananas you have in your pantry, which is how many of my culinary decisions are made).
How To Make Ahead And Store
Given the pie needs two different 4- to 6-hour chilling periods to set, you really have to make this pie ahead of time. Ideally, you’d assemble the pie the day before you need to serve it. If you started making it early in the morning to serve in the evening, it could theoretically work out, but it’s risky. I usually make mine the day before so that it has 24 hours to set and the flavors to meld.
To store the finished pie, loosely cover the pie with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, then keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. It’s a good idea to assemble the pie in a dish that has a raised lid so you don’t mess up the pretty whipped cream.
Serving Suggestions
This unicorn of a pie is going to steal the show no matter what you serve it with. But just for the exercise, let’s list a few options. For dinner ahead of your banana cream pie, go with juicy grilled mains, like Vietnamese Grilled Chicken or these beautiful Salmon Kabobs. Serve the main alongside a light vegetable dish, such as these simple (but delicious) Oven-Roasted Vegetables or a Vegetable Rice Pilaf.
After all that pie prep, you’ll probably need a drink when the pie finally goes into the fridge, so save enough energy to whip up a Classic Painkiller Cocktail before you melt into bed for the night.
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (about 60 cookies)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large firm bananas sliced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine crushed vanilla wafers and melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool.
- Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. In a saucepan, combine milk, granulated sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat until simmering.
- Temper the egg yolks by gradually whisking in a cup of the hot milk mixture. Transfer tempered egg yolk mixture to the saucepan slowly and cook, stirring, until thickened.
- Remove from heat. Stir in pieces of butter and vanilla extract. Strain through a sieve, cover with plastic wrap, and cool for 30 minutes.
- Layer banana slices over the cooled crust. Pour the custard over the bananas. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
- Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until peaks form. Spread over the chilled custard layer.
- Refrigerate the pie, covered, for an additional 4-6 hours before serving.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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