The Best Banana Cream Pie
This is the best banana cream pie recipe I’ve ever made! Fresh bananas, creamy vanilla custard, all on top of a vanilla wafer crust combine to make this one of the most delicious desserts. Banana cream pie is a classic American dessert, and after falling in love with this recipe, I see why! Our recipe has a vanilla cookie crust, freshly sliced bananas, and the dreamiest vanilla custard topped with more bananas and a cloud of whipped cream. Of all the dessert recipes shared on Inspired Taste, this easy pie is hands down my favorite! It’s banana pudding in a pie, and I love it! More desserts we love include our Coconut Cream Pie, this Easy Carrot Cake and our Fresh Strawberry Pie. Key Ingredients Vanilla cookie crust: We make our cookie crust from scratch with salted butter and Nilla wafers (vanilla cookies). You can also use homemade vanilla cookies (recipe coming soon). It’s very similar to our homemade graham cracker crust, but made with vanilla cookies! Bananas: Use ripe bananas that are still firm for this pie. Softened or browned bananas are better left for banana bread. Eggs: I use whole eggs and egg yolks to make the custard for this recipe. Heavy cream and milk: A combination of cream and milk makes this custard truly delicious without being too rich. I also use cream to make whipped cream for swirling on top. Sugar: This sweetens our custard. I use granulated sugar. Vanilla extract: I use pure vanilla extract, but a vanilla bean paste would be delightful! Cornstarch: This helps to thicken our custard. Vanilla cookie crust: We make our cookie crust from scratch with salted butter and Nilla wafers (vanilla cookies). You can also use homemade vanilla cookies (recipe coming soon). It’s very similar to our homemade graham cracker crust, but made with vanilla cookies! Bananas: Use ripe bananas that are still firm for this pie. Softened or browned bananas are better left for banana bread. Eggs: I use whole eggs and egg yolks to make the custard for this recipe. Heavy cream and milk: A combination of cream and milk makes this custard truly delicious without being too rich. I also use cream to make whipped cream for swirling on top. Sugar: This sweetens our custard. I use granulated sugar. Vanilla extract: I use pure vanilla extract, but a vanilla bean paste would be delightful! Cornstarch: This helps to thicken our custard. Find the full recipe with measurements below. Tips for Making the Best Banana Cream Pie Tip 1: Delicious vanilla crust. This vanilla cookie crust for our pie is a breeze, with just two ingredients: melted salted butter and crushed Nilla wafers (vanilla cookies). The two are combined and then pressed into a tart pan with a removable bottom. A tall glass is my secret weapon for a perfectly packed crust (I use the same trick when making cheesecake). Watch me make the crust in our video — it’s simple. Tip 2: Tempering. It’s easy! The vanilla custard is easy, too! I whisk together egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, cornstarch, a pinch of salt, and a generous teaspoon of vanilla, and then slowly whisk in a mixture of hot milk and cream. Slowly whisking the hot liquid into our egg mixture is called tempering. By slowly pouring the hot liquid in a steady stream while whisking like crazy to keep the eggs happy, we prevent scrambling the eggs. Again, you can see how easy this is by watching me make it in our video. Tip 3: Pour custard over banana layer. After heating the custard over low heat for a few minutes, it thickens and is ready for the pie. Just before pouring it in, I add a layer of sliced bananas to the bottom of the pie — these turn our vanilla custard into banana scented vanilla custard (so delicious). Tip 4: Refrigerate overnight. Bake in a 275°F oven for about 30 minutes. Then cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. Patience is key here. The night in the refrigerator means the bananas can meld and mingle with the custard, making the pie taste incredible. Tip 5: Top with chocolate and whipped cream. It’s the next day and time to finish our pie! I layer more sliced bananas over the custard and then swirl on homemade hipped cream. And since I love chocolate, I also shave some dark chocolate on top. This banana cream pie is a must-make! It’s so darn good. The Best Banana Cream Pie PREP 20 mins COOK 30 mins TOTAL 50 mins PREP 20 mins COOK 30 mins TOTAL 50 mins Our easy homemade banana cream pie recipe calls on a simple vanilla cookie crust, fresh sliced bananas, sweet and creamy vanilla custard, and enough whipped cream to make you do a happy dance. Of all the classic desserts on Inspired Taste, this easy cream pie with fresh bananas is our favorite! We recommend cooling the baked pie to room temperature before chilling it in the fridge overnight. The night in the refrigerator helps the custard set and gives the bananas time to infuse the custard