Banana Cream Pie is an irresistibly delicious homemade pie with Nilla wafers, vanilla pudding, bananas, and a sweet whipped cream topping!
Sweet and creamy Banana Cream Pie is a nostalgic dessert that makes you feel like a kid again! Each layer is made from scratch, from the Nilla wafer crust to the vanilla custard and banana filling and fresh whipped cream, to create an easy and scrumptious pie no one can resist!
Banana’s About Pie!
Remember how much you loved banana cream pie as a kid? It always seemed like no one made it as good as my Grandma did when I was a kid, but I think my recipe is just as good now! I love to make each layer of this pie from scratch and trust me, once you’ve made homemade vanilla pudding, you’ll have a hard time using box pudding again- but I also have no problem using pre-made items for this pie when I need to. The pudding takes a little time and is worth it, especially when everyone’s eyes light up over this delicious pie!
Classic Homemade Banana Pudding and Banana Nut Bread are always crowd-pleasing treats that take everyone right back to the joys of being a kid!
Other Recipes to Serve with Banana Cream Pie
- Frozen Banana Daiquiri’s also put huge smiles on grown-up’s faces, so make a big pitcher for everyone to enjoy!
- Kids and grown-ups alike can never resist a warm, fluffy stack of fresh Banana Pancakes– they’re too incredible to miss!
Ingredients
To Make the Crust: You will need crushed vanilla wafer cookies and melted butter to make the crust.
For the Filling: To make the filling, you will need whole milk, egg yolks, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. You can also include a whole vanilla bean if you’d like; it adds a great flavor and is optional. And don’t forget the bananas! You’ll need 3-4 fresh bananas to slice for the pie (and some to garnish the top).
To Make the Topping: You will need heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to make the fresh whipped cream.
How to Make Banana Cream Pie
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and melted butter and stir to mix well. Press the crust mixture evenly across the bottom and sides of a pie pan and bake for 5 minutes. Allow the crust to cool on a wire rack while you work on the filling.
STEP TWO: Whisk the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. If using, add the milk and vanilla bean and mix well, stirring as the milk mixture bubbles and thickens.
STEP THREE: Add the egg yolks to a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Add spoonfuls of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Repeat this process until the eggs are warm and smooth. Add the tempered eggs to the saucepan and continue to cook while whisking for five more minutes.
STEP FOUR: Remove the pan from the heat. Take out the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the pan, and discard the pod. Then, whisk in the butter and vanilla extract.
STEP FIVE: Slice the fresh bananas and add them to the pie crust. Pour the filling over the banana slices, tilting the pie as needed to cover the bananas and fill in the gaps. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
STEP SIX: While the pie is chilling, combine the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar in a mixer and whisk until peaks form. Once the pie has set, remove the plastic wrap and top the pie with whipped cream. You can add more banana slices to the top or serve it as is. Keep the pie refrigerated until you are ready to eat.
Tips for Success
- When filling the pie with vanilla pudding, there may be more than needed. Be sure you have filled the pie and covered the bananas and enjoy any leftover pudding!
- You can use a premade pie crust and whipped cream if you are short on time. You also have the option to use a premade butter pie crust. If you purchase a premade crust check the directions to see if you need to bake it before you add a cream filling, like you do with pie crust.
- When including a vanilla bean in the pudding, be sure to scrape out all of the vanilla beans into the pudding before discarding the bean. There is a lot of great flavor the vanilla beans add to the pudding!
- Avoid using overly ripe, mushy bananas in this pie. Look for bananas with yellow peels that have just begun to turn brown to ensure your bananas are ripe but firm.
How do you keep bananas from turning black in a banana cream pie?
Peeled bananas that are exposed to air will begin to brown and the edges will take on a blackish look. When making a homemade banana cream pie it’s easy to avoid this by first completely covering the sliced bananas with vanilla pudding. If the bananas are well covered there is less chance of the sliced bananas being exposed to air. Secondly, a nice layer of whipped cream also helps keep those bananas covered and fresh-looking. Remember to keep your pie refrigerated as well to keep it both tasting and looking fresh and delicious.
How do I temper eggs?
Learning to temper eggs or even how to make homemade pudding can seem a little daunting but after you do it once you’ll know how easy it really is! When making pudding it is important to bring the heat up gradually, so avoid cranking up the heat to make pudding quickly. Once the milk mixture is nice and hot, crack a few eggs and add just the yolks, for this recipe, to a separate bowl. Whisk the egg yolks until smooth and then begin to ladle in small amounts of the milk mixture over the egg yolks, whisking the eggs the entire time. The trick here is to go slow because you want to gently heat the eggs, not cook and scramble them! Test the temperature of the eggs with your finger and if the eggs are still cool, continue to ladle the hot milk over them. Once the eggs feel warm to the touch you can add them to the saucepan containing the milk mixture and continue to whisk until everything is thick and smooth.
More Cream Pies to Love for Every Occasion!
- Easy Coconut Cream Pie
- Lemon Pudding Pie
- Key Lime Pie
- Creamsicle Chiffon Pie
- Heirloom Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe
*This post originally posted on 03/18/2015.
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cups Nilla wafers (about 6 ounces)
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
Filling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 egg yolks slightly beaten
- 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 bananas peeled and sliced
Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Banana slices for garnish
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a food processor, crush the Nilla wafers into fine crumbs. (You can also crush them in a gallon food storage bag with a rolling pin.) Pour the crumbs into a medium mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press the mixture into an 8-inch pie dish. Bake for 5 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Filling
- Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the milk and vanilla bean (if using) and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is bubbling. Continue to cook while stirring for another 10 minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened.
- Temper the eggs by adding a small amount of the hot mixture from the saucepan to the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Repeat while whisking until you have a warm, smooth mixture. Add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook for a couple of minutes while constantly stirring.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean – being sure to scrape out as many of the seeds as possible into the pan – and discard the pod. Stir in the butter and vanilla until fully combined.
- Arrange the sliced bananas in the bottom of the cooled pie crust until the bananas are level with the top of the crust. Pour the warm pudding over the bananas. Tilt the pie dish as necessary to help the pudding completely coat the bananas and fill in the gaps. (There might be excess pudding. Just fill as much as possible without spilling.)
- Cover the pie with plastic wrap placed directly onto the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the pudding can cool and set up.
Topping
- Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar to a medium mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until medium peaks form.
- Remove the pie from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Top with whipped cream. Add additional banana slices on top of the pie if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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