Banana Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie Recipe: Piled high with fresh ripe bananas and creamy vanilla filling, then topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
Why We Love Banana Cream Pie
Let’s talk about glorious Banana Cream Pie… When I think of Easter brunch or any holiday brunch, I think of a table decorated with spring flowers and Easter eggs, lined with hearty salads, rolls, glazed ham, and desserts galore.
Dishes that aren’t necessarily fancy, but are inviting and abundant. Dishes your grandmas might make.
Most classic brunch buffet items are make-ahead. Grandma knew she’d be too busy Easter morning, going to church in her Easter bonnet and hiding eggs in the tall grass, to do a lot of cooking. So she planned several days in advance with pasta salads and casseroles.
And she made desserts that could sit in the fridge for a few days and were all the better for it.
Like a Banana Cream Pie Recipe, for instance.
Banana Cream Pie might be the easiest of all the cream pie varieties and it’s so amazing.
Crumbly graham cracker crust loaded with fresh banana chunks, creamy filling, a mountain of whipped cream, and more bananas. And toasted coconut on top, just because.
Give me all the potassium and banana flavor!
Banana Cream Pie… The Fluffiest Ever!
Today’s banana cream pie recipe is super fluffy. The light-as-a-cloud filling is a blend of cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla pudding, then folded with fresh whipped cream.
The fluffy texture holds the pie components together, slices exceptionally well, and provides a nice contrast to the dense banana chunks and crust.
Plus it’s sweetened with rich silky-sweetened condensed milk, so you know it’s got to be good!
Ingredients You Need
Banana Cream Pie with vanilla custard uses simple ingredients and is simple to make, too! Here’s what you need:
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Graham Crackers – crushed graham cracker crumbs
- Melted Butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Water
For the Banana Cream Pie Filling:
- Heavy Cream – (whipped firm)
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix – (Vanilla-Bean flavor will work as well)
- Cold Milk
- Cream Cheese
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Ripe Fresh Bananas
- Toasted Coconut
How To Make Banana Cream Pie
I made the graham cracker crust from scratch. Although you could always buy a pre-made crust, homemade graham crackers crusts are thicker and slightly more crumbly, giving the banana cream pie recipe even more nostalgic appeal.
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the graham crackers in the food processor. Pulse until the crackers are chopped into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and pulse to combine. Pour in 1 teaspoon of water and pulse a couple more times. If the crumbs are moist and pinch together well, dump them into a pie pan. If not, repeat with another teaspoon of water and proceed.
- Press the graham cracker mixture firmly against the bottom and sides of the deep pie dish. Then bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
For the Filling
- Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream with sugar and teaspoons of vanilla extract. Scoop into a separate bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, thoroughly whisk the instant pudding powder and milk together, until well combined.
- Using the mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Then with the mixer still running, add the sweetened condensed milk and pudding mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat until smooth. Using a spatula, fold in half the whipped cream.
- Spread a thin layer of the filling over the bottom and sides of the cooled pie crust. Cut 3-4 bananas into chunks. Press the chunks to the bottom and sides of the pie crust. Then scoop the remaining filling into the crust.
- Smooth the filling, top with the remaining whipped cream, cover gently with plastic wrap and chill for at least three hours.
When you are ready to serve the pie, garnish the top with more fresh-cut banana chunks and toasted coconut. You can use vanilla wafers to top off the pie as well, or shaved chocolate for an unexpected touch!
This easy banana cream pie recipe is my favorite dessert for Easter brunch or any other holiday event.
You’ve got to try it!
See The (Printable) Recipe Card Below For How To Make Banana Cream Pie. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
My Pie Filling is Runny, What Can I Do?
Some readers have mentioned struggling with runny filling. This could happen for one of three reasons.
- Each step needs to be completed individually, then mixed together according to the instructions. Trying to dump and mix all the ingredients at once does not work.
- Make sure to use instant pudding, not the kind you have to cook.
- The whipped cream must be whipped very firm, before folding into the pie filling.
- Give it plenty of time to chill and set.
Can I Use 1% or 2% Milk?
It should be fine, but possibly a little bit looser. I might reduce the milk by 2-3 tablespoons to make sure the mixture is thick enough.
Can I Make Banana Cream Pie Ahead of Time?
You can definitely make the pie in its entirety ahead of time. Just make sure the whipped cream is firm. And don’t forget to top it all off with freshly sliced bananas once you’re ready to serve it. Prepping it with the bananas will cause them to become mushy before serving. Happy baking!
