Today I’m going to show you how to make banana cream pie. I know, that’s a pretty bold claim. And I know what you might be thinking — well, this is not exactly the healthiest recipe. You’re right, it’s not exactly “healthy” or “low-calorie”— However, Banana Cream Pie is a pretty awesome dessert. It can be served as a snack during any party or picnic, but if you prepare the pie with love and care (not just quickly) and you can impress anyone.
Homemade Banana Cream Pie
It is time. Comment and bake challenge coming to life!!!
Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and submitted your recipe earlier this month. This was such a fun experience and I enjoyed reading through all of your favorite desserts and how you make them, too! I feel like we should do this again sometime. Maybe during the holidays?!
The randomly chosen winner was Sara, who asked me to perfect her banana cream pie recipe. This actually made me really happy because I always have trouble with banana cream pie setting up. And if it’s not the thickness issue, it’s the flavor. But this gave me an opportunity to focus this month!
Bakers, welcome to THE banana cream pie recipe.
First thing’s first! This is a completely from-scratch banana cream pie recipe. There will be no boxes, zero mixes, zippity zilch shortcuts. Banana cream pie is such a specialty and while I’ve definitely made this delicacy with pudding mixes in the past, we all deserve to try it the homemade way. Because I assure you: you can taste the difference. And it will graciously satisfy your heart, soul, and stomach.
Also, there are a lot of photos in your scrolling future. If you’d like to jump to the recipe, keep scrolling. It’s down there somewhere I swear.
Let’s walk through this. Start with a pie crust shell. If you have a favorite pie crust recipe you prefer to use, go ahead! The pie crust must be blind-baked before it’s filled because the filling itself will not be baked. The pie will set up in the refrigerator, not the oven. The best way to blind-bake your pie crust is to use pie weights. If the pie weights are left out, the pie crust could shrink. I’m pretty loyal to these ceramic pie weights; they’re inexpensive and get the job done. You can also use dry beans.
Alternatively, how about using a graham cracker crust!? This is a much easier option. Make sure you pre-bake it for about 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C), then let it cool completely before filling.
Into the pie shell, we’ll layer banana slices, a sprinkle of cinnamon (unique to BCP but wow!!! It tasted unbelievable in this.), then the homemade pudding filling. I hope you aren’t intimidated by homemade pudding because I promise it’s the easiest stuff! It’s made primarily from sugar, whole milk, cream, and egg yolks. For flavor, we’ll add vanilla and butter. For thickening, cornstarch.
Certainly not diet food, but diets do not belong in pies.
Whisking is the most important part when making pudding. If you know how to whisk, you know how to make pudding.
You’ll mix egg yolks and cornstarch together while you heat whole milk, cream, and sugar on the stove. Once the milk/cream/sugar is pretty warm, slowly stream a little into the egg yolk/cornstarch mixture. This is called tempering. The slow and steady stream of warm milk is bringing the egg yolks up to a very high temperature without fully cooking them. If fully cooked, your pie filling will be scrambled eggs.
Left: egg yolks and cornstarch. Right: warm milk whisked in.
Then stream the egg yolk mixture back into the rest of the milk/cream/sugar on the stove. Cook on low until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter, then allow to slightly cool. That’s it! The pudding will be smooth, rich, and silky. As it cools, it will thicken into the perfect texture for the banana cream pie.
My problem in the past has always been a too-thin filling. “Banana cream pie slop” as I’ve always called it. Disappointing to say the least. But this time– by adding a little heavy cream and using 4 egg yolks– the filling is custard-y, yet sturdy.
This is REALLY good vanilla pudding you can use anytime for various desserts. Or eat plain. It’s awesome. ↓
My thing with banana cream pie is that there are never enough bananas! Load ’em in until no more can fit. Then decorate the top of the pie with even more. I love texture in desserts and banana cream pie doesn’t usually deliver on that front. But with lots of banana slices, we’ll get there.
I swear cinnamon brings this banana cream pie from good to great.
