Banana Cream Pie

Easy Banana Cream Pie is loaded with light velvety creaminess and banana flavors. To make this elegant airy dessert, you don’t even need to turn on the oven.

This recipe is a quick and simple take on the classic homemade banana cream pie that will be a hit amongst everyone who loves bananas or banana pudding.

With all modern shortcuts like pre-made crust and boxed pudding mix, you can whip the whole cake in under 30 minutes – our grandmas would be jealous.

However, I decided to make the custard cream filling from scratch for this recipe. There is nothing more indulgent than biting into light creamy custard, whipped cream, and sliced bananas!

And did I mention no baking time?

At a glance: one of the most delicious recipes for a potluck, summer gatherings, Sunday church meals, and for the National Banana Cream Pie Day which is March, 2nd.

What is Banana Cream pie made of?

There are 4 main components in a classic banana cream pie recipe: a crust, homemade or pre-made, fresh bananas, creamy custard-like filling, and whipped topping with bananas.

Main Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• Premade graham cracker pie crust – homemade or purchased. I bought mine and it always saves me prep time as I don’t have to pre-bake the pie shell.
• Fresh bananas. I use a not-quite-ripe banana type for this pie, they are not too mushy and still have fresh flavor.
• Cinnamon for added flavors. Cinnamon and bananas pair so well!

Cream Filling 

• Egg yolks as a base for our vanilla custard filling. We don’t need egg whites at all. If you don’t want to discard them, use egg whites to make small meringues. They can be a completely separate dessert of work as a topping.
• Cornstarch helps thicken the filling. If you don’t have it, use all-purpose flour.
• Whole milk. For dessert cuisine always use full-fat dairy. Milk and cream keep the filling fluffy and moist. Half and half is ok to use too.
• Heavy cream to justify the title of banana cream filling.
• Granulated sugar. Can be replaced with powdered sugar if you don’t like the grainy texture of granulated sugar.
• Pinch of salt to balance flavors (the pie won’t be salty!)
• Vanilla extract for aroma and a little flavor nuance. Vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla seeds will work too.
• Unsalted butter.

Custard VS Pudding. Classic custard filling always uses eggs, while flour or cornstarch is usually used in pudding. I use both eggs and cornstarch to bind and thicken my pie filling so it is something in between homemade pudding and custard filling.

Whipped Cream Topping

• Fresh bananas, not quite ripe
• Heavy whipping cream. You can use Cool Whip instead of making your whipped cream topping from scratch. Frozen whipped topping works too.
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Vanilla extract.

Kitchen Equipment

• Pie pan. A 9-inch pie makes 8 servings of this delicious cake.
• Pie plate for serving.
• Mixing bowl.
• Stand mixer to beat the heavy cream in case you are making homemade whipped cream.

How To Make Homemade Banana Cream Pie

This is a no-bake recipe because I don’t need to bake the crust – I used the store-bought one.

But if you want to make the regular pie crust from scratch you will need to bake it before adding the filling.

I noticed that when you bake this pie it becomes too dry and rubbery, so I love the no-baking version better.

To be fair, the recipe does take a long time to chill – 4 to 8 hours. So I leave it in the fridge overnight before decorating. The perfect option for a make-ahead dessert.

1 – Make The Pie Crust

1. Cut two of the bananas into ¼ or so thick rounds.  Line the pie pan with parchment paper and then lay down store-bought pie crust. If the crust is thick roll it on a flat surface. If you use a 9-inch pie pan, the crust circle should be around 12 inches.
2. Arrange the fresh banana slices into the bottom of the prepared pie crust.  
3. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and set aside. 

2 – Prepare Homemade Custard Filling

1. Mix egg yolks and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Whisk together. Set the egg yolk mixture aside. 
2. Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan.  Heat over medium-low to medium heat for about 5 minutes or until it just begins to steam and there are gentle bubbles around the edges.  Do not let it come to a full boil. 
3. Temper the eggs by adding a splash of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mix.  Whisk quickly to combine. Add another larger splash of the milk mix to the yolk mixture, continuing to whisk quickly. Be careful with this step as pouring warm milk over the eggs too quickly will simply cook them.
4. Pour the entire egg mixture into the saucepan and continue to whisk. 
5. Heat over medium-low for an additional 2-3 minutes or until thickened.  Continue to stir constantly to prevent scorching.  
6. Add the butter and vanilla and continue to stir until melted and thoroughly combined. If you see any lumps or chunks in the custard, pour warm custard through a fine mesh to catch all of them. Let the custard cool for 30 minutes.
7. Pour the custard over the banana slices in the pie crust.  Spread evenly and to the edges. 
8. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic wrap to touch the top of the custard to prevent a film from forming. 
9. Refrigerate for at least 4-8 hours until set. 
10. When ready to assemble and serve, make the whipped topping. 

3 – Make The Whipped Topping

1. Combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat on medium-high for about 3-5 minutes or until stiff peaks. 
2. Transfer the whipped topping to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. 
3. Pipe your desired decoration across the top of the pie.
4. Slice the remaining banana and place the sliced bananas on top of the whipped cream. 
5. Slice and serve immediately. 

Serving

Banana cream pie needs to be refrigerated for 4 to 8 hours before you can decorate it and serve it to guests.

