World's Best Banana Cream Pie
User Reviews
5
90 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
2 hrs
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
12 servings
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Course
Dessert, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
World's Best Banana Cream Pie
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This Banana Cream Pie features a peanut butter cookie crust filled with a smooth custard made from milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch, flavored with vanilla, bourbon, and enriched with butter. Fresh ripe bananas layered inside add sweetness, while sweetened heavy cream whipped topping creates a light contrast. The pie is garnished with dark chocolate curls for added flavor and visual appeal. It's a rich dessert with a creamy texture and balanced flavors.
Description
The pie begins with a crust made from crushed Nutter Butter cookies mixed with melted butter, pressed evenly in a springform or deep dish pan and baked briefly for stability. The filling involves cooking a custard by combining egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, then blending in milk and gently thickening over heat. Bourbon and vanilla extract provide deeper flavor, and butter adds richness when folded in.
After the custard cools slightly, sliced ripe bananas are layered inside to provide natural sweetness and a soft texture. The topping consists of heavy cream whipped with powdered sugar and vanilla to add lightness contrasting the dense filling. Dark chocolate curls garnish the pie, adding a decorative, bittersweet note.
This pie requires some cooling for proper set and can be enjoyed as a specialty dessert for occasions. The peanut butter base adds a unique twist compared to traditional graham cracker crusts. The combination of bananas, creamy filling, and rich crust offers a variety of textures and flavors.
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Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 2 cups whole milk 480 g, or substitute 2% milk
- 4 egg large yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ¼ cup cornstarch 32 g
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon bourbon or scotch, optional but recommended
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons butter salted, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2-3 banana large ripe, sliced
- For the peanut butter cookie crust:
- 20-25 Nutter Butter cookies
- ¼ cup butter melted, 57g
- For the topping:
- 16 ounces heavy cream 1 pint
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- TO GARNISH:
- dark chocolate for chocolate curls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray or melted butter. This creates such a gorgeous pie but you can also use a regular deep dish pie pan to make this pie too!
- Start by making the crust: Place cookies into the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 1-2 minutes or until cookies are finely crushed. Add in melted butter and process again until well combined.
- Dump the mixture into the prepared pie pan and press into the bottom and side evenly. It should come up at least an inch to an inch and a half on the sides. Sometimes I find it helpful to use a small measuring cup to help set the crust firmly and get the crumbs up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. FYI: The crust will need to be somewhat cool to the touch before you can add the filling.
- To make the filling: In a large saucepan, mix the yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt until well combined and thick. It may take some time to get it all combined but the mixture should be silky smooth once you’re done.
- Next, add milk to a small pot and bring to a slight simmer. Do not boil the milk. You just want it to start to slightly bubble and simmer along the edges. Remove from heat once simmering and immediately whisk in ⅓ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, keep whisking as we don’t want the eggs to curdle! You’ll need to be quick. Slowly whisk in the rest of the hot milk and continue to whisk.
- After all the milk is whisked into the pan with the egg mixture, immediately place the pan over medium heat and continue to whisk, ensuring that you get the sides and edges of the pan. Once the mixture starts to get warm and slightly boils, it may thicken VERY quickly so you must pay attention closely. Once the mixture thickens to be custard-like or almost like a thick peanut butter (which shouldn’t take that long), you can immediately remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, bourbon and butter; stirring until well combined.
- Next add banana slices all over the bottom of the pie crust so that they are touching. Pour the filling into the cooled cookie pie crust and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap so that it touches the filling and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or until cold.
- Once pie and filling are cold and you are ready to serve, make the whipped cream topping: Add heavy whipped cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand mixer!); beat on high until cream reaches stiff peaks. Taste and add additional sugar if necessary and mix once more.
- Evenly spread whipped cream over pie filling, then garnish with dark chocolate shavings or dust pie with a little cocoa powder. Serves 9-12, depending on how large you cut the slices. Pie will stay fresh for a few days if properly covered and stored in the fridge.
Notes
- Consider customizing the crust or toppings for variety and personal preference.
- Make ahead options include preparing crust and filling in advance for easier assembly on serving day.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
90 reviews
Excellent
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