with banana flavor. Makes 1 pie, 8 to 10 slices Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need Banana Cream Pie 10 tablespoons (140g) salted butter, melted 2 ⅔ cups (310g) crushed Nilla Wafers, one 11-ounce box, see notes for substitutes 4 to 5 medium bananas 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature 4 tablespoons (32g) cornstarch 1/2 cup (100g) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch fine sea salt 1 cup (235ml) heavy cream 1 cup (235ml) whole milk 1 ½ cups (355ml) heavy cream 2 tablespoons (14g) powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Dark chocolate, optional for grating on top Directions Make the Crust 1Preheat the oven to 275°F (135 °C). Choose an 8-inch or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (false-bottom pan). Lightly coat the bottom and sides with cooking spray or grease with butter. 2Use a food processor or a Zip top bag and a rolling pin to crush the Nilla wafers into fine crumbs. You are looking for the texture of coarse sand. 3Melt the butter and pour it into a mixing bowl with the crushed wafers. Stir until the crumbs are moistened. 4Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and sides of the tart pan using your fingers. To pack the crumbs down even more and create a smooth crust, use a tall glass or measuring cup to press the mixture inside the pan. To help prevent the crust from crumbling later, run a spoon along the edge where the bottom and sides meet to smooth out any bumps and create a rounded edge. See Joanne do this in the video. Make the Crust 1Preheat the oven to 275°F (135 °C). Choose an 8-inch or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (false-bottom pan). Lightly coat the bottom and sides with cooking spray or grease with butter. 2Use a food processor or a Zip top bag and a rolling pin to crush the Nilla wafers into fine crumbs. You are looking for the texture of coarse sand. 3Melt the butter and pour it into a mixing bowl with the crushed wafers. Stir until the crumbs are moistened. 4Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and sides of the tart pan using your fingers. To pack the crumbs down even more and create a smooth crust, use a tall glass or measuring cup to press the mixture inside the pan. To help prevent the crust from crumbling later, run a spoon along the edge where the bottom and sides meet to smooth out any bumps and create a rounded edge. See Joanne do this in the video. Make the Custard 1In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla until everything is well blended and smooth. 2In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of milk over medium heat until it gently simmers. Look for tiny bubbles just breaking the surface. 3While continuously whisking the egg mixture in the bowl, slowly drizzle in a small amount of the hot cream and milk mixture. Keep whisking as you gradually add more of the hot liquid until everything is combined. Now, carefully pour all the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan. 4Turn the heat to low and cook, while whisking, until the custard thickens to the consistency of runny pudding, about 5 minutes. If your custard becomes lumpy, push the lumpy custard through a mesh strainer, see our troubleshooting tip in the article. Make the Custard 1In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla until everything is well blended and smooth. 2In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of milk over medium heat until it gently simmers. Look for tiny bubbles just breaking the surface. 3While continuously whisking the egg mixture in the bowl, slowly drizzle in a small amount of the hot cream and milk mixture. Keep whisking as you gradually add more of the hot liquid until everything is combined. Now, carefully pour all the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan. 4Turn the heat to low and cook, while whisking, until the custard thickens to the consistency of runny pudding, about 5 minutes. If your custard becomes lumpy, push the lumpy custard through a mesh strainer, see our troubleshooting tip in the article. Bake the Pie 1Thinly slice two bananas and line the bottom of the crust. Pour the warm custard over the bananas, letting it settle around them naturally. You can gently shake the pan to help the custard fill any gaps. 2Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. When gently nudging the pan, the custard should be slightly jiggly in the center (think a gentle wave). Don’t worry if you see a few cracks on top, that’s normal. 3Let the pie cool completely at room temperature. Then, cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it overnight. Bake the Pie 1Thinly slice two bananas and line the bottom of the crust. Pour the warm custard over the bananas, letting it settle around them naturally. You can gently shake the pan to help the custard fill any gaps. 2Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. When gently nudging the pan, the custard should be slightly jiggly in the center (think a gentle wave). Don’t worry if you see a few cracks on top, that’s normal. 