Pie is best served immediately after you add the topping. 

If you want to decorate the pie a little bit, add banana slices, toasted coconut, and white or dark chocolate shavings to add a beautiful elegant touch.

Making Ahead

You can make the pie 1-2 days ahead of time, but assemble and top with fresh bananas just before serving.  

• The crust can be pre-made or store-bought and frozen for a few months. Freshly baked pie crust can be made 3 days in advance.
• Pie filling can be made 1 day ahead.
• Whipped cream topping is not the best to make ahead and better to do it right before serving. It takes minimal effort and time.

Storing Banana Cream Pie

Leftover pie stores well in the refrigerator for 4 days covered with plastic wrap or foil.

Cream pies freeze relatively well without topping.

You can wrap the banana cream pie with the dish tightly in a few layers of foil and store it in the freezer for 2 months.

However, they often become soggy after freezing, which is why it is possible but not recommended to freeze cream pies.

Before serving after the freezer, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Thawed banana cream pie cannot be frozen again.

Tips & Tricks To Make The Best Banana Cream Pie

• Crust options. You can always go for a classic baked pie crust, shortbread crust, pastry crust, crushed vanilla wafers, or graham crackers for a quick crust. Nilla wafer crust works amazingly for banana cream pies. It is easy to make and doesn’t require baking, and the vanilla flavor is one of the best to pair with bananas.
• The no-bake crust is always super fast and insanely easy to make – you can mix the crumbs and sugar with melted butter in a medium bowl, and press the mixture into the bottom of the banana pie pan. Unlike filling, crust can be made with salted butter.
• Pastry crust will require pre-baking or blind baking (baking the pie crust without filling). If you do bake the crust, let it cool completely before adding the filling.
• Don’t slice bananas beforehand, slice them one by one when you need some to keep them from turning brown. If you’re too worried about brown bananas, try using caramelized or bruleed bananas. Looks gorgeous!

More Tips

• Flavors. To expand beyond vanilla and banana taste, you can use lemon or orange zest, or peanut butter in the filling, chopped (or ground) nuts in the crust, and caramel sauce or crushed vanilla wafers for decoration. For an adults-only party, add some liquor! Vanilla beans give much stronger vanilla flavor but they also are pretty expensive.
• The secret to making the best custard or pudding filling is to keep stirring. The second you stop, lumps will be formed and the eggs start to curdle.
• You can always make a few layers of bananas and pudding to make a really tall, chunky pie. Every portion will be big yet still light.
• Banana cream pie with meringue is probably the only other version of this pie I love. And it is a great way to use all the egg whites we have left from making the custard. Plus, the meringue makes a show-stopping topping baked meringue has this beautiful golden brown color. And the flavor of lightly browned meringue? …Delicious.
• Getting ready to host or join the potluck? Turn this recipe into mini cream pies. Serve in transparent cups.

Popular Questions

Can I Make Banana Cream Pie With Instant Pudding?

Using instant banana cream pudding mixture can save you time prepping the Banana cream pie without sacrificing the taste. It actually adds more banana flavor. You will simply mix it with cold milk and add the filling mixture to the crust.

You can also add a box of instant banana pudding to the custard you’re making from scratch.

But the pudding mixture doesn’t have to be banana flavored, I like vanilla pudding mix (or vanilla custard) to avoid overwhelming banana flavors. Some more amazing pudding ideas for banana cream pie are caramel and butterscotch puddings!

Jell-o puddings are the easiest option.

How Do I Make Banana Cream Pie Vegan?

To make Vegan Banana cream pie you can use rolled oats for a gluten-free crust, almond milk, and coconut whipped cream for the filling and topping. Instead of butter, you can easily use coconut oil.

How Do You Keep Bananas From Turning Brown In A Cream Pie?

I use firm ripe bananas for the cream pie to make sure they don’t turn brown fast. Just ripe, not overly ripe bananas that already have a lot of brown spots and feel soft.

You can also brush the bananas with lemon juice to prevent browning. It doesn’t affect the flavor and will keep bananas fresh for a couple of hours.

Covering the bananas completely with the filling keeps them from browning as well!

At the same time, know that brown bananas are simply aesthetics and their reaction to oxygen. They are still good to eat. If you don’t like the look, don’t store the banana cream pie longer than 4 days.

Why Does My Banana Cream Pie Get Watery And Runny?

Runny pudding or watery banana cream pie happens when you don’t cook the custard or pudding thoroughly, use heat-thawed whipped cream, overly ripe bananas (high in water content), or low-fat milk.

If the custard is undercooked, not all liquid is evaporated. Make sure the filling is thick, lumps-free, and bubbling before you take it off the stove.

If using frozen whipped topping, do not thaw it with heat. It becomes watery and will make your cream pie runny. Let it sit and thaw naturally in the refrigerator.

How To Thicken Banana Cream Pie Filling?

Cornstarch and flour are the easiest ingredients to thicken banana cream pie filling without affecting the flavors. Using full-fat milk and heavy cream helps to make a firmer filling too. 

If you love this banana pie recipe, you’re going to love these other tasty pies too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Banana Recipes

Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Frozen Bananas

Banana Pudding Recipe

Banana Split Cake

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