This banana cream pie recipe is everything it should be. The Nilla wafer pie crust is filled it with a homemade banana infused pastry cream. A generous layer of sliced bananas fills the center of the pastry cream and one more layer of banana pastry cream. The top layer is finished with fresh whipped cream. This is the best I’ve ever had!
Banana Cream Pie is a decadent (and much loved) dessert treat that dates back to my childhood. Once in a while, my mom would buy a frozen Sara Lee Banana Cream Pie, and my eyes always lit up when I saw the box. I could hardly wait for it to defrost so I could dig in. I know there are some folks who hate bananas, but I’m definitely a polar opposite. I enjoy eating a banana as my power snack. Love ’em!
I’ve been wanting to make my own Banana Cream Pie, and I’m so glad that I finally did it! This recipe isn’t labor intensive, but there is a time investment. From start to finish, plus the minimum 5 hours of chilling time it’s best to start making this pie in the morning– if you plan to eat it for dessert (which we did) on the same day. Otherwise, you can make the pie, any time, the day before and serve it the next day. Ready to make pie? Let’s do it!
It’s important to buy bananas that are just ripe, and not green. Instead of using banana extract, why not use real bananas to flavor the pastry cream? To start, bananas are softened by cooking them for a couple of minutes in butter. To that, half and half is added and heated until it’s just boiling. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
Once the half and half is infused with the banana, it’s time to say goodbye to the fruit. It’s going to tempting to press the remaining cream from the strained bananas– don’t do it! Otherwise you’ll have grey colored cream, and that’s not pretty. Six egg yolks are then whisked with sugar and corn starch.
There we go… silky ribbons, waiting for the banana flavored half and half to be whisked into the egg yolk mixture. Now, to make a thick pastry cream…
Cook the mixture, in a clean saucepan, with medium heat and whisk constantly! You’ll feel it thicken up in 3-5 minutes. An instant thermometer helps to make sure that the cream mixture reaches between 180-185 degrees. Remove it from the heat and add pure vanilla extract and butter. Pour into a bowl and cover with greased parchment paper and let it cool for at least an hour.
I took a taste and was immediately smitten with the banana flavor. It was perfect! My husband said it reminded him of my banana pudding recipe that uses Nilla wafers.
That triggered that I had an unopened box of Nilla Wafers. So instead of using my perfect pie crust recipe, I decided to make a Nilla Wafer Crust.
Pulse about 60 Nilla wafers in a food processor. Add melted butter and sugar and mix together, until cohesive. Spray a 9″ pie plate with baking spray and use a measuring cup to press the the crumbs firmly in place. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.
The pastry cream and the pie crust has cooled, and I’ve made fresh whipped cream that has been stabilized, using confectioner’s sugar. It’s time to assemble the pie. First, slice the remaining bananas about 1/4″ thick and used fresh squeezed orange juice. Why the orange juice? Won’t that interfere with the bananas flavor? First, the orange juice slows down any browning of the bananas. SPOILER ALERT: You could not taste orange juice once you devour eat the pie.
Give the pastry cream a gentle whisk …
…pour half the pastry cream, on the bottom of the crust. spreading it evenly. Spread the banana slices evenly on top. (The reason the banana slices weren’t put on the bottom, first, was to prevent a soggy crust.)
Evenly layer the remaining pastry cream on top. I decided to fill a pastry bag with a large star tip to pipe the whipped cream layer– since I was making this for company.
I’ve gotta say– it sure looked pretty! The pie is finished and ready to be chilled for at least 5 hours. Like my childhood self, my husband was anxiously awaiting for me to cut into that pie.
Time’s up! Cutting into a pie, for me, is a breath holding moment. Will the slice come out? Will the filling be runny? I exhaled, that none of my fears were answered. Boom! Perfect pie!
Oh my! The filling was creamy and firmly set.
TASTING NOTES: “This is the best Banana Cream Pie I have ever eaten“. Hands down. Fork down. Creamy. Perfect Banana flavor. The Nilla wafer crust is a perfect complement to the pie filling. Perfection. I was almost hesitant to post the calories in each slice. Know what? It doesn’t matter. This is a treat and it’s worth the effort and wait time to cut into it. This just might become my annual birthday cake pie. My husband and I went for seconds, with no shame. If you love bananas as much as I do, this is the pie for you. No artificial banana extract. No frozen whipped topping. Go forth and make it!
The Best Banana Cream Pie
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with wire whisk
- Wire Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
For the pastry cream:
- 5 ripe bananas divided into 2 for the pastry cream, and five for the pie
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups half-and-half
- ½ cup granulated sugar 3 1/2 ounces plus 2 tablespoons
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the pie crust:
- 60 Nilla wafers
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup butter melted
For the sliced bananas:
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
For the whipped cream topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
- Use all-yellow to lightly spotted, not green-topped or all-brown bananas for this recipe. Peel and slice the bananas just before using to help prevent browning. When straining the half-and-half , do not press on the bananas or the custard will turn gray as it sits. Because the pastry cream mixture is very thick, the temperature varies a bit from place to place in the pot; be sure to check the temperature in various locations before removing the pot from heat.The pie can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
For the Banana Pastry Cream:
- Peel 2 bananas and slice into ½-inch-thick pieces. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced bananas and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add half-and-half, bring to boil, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 40 minutes.
- Whisk granulated sugar, egg yolks, and salt together in large bowl until smooth. Whisk in cornstarch. Strain cooled half-and-half mixture through fine-mesh strainer into yolk mixture—do not press on bananas—and whisk until incorporated; discard cooked bananas.
- Transfer mixture to clean medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and registering 180 to 185 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat; whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to bowl, press greased parchment paper directly against surface, and let cool for about 1 hour.While the pastry cream cools, prepare the pie crust.
For the Pie Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Using a food processor, pulse the Nilla Wafers until they are small crumbs (you can also crush them in a ZipLoc bag with a rolling pin).
- Transfer the crumbs to a medium sized bowl and add the sugar and melted butter.Combine, with a fork, until the mixture is cohesive.
- Prepare a 9" pie plate with baking spray (makes for easier slicing and serving) and press the crumbs evenly and firmly, including up the sides of the pie plate. (I use a metal baking measuring cup –or the bottom of a glass– to ensure the crumbs are firm and evenly distributed.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Allow to cool completely–about an hour.
For the sliced bananas:
- Peel and slice remaining 3 bananas ¼ inch thick and toss with orange juice. Whisk pastry cream briefly, then spread half over bottom of pie shell. Arrange sliced bananas on pastry cream. Top with remaining pastry cream.
For the whipped topping:
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream evenly over top of pie. Refrigerate until set, at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Great looking pie Debbie. I can’t remember the last time I had banana cream but I’d sure like a slice of yours.
This really does sound like the best banana cream pie ever!
Thank you, Karen! It was fun to make and so good!