3Let the pie cool completely at room temperature. Then, cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it overnight. To Finish (the next day) 1Remove the pie from the tart pan and place onto a serving platter. 2Use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to beat 1 ½ cups of heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until medium peaks. When holding up a whisk or spatula, the tip of the peak should barely flop over. 3Slice two more bananas and cover the top of the pie with them. 4Cover the bananas with the whipped cream, swirling it like a cloud. Use a fine grater or a vegetable peeler to shave dark chocolate on top. Serve and enjoy within 2 days. Store leftover banana cream pie in the refrigerator. To Finish (the next day) 1Remove the pie from the tart pan and place onto a serving platter. 2Use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to beat 1 ½ cups of heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until medium peaks. When holding up a whisk or spatula, the tip of the peak should barely flop over. 3Slice two more bananas and cover the top of the pie with them. 4Cover the bananas with the whipped cream, swirling it like a cloud. Use a fine grater or a vegetable peeler to shave dark chocolate on top. Serve and enjoy within 2 days. Store leftover banana cream pie in the refrigerator. Adam and Joanne's Tips Making banana cream pie ahead: You can make banana cream pie a day or two before you plan to serve it, but remember that the bananas will start to brown and lose their fresh texture over time. It’s still delicious within that timeframe, but beyond that, the pie won’t be quite as good. Here’s a tip for longer shelf life: To keep your pie looking and tasting its best, wait to add the second layer of bananas and whipped cream until the day you’re serving it. The custard covers the first layer of bananas, so it holds up much better. Storing leftovers: Store any leftover banana cream pie in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days. We don’t recommend freezing it, as the custard and bananas might not hold up well to thawing. Unsalted butter: To use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt to the butter as it melts. Cookie crust substitutes: Nilla wafers are a classic vanilla cookie widely sold in the US. If you cannot find them, try another vanilla cookie, shortbread cookies, or animal crackers in their place. For a different flavor, use graham crackers or ginger cookies. Chocolate cookies will also work for a chocolate crust. Lumps in the custard: We try to prevent lumps in the custard by slowly tempering the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture. If your custard has lumps, don’t worry! All you need to do is strain the custard through a sieve. Do I need to pre-bake the crust? No, we bake the crust filled with the custard before cooling and chilling in the refrigerator. Making banana cream pie ahead: You can make banana cream pie a day or two before you plan to serve it, but remember that the bananas will start to brown and lose their fresh texture over time. It’s still delicious within that timeframe, but beyond that, the pie won’t be quite as good. Here’s a tip for longer shelf life: To keep your pie looking and tasting its best, wait to add the second layer of bananas and whipped cream until the day you’re serving it. The custard covers the first layer of bananas, so it holds up much better. Storing leftovers: Store any leftover banana cream pie in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days. We don’t recommend freezing it, as the custard and bananas might not hold up well to thawing. Unsalted butter: To use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt to the butter as it melts. Cookie crust substitutes: Nilla wafers are a classic vanilla cookie widely sold in the US. If you cannot find them, try another vanilla cookie, shortbread cookies, or animal crackers in their place. For a different flavor, use graham crackers or ginger cookies. Chocolate cookies will also work for a chocolate crust. Lumps in the custard: We try to prevent lumps in the custard by slowly tempering the hot milk and cream into the egg mixture. If your custard has lumps, don’t worry! All you need to do is strain the custard through a sieve. Do I need to pre-bake the crust? No, we bake the crust filled with the custard before cooling and chilling in the refrigerator. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 slice (1 of 10) / Calories 483 / Total Fat 30.4g / Saturated Fat 17.1g / Cholesterol 141.3mg / Sodium 262.8mg / Carbohydrate 49.4g / Dietary Fiber 1.7g / Total Sugars 28.9g / Protein 5.3g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us