Spread the vanilla pudding filling into the pie shell, cover with plastic wrap, then chill it for a few hours. At least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Perfect pie for making ahead of time. When ready to serve, decorate with more banana slices and homemade whipped cream. You can decorate it any which way– a thick layer of whipped cream or pipe pretty dollops like I do. I used the Wilton 1M tip to pipe it.
The homemade whipped cream is just heavy cream, a little sugar, and vanilla extract. I feel like this pie would taste amazing with almond extract in the whipped cream too. Try that!
This homemade banana cream pie is phenomenal. You’ll go bananas for it!! (→ Couldn’t help myself.) A buttery crust, a seriously luscious vanilla pudding filling, big chunks of tender bananas, cinnamon for good measure, and lightly sweetened whipped cream to up the ante. Savor every single bite as it melts in your mouth because you deserve to. Because you made this all from scratch!
Banana Cream Pie
This banana cream pie recipe makes a great pie. This pie is one of the yummiest things on earth.
Recipe Summary
Cook:25 minsAdditional:1 hrTotal:1 hr 40 minsPrep:15 minsServings:8Yield:1 9-inch pieNutrition Info
Ingredients
Decrease Serving8Increase ServingAdjustOriginal recipe yields 8 servingsIngredient Checklist
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (9 inch) baked pastry shell, cooled
- 4 bananas, sliced
Directions
Instructions Checklist
- Step 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Step 2Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens. Continue to stir and cook for 2 more minutes, then remove from the burner.
- Step 3Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in a small amount of hot mixture, then immediately add egg yolk mixture to remaining hot mixture.
- Step 4Return the saucepan to the burner and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 more minutes. Remove the saucepan from the stove; stir in butter and vanilla.
- Step 5Fill pastry shell with sliced bananas. Cover with pudding.
- Step 6Bake until filling sets, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Step 7Chill pie for 1 hour before serving.
Tips
You may substitute 3 tablespoons of cornstarch for the 1/3 cup flour. Use either a store-bought or homemade pie crust.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 303 calories; protein 4.9g; carbohydrates 47.2g; fat 11.1g; cholesterol 89.3mg; sodium 223.8mg.
Banana Cream Pie Recipe
This is the ultimate banana cream pie; rich, silky, and indulgent yet so light and dreamy. Full of banana flavor with no artificial ingredients, you’ll love the creamy, crunchy, light and fluffy elements working together in each bite!
A flakey homemade butter crust holds creamy vanilla custard with fresh bananas above and below all topped with a giant mound of whipped cream! This pie is hard to beat and will be a home run even if you’re not a big banana fan!
HOW TO MAKE BANANA CREAM PIE
- For the pie crust; preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Whiz together. Grate in chilled butter and drizzle in ice cold water. Mix using a fork.
- Roll the pastry dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a ziplock bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- With a rolling pin, on a well-floured surface, flatten out into a circle at least 1 inch larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough so it doesn’t stick to the board. Fold the dough in half and ease it into the pie pan without stretching at all and unfold to fit the pan. With a small sharp paring knife, cut the dough 1 inch larger around than the pan. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork.
- Dock your pie crust. Add tin foil to keep your pie crust propped up. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Make the egg wash by mixing the egg and a dash of heavy cream together. Take out the tin foil and brush the crust with the egg wash.
- Now dock the pie crust with a fork or sharp knife and add a tent of foil around the sides. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 then reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the center is golden. Once the center is golden, remove the pie crust from the oven and set aside
- For the Filling; whisk the dry ingredients together add milk and whisk again. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened while whisking continuously.
- Slowly drizzle a cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs to temper them. Add the egg mixture back into the pot while whisking and cook on medium an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in butter and vanilla then mix until dissolved. Cover and chill to bring to room temp.
- For the Whipped Cream Topping; add heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to a stand mixer. Whip on high until you reach soft peaks. Add the whipped cream to the top of the pie and smooth slightly.
- Add a thin layer of custard to the base of your cooled pie shell. Slice bananas and place on bottom.
- Use the rest of the custard filling to fill the pie shell, and whipped cream and more bananas on top.