I hope you get to try out this pie for Easter! Or how about this weekend?? Is it ever the wrong time for pie?
There’s the purple one that my mom bought me when I left for college. There’s the greenish yellow ones that our old neighbors randomly gave us one time. There are the oversized white ones (not white anymore) that I use every day, that have long twisted threads hanging from the edges that I have been too lazy to cut off.
So I bought some new ones (all one color!) that were highly rated. Paid a pretty penny for them. They arrived in a big box that I moved into my garage. I couldn’t get myself to open it for several weeks, because I knew exactly what I would find inside…new, soft, fluffy towels.
And that’s when I realized what I already secretly knew…that I absolutely hate fluffy new towels. Who even am I??
The thing about old towels is that they get the job done. They dry you off like nobody’s business.
I may have unacceptable towel opinions, but when it comes to desserts for Easter, I’m your girl. Ain’t nothin low class about this Banana Cream Pie. It’s my new favorite obsession!
Banana Cream pie has never been at the top of my list because there are just so many ways for it to turn to the dark side.
Second, most of the time people are making this pie with instant pudding and Cool Whip. Now I’m no pudding hater, folks (just try this Golden Oreo Pudding!), but Banana Cream Pie is supposed to be made with CUSTARD, which is way richer and creamier than pudding. You know when you serve up this pie and instead of staying in a neat slice, it turns into puddle on your plate? That’s instant for ya.
But I have found it! Only five pies in and I found THE ONE. The Banana Cream Pie that made me change my mind about it all. Converts, unite!
Traditionally Banana Cream Pie is made with a regular Flaky Pie Crust made from flour and butter. I think it’s totally boring, to be honest. Of course I had to try it both ways:
Second, flavor. A pastry pie crust is meant to be a neutral, buttery-flavored support to a sparkling pie filling, which is the star of the show.
A graham cracker crust adds the exact bit of interest and contrast a Banana Cream Pie needs. It has that caramel-y molasses-y flavor going on, that deepens our pie a bit and makes it more interesting. This recipe makes a THICK crust, it delivers. Be sure to press it into the pan really well with a measuring cup. Then bake it for about 10 minutes to ensure ultimate crispiness!
Add your dry ingredients right into a pot:
White sugar and brown sugar. A regular Banana Cream Pie uses all white sugar, but this ain’t no regular pie ;) I love the butterscotch flavor that the brown sugar adds, I think it’s so much deeper and more interesting! But you can use all white sugar if you want. Flour and cornstarch. These both help thicken the custard. Many pies use cornstarch only. I use both, because while cornstarch is a more powerful thickening agent, I think it tastes weird if you add too much. Flour tastes better than cornstarch. Kosher salt, every sweet pie needs a hint of salt to balance the flavors.
Add in your wet ingredients. We are doing all this mixing off the stove!
Milk and cream make up the liquid base of our custard. Egg yolks are what make this pie filling a custard instead of a pudding. They have tons of rich flavor (unlike egg whites. When was the last time you had an egg white omelette? Boooring.) Egg yolks help thicken the custard even more because they are full of protein.
Whisk your wet ingredients really, really well. The texture of Banana Cream Pie is meant to be super smooth and creamy, with no lumps at all. If you don’t mix it well (before it even hits the stove), the heat will curdle any bits of egg that have not been whisked into submission. Do you see in the above photo how there are little bits of yellow yolk still visible? That’s no good. Whisk with all your might for at least 2 minutes. Then, after you’ve done your best, lift out your whisk and see if you can find any rogue egg proteins like this one here on the left. Pinch them off and discard. These will harden into little lumps once you get them on heat, so it’s worth it to try to get them out while the mixture is still cold. The picture above on the right is about halfway through the cook time. Set your pot over medium heat and stir CONSTANTLY. Do not walk away, or you will get a lumpy custard.I highly recommend using a flat whisk for this custard recipe, as shown in the photos. The flat edge can get into the corners of your pot much better than a traditional whisk. If you don’t get into the corners, you risk lumping. See recipe notes for advice on how to make this recipe with a regular whisk. Once your custard reaches a boil, let it bubble and simmer for one minute, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat, keep whisking occasionally to make sure it doesn’t form a film on top. After the mixture has calmed down a bit, add a little butter and vanilla. I used half vanilla extract and half vanilla bean paste. I love the extra flavor boost the paste adds! You can use all extract though, no problem. (Paste is expensive and omg inflation, amiright???) Now it’s time to add it to our pie! Slice up your first banana and layer it on the bottom of your pie crust. Add about 1/3 of your custard. Add more bananas, more custard, rinse repeat. I like to do 3 layers. (You can totally add all the bananas at the bottom if you want.) Make sure custard is your top layer, not bananas, you don’t want them getting brown. Press plastic wrap directly onto your custard (otherwise the custard forms a film on top) and refrigerate for 3 to 24 hours. Now it’s time for the glorious whipped cream! Beat your cold cold cream (the colder it is the higher it will whip) with a little bit of powdered sugar, salt and vanilla for extra flavor. Don’t overbeat! I have this terrible habit of walking away from my stand mixer when I’m beating whipped cream, and I always return exactly 10 seconds after I should have, so my whipped cream is textured, too stiff, full of air bubbles, and on it’s way to turning into butter. Don’t be like me! Stop when it is smooth and creamy, but still stands up well when you turn the beater to the side like this. Then spread the cream all over the top, or use a piping bag to pipe the whipped cream into a pretty pattern. Don’t forget to add more sliced bananas on top! But…
Sprinkle layers of bananas with cinnamon or nutmeg Add a layer of PEANUT BUTTER on the bottom crust. Or Biscoff spread?? OMG!! Use Nutter Butters or Nilla Wafers instead of graham crackers for your crust Add a layer of Dulce de Leche on the bottom crust. OOh this idea might be my favorite!!
I love all these flavors above because they take the pie in a molasses-caramel-butterscotch direction. I don’t like to add chocolate to Banana Cream Pie. Have you ever gotten a double scoop of ice cream, one salted caramel, the other chocolate? You can hardly taste the caramel. It’s too subtle. Chocolate takes over. Same goes for this pie. But this is just me!! I know so many people love this combo! Here are some ideas:
Top your pie with chocolate curls, as described on my French Silk Pie recipe Dust layers with cocoa powder Add a layer of NUTELLA on the bottom crust. Whaaaat or try a layer of hot fudge on the bottom like in this Peanut Butter Pie Drizzle with Chocolate Sauce
If you are making a regular pie crust (not graham cracker), my biggest tip is to bake your other sheet of pie crust. Blind bake your first pie crust as usual, but then take an entire other sheet and lay it flat on a baking sheet. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1-inch squares. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crispy, then use these pie crust squares to decorate the top of your pie! I’ve done this before, it’s so pretty, and I love the extra crunch it adds.
Does banana cream pie need to be refrigerated?
Yes, definitely. Banana cream pie has a dairy-based custard and will spoil if you leave it at room temperature. Plus, it needs to be served chilled, so you want it in the fridge anyway.
How long does a banana cream pie last?
Banana cream pie is best on day 1. It’s still good on day 2; on day 3, you need to get those leftovers eaten. The bananas go downhill, even with the sweet custard helping to preserve them. This is a good pie to make when you’re having company over or going to a potluck or gathering where it will be quickly enjoyed. Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
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If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a rating below, that helps me out so much! 🖤
