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Banana Cream Pie
This idea was all my daughter (and if I did not say that I would be reminded with an email). I have mentioned her often on this blog. The best thing about my blog experience is all the connections I have made and how food brings so many people together. This week I was at one of my grocery stores and I heard a guy at the fish counter with me asying he was a blogger. We obviously hit up a conversation. I also got invited to try out parmesan reggiano cheese at an upcoming event, had a great meal at a Greek restaurant (Psistaria Greek Taverna) and a fantastic meal at a Spanish restaurant (Cafe Iberico) and I had my extended family over for dinner. What a life. Simply blessed.
Now about the Banana Cream Pie. This is such a fun dish to make. I actually used the dough for two recipes (you will have to wait for the second recipe). Certain recipes are so good because the ingredients are so good. Good crust, banana custard and whipped cream – Yum!
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled
- 5 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and well-chilled
- 4-6 tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 Mashed Banana (optional)
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- To prepare pie crust, in a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and mashed banana (if using). Mix thoroughly.
- Add the salt, shortening and the butter and mix well.
- Add water as needed 1 tbsp at at time.
- .
- Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until browned, about 25 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool, for about 10 minutes.
- To prepare custard filling, in a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1 cup of the heavy cream in your stand mixer. Blend until mixed. Set aside.
- Combine the remaining 2 cups cream, the sugar, and the vanilla in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Mix to dissolve the sugar and bring to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Be warned: this mixture must break and look curdled or it will not set up properly and it will be loose.
- Pour it into a bowl and set aside. Let cool completely at room temperature.
- When cooled, pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip. Beat at medium speed to combine the mixture. The mixture should fluff up. If it will not combine, add heavy cream a little at a time and slowly add it to the mixture. Whip until you have a thick and creamy custard.
- To assemble, pour the custard on top of the crust.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours - the custard needs to set.
- Whip up the whip cream by combining 1 cup of the cream, sugar and vanilla in the mixer. Mix on medium to high heat until stiff peaks are formed.
- Top the custard generously. Cut the pie into wedges and serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Combine the half-and-half and butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture but do not boil. Add the chocolate and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.
To prepare custard filling, in a stand mixer, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1 cup of the heavy cream in your stand mixer.
Blend until mixed.
Set aside. Combine the remaining 2 cups cream, the sugar, and the vanilla in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Mix to dissolve the sugar and bring to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Be warned: this mixture must break and look curdled or it will not set up properly and it will be loose. Pour it into a bowl and set aside.
Let cool completely at room temperature. When cooled, pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip. Beat at medium speed to combine the mixture. The mixture should fluff up. If it will not combine, add heavy cream a little at a time and slowly add it to the mixture. Whip until you have a thick and creamy custard. Poke holes in the dough prior to cooking the dough.
To assemble, pour the the first layer of custard on top of the crust. Place the banana slices evenly across the custard. Next,add another layer of the custard over the bananas and then the bananas.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours – the custard needs to set. Whip up the whip cream by combining 1 cup of the cream, sugar and vanilla in the mixer. Mix on medium to high heat until stiff peaks are formed. Top the custard generously.
Cut the pie into wedges and serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Serve and enjoy!
Liz
I want to make your recipe for banana custard pie. but you list shortening in the ingredients but not in the instructions? and you put banana slices in the instrcutions but not in the ingredients?
and on the instructions with pictures your instructions include melting chocolate but there is no chocolate on the ingredients list.
So I don’t want to make this for thanksgiving and not have it turn out right.
Peter Block
Liz, thank you for catching that. I had merged two recipes. I updated to show it as I actually completed this recipe. The shortening is in the pie crust. You can add a layer of bananas on top of the crust before you add the custard. I did not do this in my recipe.
Anna
Is the flour, salt, sugar and shortening for another recipe? You don’t mention these in the instructions for the crust. Is it either a graham cracker crust or a regular pie crust of choice?
Peter Block
Anna, I am sorry and I updated the recipe.
Terry McInerney
you have flour and shortening in the crust ingrediants but no in the directions
Peter Block
Terry, I fixed the recipe. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Dana
Did I miss the amounts for the crust ingredients?
You say to combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and mashed banana but you don’t say how many cups of graham cracks, how much sugar or how many bananas!
Peter Block
Dana, I have fixed the recipe and now I have the ingredients and quantities. Hope this helps. Let me know if you try the recipe and how it turns out.
Sue
I see you have instructions for your graham cracker crumb crust, but do not list the amounts of the ingredients. Could you post or send this part of the recipe? Thanks,
Peter Block
Sorry Sue. I have not updated, or more correctly, included the ingredients for the crust. Let me know if you make this recipe and how it turns out for you.
Sue
Peter, thank you for doing this so quickly. I will be making and taking this pie to a Thanksgiving feast next week. Will report back.
Sue
Thank you, Peter. Will be making and taking this recipe to a Thanksgiving feast next week. Sounds absolutely incredible. Sue
Peter Block
Awesome. Now I am nervous. I hope it turns out awesome!
Rex
Have you tried to make Ice Cream with this custard? Sounds like it would work very well!
Peter Block
Rex, that is a great idea. I will need to try that. I did make no churn ice cream this week that I will get up on to the blog in the next week or two.
Kathy
Your BC pie reciepe looks really good, but in the instructions you have listed items (butter/chocolate ) that are not listed in the ingredients. Whats up with that ?
Peter Block
Sorry everyone. I copied part of directions from another recipe> I cleaned it up so there is no confusion.
Carol at Wild Goose Tea
Now THAT is how a really special banana cream pie is manifested. Awesome. It’s gorgeous. I like that the filling is so firm.
Peter Block
Thx Carol.
Nicole Neverman
This sounds really delicious, and not complicated either! What a great dessert 🙂
Peter Block
Sometimes those are the best. Just got to get the custard to set.
Janette@culinaryginger
I love an easy dessert and a beautiful one at that.
Peter Block
Thx!