Do-it-yourself Banana Cream Pie – Sally’s Baking Habit

Creamy and clean from-scratch custard joins bananas, whipped cream, and a buttery flaky baked pie crust to make one epic banana cream pie. This traditional dessert is 100% do-it-yourself, like my cherry pie, and the proper make-ahead possibility as a result of the layered magnificence must set earlier than garnishing and serving.

One reader, Stephanie, says: “…That is the primary time I’ve used this explicit recipe and it was AMAZING. Truthfully one of the best one I’ve made. I shall be bookmarking this one for the long run! ★★★★★“

It is a fully from-scratch banana cream pie recipe. You gained’t discover any field pudding mixes or synthetic flavors hiding inside. I initially printed the recipe in 2016, and have fine-tuned the method over time. Prepare for a blissful banana expertise the place you possibly can really style the do-it-yourself distinction. And it’ll graciously fulfill your coronary heart, soul… and your tastebuds.

Right here’s Why You Will LOVE This Banana Cream Pie

• 100% from scratch, and you may style the distinction.
• Creamy and undeniably wealthy.
• If custard is cooked correctly, it’s sturdy and clean.
• Flaky pie crust shell, or attempt a graham cracker crust.
• An non-compulsory sprinkle of cinnamon provides a particular and flavorful contact.
• Excellent make-ahead dessert.

What Is Banana Cream Pie?

The mixture of kitchen magic. 😉 Significantly, although, banana cream pie combines do-it-yourself pie pastry crust, recent bananas, vanilla custard, and fluffy whipped cream.

1. Baked Pie Crust Shell
2. Banana Slices
3. Do-it-yourself Vanilla Custard
4. Whipped Cream

Let me stroll you thru every layer, so that you’re absolutely ready when it’s your flip to make it.

First, Bake Your Pie Crust

It’s useful to overview my the way to blind bake pie crust tutorial earlier than getting began. Blind baking a pie crust shell = baking it with out a filling. Why will we try this? Effectively, if in case you have a no-bake pie filling like coconut cream pie or as we speak’s banana cream pie, you want a baked pie crust.

Begin with do-it-yourself pie dough. I all the time use this pie crust recipe, or I’ve a wonderful all butter pie crust possibility. To bake pie crust with out a filling, you should weight it down to assist forestall it from shrinking. I’m fairly loyal to these ceramic pie weights; they’re cheap and get the job carried out. You may as well use dry beans. (Word: You’ll want 2 packs of the pie weights!)

Listed below are the steps:

• Make the pie dough forward of time, after which refrigerate or freeze till you’re able to make the pie. Pie crust should chill for no less than 2 hours earlier than rolling out.
• Roll it out, then match into your 9-inch pie dish. Crimp or flute the perimeters.
• Chill the formed pie crust for no less than half-hour. This prevents shrinking. Keep in mind that pie dough have to be chilly when it hits the oven.
• Line with parchment paper, after which fill with pie weights.
• Bake till the perimeters are calmly brown, about quarter-hour.
• Take away pie weights, then prick the underside with a fork. This lets air escape the underside.
• Return crust to oven till your complete pie shell is golden brown.
• Cool pie shell fully. You are able to do this as much as 3 days forward of time!

This baked pie crust “shell” is crispy, flaky, and prepared on your banana cream filling.

Different Crust Choices:

1. For one thing simpler, you need to use a graham cracker crust. Ensure you bake it for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C), then let it cool fully earlier than filling.
2. Or attempt the peanut butter cookie crust from my peanut butter banana cream pie!

Now Let’s Work on the Filling

Listed below are the elements you want:

Layer in Your Banana Slices

Layer banana slices into your baked pie crust shell. Typically I add a sprinkle of cinnamon on prime of the banana slices. That is undoubtedly a novel addition to BCP, however wow!!! It tastes unbelievable. I didn’t add it to the pictured pie, however style testers and readers who’ve tried it often rave about it.

Success Tip: Don’t use overly ripe bananas as a result of they will seep liquid and break your thick custard filling. Save your brown spotty bananas for banana bread, and use the yellow ones for banana cream pie.

I squeeze in as many banana slices as I can:

Do-it-yourself Custard Filling

I’m right here to squash any fears that you might have about from-scratch custard. It’s truly fairly straightforward—if you know the way to whisk, you may make it. You’ll want sugar, entire milk, heavy cream (additionally wanted for the whipped cream topping), and egg yolks. For taste, you’ll add vanilla and butter. For thickening, you’ll use cornstarch. (The egg yolks and cream assist, too.)

Step one is to combine egg yolks and cornstarch collectively:

I often do that with a fork in a liquid measuring cup, as a result of we’ll ultimately pour this into the cooking milk combination.

