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A close-up slice of banana cream pie on a ceramic plate, showing layers of bananas, vanilla custard, and whipped cream swirls topped with banana slices and chocolate shavings.
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Banana Cream Pie

This Banana Cream Pie features a buttery crust filled with silky banana-infused custard, layers of fresh bananas, and a topping of whipped cream with chocolate shavings. It’s a classic, old-fashioned dessert that’s both nostalgic and elegant, perfect for any occasion.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword banana cream pie
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings 10 slices
Calories 420kcal
Author Camila Hurst

Ingredients

Crust (Choose ONE or Storebought Pie Crust)

Banana Custard

  • 3 cups whole milk 720 ml
  • 510 g very ripe chopped bananas 4½ to 6 medium bananas
  • 1 vanilla bean split in half (optional)
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 g
  • 4½ tbsp cornstarch 36 g
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract optional

Assembly

  • 2 bananas
  • Nilla wafers optional

Decoration

Instructions

Crust

  • Choose which pie crust you would like to make. If making easy pie crust or tart crust, follow the recipe as directed and then follow the instructions below. If making the graham cracker crust, make according to the directions listed on that recipe. If using store-bought, follow the instructions below.
  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
  • Roll out the crust and fit it into a 9" pie plate. Trim and crimp edges.
  • Chill in the fridge for 20–30 minutes (helps prevent shrinkage).
  • Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (dried beans or rice work too).
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the edges are lightly set and just starting to color.
  • Remove weights/parchment and bake another 5–7 minutes, until the bottom looks dry but not browned.

Banana Custard

  • Place the milk, sliced bananas and seeds from the vanilla bean (if using, read notes) in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to almost a boil.
  • When you see the first few bubbles, remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and let the bananas and milk infuse for at least 1 hour, or place the pan in the fridge overnight. This will enhance the banana taste.
  • When the milk is done infusing, place the pan back over medium heat and reheat until hot.
  • While the milk reheats, in a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Set aside
  • Strain the hot milk, being careful so you don’t let any banana pieces get through the strainer. Gently squeeze the bananas to release as much milk as possible from the solids without letting them through.
  • You can use this banana pulp to make cupcakes or cakes, or any recipes that require mashed bananas. Or discard.
  • Slowly pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the hot milk over the yolk mixture while whisking nonstop. Keep adding the remaining milk gradually, whisking the custard continuously.
  • Once all the milk has been added to the yolks, return the whole mixture to the saucepan that you used to heat the milk by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any bits of yolk that may have cooked or banana pieces that may have gone through.
  • Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring nonstop with a wooden spoon or spatula, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom very well while you cook it.
  • The custard will start to get thick and it will look lumpy for a while, but just keep stirring over medium heat. After a minute or so, the mixture should be thick and smooth.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Pour it into a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap, placed right on the surface of the custard so it doesn’t form a skin as it cools. Let it cool down to room temperature, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Assembly

  • Slice two bananas into thin slices. Set aside.
  • Spread about 1 cup of the cooled banana pudding evenly over the bottom of the baked crust.
  • Arrange the sliced bananas in a single, even layer on top of the custard. You can also add some Nilla wafers to the assembly if desired.
  • Spoon the remaining custard over the bananas, smoothing the top with a spatula. Press it down gently so the custard will fill any spaces in between the banana slices.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or until fully set.

To Serve

  • Make the whipped cream according to this recipe. Pipe or spoon on top of the pie. Top with more banana slices, shaved chocolate, and dust with cocoa powder.

Notes

Vanilla bean: Feel free to use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean. In this case, add the vanilla extract after you are done cooking the pudding and have removed it from the heat.
Bananas: Make sure the bananas are super ripe.
Notes about the crust: This is the crust I used for this recipe. You can use pie crust, or even graham cracker crust.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 420kcal