Description
This incredible banana cream pie combines smooth vanilla custard with fresh banana slices and the fluffiest whipped cream. Everything is 100% homemade, right down to the flaky pie crust!
Ingredients
- 1 prepared deep dish pie crust, blind baked and cooled
For the Filling
- 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
- ¾ cup (143g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (236ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups (473ml) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons (42g) salted butter, cubed and room temperature
- 2–3 large ripe bananas
For the Topping
- 1 1/2 cups (354ml) heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup (177g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- I suggest blind-baking the pie crust the day you want to assemble it.
For the Filling
- In a small bowl gently whisk the egg yolks until foamy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes, and set aside.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, flour, heavy cream, whole milk and salt with a whisk. Heat over medium-low heat, continuously stirring to dissolve the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the filling is warm to the touch and slightly thickened but not boiling., remove from heat.
- Next, temper the egg yolks. Take about ½ cup of the hot filling mixture and whisk into the egg yolks to temper the egg yolks. Whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the pan of the milk mixture and return to medium-low heat.
- Continue stirring until the pudding starts to burp large bubbles and thicken. Cook for at least 60-90 seconds while continuously stirring. The filling should be thickened like pudding.
- Remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract and butter, stirring until fully combined. Pour the pudding through a fine sieve into a medium-sized bowl. If needed, you can use a whisk or spatula to help push it through the sieve. Optional: strain a second time through the sieve, washing in between.
- Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and chill on the counter for 1 hour. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill completely.
- To assemble, once the filling has chilled, spread about 1 cup of the pudding into the bottom of the pie crust, slice bananas and layer ½ of them on top of the pudding base, then spoon another 1 cup of the filling on top of the bananas, followed by the remaining half of the bananas and the rest of the filling. The filling will be very thick, see notes*. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or until the filling is completely set and firm.
For the Topping
- Prepare the whipped cream. Place the mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use a stand or electric mixer with a whip attachment to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream thickens. Add powdered sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the saran wrap from the filled pie and spread as much of the whipped cream over the filling as you would like, or use a large piping tip to decorate the pie. Garnish with more banana slices if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to cook the filling low and slow and once it starts to burp bubbles, cook for only 60-90 seconds longer.
- The pudding filling will be thick. Like, really thick. This is on purpose! I’ve found that as the bananas leak moisture into the filling, it starts to soften. To make the filling easier to spread, dollop it over the bananas and press it smooth with a silicone spatula.
How to Prep Ahead
- Pie crust: Pie crust can be prepped 3 days in advance, and stored in the fridge or in the freezer for up to one month. If you’re planning to freeze, double-wrap the crust in plastic wrap.
- Filling: My best time-saving tip to prepare the crust the night before serving. Let the filling set overnight. Bake and fill the pie the next morning.
- Same day prep: Prepare the filling and while it’s chilling, make the crust. As long as the filling isn’t too warm, you can fill the baked pie crust and further chill it once it’s assembled.
Storing
- Store this pie covered in the fridge for up to 1-2 days for best results. I suggest using plastic wrap to cover it airtight. You might notice that the whipped topping starts to weep after a day or so, but the flavors are still good. Do not freeze.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 725
- Sugar: 40.8 g
- Sodium: 387 mg
- Fat: 46.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 69.6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10.2 g
- Cholesterol: 242.8 mg