Warmth entire milk, cream, sugar, and somewhat salt on the range. As soon as the milk/cream/sugar is gently simmering, slowly stream and whisk somewhat of this milk combination into the egg yolk/cornstarch combination. That is referred to as tempering. The gradual and regular stream of heat milk is bringing the egg yolks’ temperature up with out scrambling them.

Then stream and whisk the heated egg yolk combination into the remainder of the milk/cream/sugar on the range. Cook dinner on low, and let it start to bubble, which occurs fairly rapidly. Whisk it whereas it pops and bubbles for simply 1 minute. Take away from warmth, then stir within the vanilla and butter, and permit to barely cool.

The custard shall be clean, wealthy, and silky:

FAQ: Why Isn’t My Custard Clean?

Do you discover little bits of egg yolks in your custard? Chances are you’ll not have tempered them slowly sufficient. Bear in mind to *very slowly* stream and whisk a number of the cooking milk combination into the egg yolk/cornstarch combination, after which *very slowly* stream and whisk it again into the pot. Whisk continually.

In case your greatest efforts nonetheless lead to a couple of chunks, you possibly can pressure the completed heat custard by means of a tremendous mesh sieve. Or simply depart it—you possibly can’t actually style it.

Find out how to Guarantee Your Banana Cream Pie Units

With 4 egg yolks, 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch, and a few heavy cream, you will be sure this custard units into a reasonably sliceable texture. You should definitely whisk it on the range usually, and let it bubble and cook dinner lengthy sufficient for the warmth to assist bind the cornstarch to the fats. (1 minute is lots.)

Unfold the vanilla custard filling over the banana slices, cowl with plastic wrap proper on the floor to forestall a pores and skin from forming, then refrigerate the pie for no less than 4 hours and as much as 1 day.

FAQ: Can I Make Banana Cream Pie in Advance?

It is a make-ahead dessert. You can also make the pie dough upfront and bake the pie crust shell upfront. You may as well refrigerate your assembled (however not garnished) banana cream pie for as much as 1 day, with the plastic wrap proper on prime of the floor. And you may make the whipped cream topping upfront, however don’t add it till proper earlier than, or as much as 1 hour earlier than serving.

You don’t need to embellish the pie with banana slices upfront as a result of they’ll brown. (A brush of lemon juice can prolong their freshness by a pair hours, however will have an effect on their taste.)

Proper earlier than, or as much as 1 hour earlier than, serving, prime the pie with do-it-yourself whipped cream. You’ll be able to embellish it any which manner—a thick layer of whipped cream like this banoffee pie, or fairly piped dollops or swirls just like the pictured pie. I take advantage of Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe it.

You would additionally burn up your leftover egg whites and prime it with this marshmallow meringue topping, and toast it with a kitchen torch!

When able to serve, add banana slices on prime. I often go heavy on the sliced banana garnish. I really like texture in desserts, and banana cream pie doesn’t often ship on that entrance. However with numerous banana slices, we’ll get there.

Now savor each flaky, creamy, fluffy chunk because it melts in your mouth, since you should. You made this all from scratch!

Print

Do-it-yourself Banana Cream Pie

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  Creator: Sally
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  Prep Time: 4 hours (consists of crust)
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  Cook dinner Time: half-hour
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  Complete Time: 8 hours (consists of chilling)
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  Yield: 1 9-inch pie
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  Class: Pie
• 
  Methodology: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

Creamy and clean from-scratch custard joins bananas, whipped cream, and a buttery flaky baked pie crust to make one epic banana cream pie. There are many methods to make this banana cream pie recipe forward of time. See varied steps.

