Banana Cream Pie is made with a super easy homemade custard and layers of fresh bananas. If you’re looking for a good homemade banana pie recipe, this dessert is for you.

slice of banana cream pie

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BEST BANANA CREAM PIE RECIPE

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Pi Day, March 14th. 3.14 is the digital reading for March 14th and constant for the symbol Pi. It has become an unofficial holiday only to be celebrated with…wait for it…PIE!

This day, however, means so much more to us than an excuse to eat pie. A year ago my sister-in-law Kimi received a heart transplant on this very day.


It’s a day filled with a lot of emotion. A second chance at life for Kimi and a day of remembrance for her donor and her family.

Besides Thanksgiving, I rarely take the time to make a pie but a new tradition has been started. My friend Brittany gave me her homemade banana cream pie recipe and I absolutely loved it.

pie-crust

You know I hate making pie crusts but this one is easy with simple ingredients and can be made in few minutes with a food processor.

banana cream

Crimp the sides for that classic crust look. You want to blind bake (see directions below) it until it’s golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Next fill it with 3 sliced bananas and a super easy homemade vanilla pudding from scratch. Homemade custards usually terrify me but this one is super straight forward and is worth the taste.

I made this cake from start to finish in under an hour. No instant pudding mix here.

This Banana Cream Pie is made with a super easy homemade custard and layers of bananas. the-girl-who-ate-everything.comTop with some fresh whipped cream and you have heaven my friends. Sure you could use Cool Whip but fresh is always better.

pi-day

Of course the boys could wait to slice it up…

HOW TO MAKE BANANA CREAM PIE

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place rack in the middle.
  2. Roll out dough to fit into a 9″ pie pan and pinch the edges of the crust like shown above. Chill crust in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 minutes.
  3. After crust has been refrigerated or placed in freezer, line inside of pie with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans to prevent shrinking. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove parchment paper, and prick with a fork. Return to oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
  4. For the banana cream pie filling: In a large saucepan, add the sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in the milk and cook over medium heat until mixture is boiling and thickens. Cook for 2 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of the milk mixture into a separate bowl with the large egg yolks to temper them (about 2 tablespoons). This brings the temperature of the egg mixture up so that when they are added into the pan they don’t scramble. Add the tempered eggs back into the milk mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk constantly until the texture is thick. This is important!
  6. Remove mixture from heat and add the butter and vanilla.
  7. Transfer to a separate bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
  8. Slice bananas and place them in the pie crust and pour the filling on top.
  9. For the whipped cream: Place heavy whipping cream and sugar in a chilled large bowl and mix on high for 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until soft peaks have formed. Don’t whip too much or you will end up will cottage cheese looking whipped cream.
  10. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

CAN I MAKE BANANA CREAM PIE AHEAD OF TIME?

You can make this Banana Cream Pie ahead of time up to step 10. You can make the crust and the filling up to two days ahead of time and store separately. Because the bananas will start to brown you don’t want to slice and assemble them until the day of serving.

CAN I MAKE A GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST?

Sure. It’s just personal preference. I have a great graham cracker crust recipe.

Another option is a sugar cookie crust or a crust made from crushed vanilla wafers.

OTHER PIE RECIPES

slice of banana cream pie

Banana Cream Pie

4.50 from 20 votes
This delicious Banana Cream Pie is made with a super easy homemade vanilla custard and layers of bananas and homemade whipped cream.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients

Filling:

Whipped Cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar or 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavoring

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place rack in the middle. 
  • Roll out pie dough to fit into a 9" pie dish and pinch the edges of the crust like shown above. Chill crust in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 minutes.
  • After crust has been refrigerated or placed in freezer, line inside of pie with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans to prevent shrinking. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove parchment paper, and prick with a fork. Return to oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
  • For the filling: In a large saucepan, add the sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in the milk and cook over medium heat until mixture is boiling and thickens. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of the milk mixture into a separate bowl with egg yolks to temper them (about 2 tablespoons). This brings the temperature of the eggs up so that when they are added into the pan they don't scramble. Add the tempered eggs back into the milk mixture and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Whisk constantly until the texture is thick. This is important! If the mixture is not cooked until thick it won't set up properly.
  • Remove mixture from heat and add the butter and vanilla.
  • Transfer to a separate bowl. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
  • Slice bananas and place them in the pie shell and add the filling on top.
  • For the whipped cream: Place cream and sugar in a chilled mixing bowl and mix on high for 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until soft peaks have formed. Don't whip too much or you will end up will cottage cheese looking whipped cream.
  • Spread the whipped cream over the top of the filling and chill until ready to serve.

Notes

CAN I MAKE BANANA CREAM PIE AHEAD OF TIME?

You can make this Banana Cream Pie ahead of time up to step 10. You can make the crust and the filling up to two days ahead of time and store separately. Because the bananas will start to brown you don't want to slice and assemble them until the day of serving.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Christy Denney
  • banana cream pie
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Christy Denney
Christy is the voice behind The Girl Who Who Ate Everything! She is no stranger to making meals that kids and adults will love. She grew up in Mesa, Arizona as the youngest of ten kids. She can always be found in her kitchen with music playing and cooking with her kids. She published her first cookbook in 2014. She loves party food that gets the conversations going!
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