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Crust

Custard Filling

Whipped Cream

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Directions

1. At the least 2 hours forward, make the pie dough: Make the pie crust by means of step 5 based on my instructions and video tutorial in my pie crust recipe. Make pie dough upfront as a result of it wants to relax within the fridge for no less than 2 hours earlier than rolling out (step 2). The recipe makes 2 crusts, and also you solely want 1 for this pie, so save the opposite for one other pie.
2. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work floor, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough. Flip the dough a few quarter flip after each few rolls till you might have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Fastidiously place the dough right into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in together with your fingers, ensuring it’s fully clean. To make a beautiful thick edge, I don’t trim extra dough across the edges. As a substitute, fold the surplus dough again over the sting and use your palms to mould the sting right into a rim across the pie. Crimp the perimeters with a fork or use your fingers to flute the perimeters. If dough is just too heat, fluting/crimping shall be troublesome, so you possibly can all the time chill it within the fridge for five–10 minutes first. After fluting/crimping the perimeters, chill the pie dough within the fridge for no less than half-hour and as much as 5 days. Cowl the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than half-hour. Chilling the formed dough helps forestall the crust from shrinking.
3. Whereas the crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
4. Blind bake the crust: Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. (Crunch up the parchment paper first as a way to simply form it into the crust.) Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Word that you will want no less than 2 normal units of pie weights to suit.) I wish to push the weights up towards the edges of the pie crust to assist guarantee the edges don’t shrink down. Bake till the perimeters of the crust are beginning to brown, about 15–16 minutes. Take away pie from the oven and thoroughly carry the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick holes all around the backside crust with a fork. If desired for a shiny golden crust, brush egg wash on edges. Return pie crust to the oven and bake for 14–quarter-hour, or till backside has browned. Take away from the oven, and funky on a wire rack fully earlier than filling. You’ll be able to blind bake the crust as much as 3 days forward of time. Cowl cooled crust tightly and refrigerate till able to fill. (Overview this the way to par-bake pie crust web page should you want additional assist with this blind-baking step.)
5. Make the custard filling: Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch collectively. (A fork works properly for this, or a small whisk.) Put aside. Mix the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium warmth. Whisk till all of the sugar has dissolved, then deliver to a mild simmer, whisking sometimes. As soon as simmering, take away about 1/2 cup (120ml) of the milk combination and, in a gradual and regular stream, whisk into the egg yolk and cornstarch combination. Maintain these egg yolks shifting so that they don’t scramble. In a gradual and regular stream, pour and whisk the egg yolk combination into the pot. The pudding will instantly start to bubble and thicken. Stand again and use warning because the bubbles could burst. Cook dinner for 1 full minute, whisking continually.
6. Take away the pan from warmth and whisk within the vanilla and butter. You’ll have about 3 cups of filling. For those who discover lots of little chunks of egg yolk, they might not have been tempered correctly. To repair, you possibly can run the nice and cozy custard by means of a tremendous mesh sieve.
7. Place a chunk of plastic wrap instantly on prime of the nice and cozy pudding to forestall a pores and skin from forming on prime. Permit to chill for quarter-hour. I don’t advocate any longer than this, as will probably be too thick to unfold neatly into the crust.
8. Slice 2–3 bananas and organize slices into the cooled pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Unfold custard on prime (it’s okay whether it is nonetheless barely heat). An offset spatula is useful for spreading. Place a chunk of plastic wrap instantly on prime of the custard; once more, to forestall a pores and skin from forming. Refrigerate for no less than 4 hours and as much as 1 day.
9. When able to serve, or as much as 1 hour earlier than serving, make the whipped cream: Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high pace till medium peaks type, about 3–4 minutes. Medium peaks are between delicate/unfastened peaks and stiff peaks and are the proper consistency for topping and piping on desserts.
10. Pipe or unfold the whipped cream on prime. (I take advantage of Wilton 1M tip.) Slice remaining banana and garnish with banana slices and serve pie instantly, or refrigerate for as much as 1 hour after which garnish with banana slices and serve. (Greatest to garnish with banana slices instantly earlier than serving, however whipped cream can go on the pie as much as 1 hour upfront.)
11. Slice and serve. Cowl leftovers and retailer within the fridge for as much as 5 days.

Notes

1. Make Forward & Freezing Directions: The pie dough will be ready forward of time and saved within the fridge for as much as 5 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. There are many methods to make this recipe forward of time. See finish of step 2, finish of step 8, and step 10. This isn’t one of the best pie to freeze; the filling’s texture isn’t fairly the identical. Nonetheless, if in case you have leftover slices and aren’t involved as a lot about style and look, you possibly can freeze leftover pie for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge.
2. Particular Instruments: Rolling Pin | Pie Dish | Pie Weights | Pastry Brush | Egg Separator | Whisk | Offset Spatula | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) and Wilton 1M Piping Tip if piping
3. Pie Crust: Each linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You solely want 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for an additional use.
4. Crumb Crust Different: To chop again on time, attempt utilizing a graham cracker crust. Ensure you bake it for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C), then let it cool fully earlier than filling. Or you need to use the crust recipe and baking directions for the peanut butter cookie crust used on this peanut butter banana cream pie.
5. Entire Milk & Heavy Cream: These are crucial for the custard to set correctly. I don’t advocate any substitutions.
6. Stop Bananas From Browning: Be at liberty to very, very calmly spritz or brush banana slices with lemon juice previous to arranging in pie crust shell, and previous to utilizing as garnish. They may ultimately brown, so it’s greatest to assemble the pie as much as 1 day upfront (step 8), and garnish with banana slices proper earlier than serving (step 10).
7. Replace in 2023: Recipe used to name for 1 and three/4 cups entire milk and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. For a barely smoother, extra flavorful custard, I now use 2 cups entire milk and a pair of teaspoons vanilla, as now you can see within the recipe.

Key phrases: banana cream pie