How Long Will This Pie Last in the Fridge?
When you are ready to store it, loosely cover it with aluminum foil and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
I probably wouldn’t freeze it, but you can make it 3-4 days in advance.
What Size Pie Plate Should I Use?
I used a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, to make room for plenty of filling.
What Is The Difference When You Fold Vs Stir?
When you fold, you are combining two ingredients of different densities. Folding is a more gentle version of stirring, that allows the two ingredients to combine without losing the air that was whipped into the lighter. Stirring is usually fast the furious while folding is a gentle motion mixing from the bottom of the bowl up over the top.
What is the Difference Between Custard Pies and Cream Pies?
Making a cream pie requires much less time than an egg yolk-based custard pie, because cooking the filling on the stovetop with a saucepan is quicker than waiting for the base to set.
Can I Substitute the Graham Cracker Crust for Pastry?
I think that a graham cracker crust works best for cream pies, but you can certainly use a traditional pie crust or puff pastry and pie weights to bake their crust before adding in the filling. (You can also use dried beans as pie weights.)
Looking for More Cream Pie Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Fluffy Pumpkin Cream Pie
- Lemon Cream Pie (Made with Fresh Lemon Juice)
- Fluffy No-Bake Strawberry Cream Pie
- Grapefruit Cream Pie
- Cinnamon Cream Pie with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, protein, fiber, sodium, and carbohydrates percentages.
Banana Cream Pie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 14 graham crackers about 7 ounces
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1-2 teaspoons water
For the Pie Filling:
- 2 cups heavy cream whipped firm and divided
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding (3.4 ounces)
- 1 cup cold milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 4-5 ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the graham crackers in the food processor. Pulse until the crackers are chopped to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon, pulse to combine. Add 1 teaspoon of water and pulse a couple more times. If the crumbs are moist and pinch together well, dump into a pie pan. If not, repeat with another teaspoon of water and proceed.
- Press the graham cracker mixture firmly against the bottom and sides of the deep pie pan. Then bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
For the Filling:
- Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream with the 3 tablespoons of sugar and vanilla. Whip until the whipped cream is VERY firm. Scoop into a separate bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, thoroughly whisk the instant pudding powder and 1 cup milk together, until well combined.
- Using the mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Then with the mixer still running, add the sweetened condensed milk and pudding mixture. Scrape the bowl and beat until smooth. Using a spatula, fold in half the whipped cream.
- Spread a thin layer of the filling over the bottom and sides of the cooled pie crust. Cut 3-4 bananas into chunks. Press the chunks to the bottom and sides of the pie crust. Then scoop the remaining filling into the crust.
- Smooth the filling, top with the remaining whipped cream, cover gently with plastic wrap, and chill for at least three hours.
- When you are ready to serve the pie, decorate the top with more fresh cut banana chunks and toasted coconut.
I have been making this recipe for eight or nine years now. No other banana cream pie comes even close. Like really, I don’t even really like pie all that much, but this one right here, is insanely good.
I made this recipe yesterday for my husband’s birthday. Was so delicious, but have to ask about the graham cracker crust. Very tasty, but stuck to the pie plate in a really big way! Should the plate have been greased? With all that butter, I would have thought it wouldn’t be necessary. Otherwise, a super recipe and one I’ll use again!
I’ve made this before. I was wondering can you make this in rectangle pan size? I will like to make a bigger size for my family on this Sunday Easter.
The pie got rave reviews from everyone at dinner! Generally easy to follow directions, though I would have appreciated hints on how to get my graham cracker crust to stay up the sides of the pan and looking as good as yours.
Overall a winner!
Chilling the bowl you whip the cream helps immensely with the thickness of the filling . When whipping cream you should always do it in a chilled bowl .
This was excellent! I followed instructions exactly and had no issues. I used 7 medium bananas because I wanted the pie loaded. Because it was heaping in a deep dish I was able to cut 12 generous slices. This is definitely a keeper! One suggestion for those having issues with the pudding is let it set/thicken after mixing with the milk for a minute or 2 before adding to the rest of the mixture.
Way better than store-bought. worth the effort!
Just wanted to say that this recipe is fantastic!
That being said, I have never made the crust! LoL
This recipe I have been using to make banana cream pie for years now (sorry I’m only now getting around to reviewing it), and it’s one of those recipes people rave about and beg me to make time after time!
I make it easier on myself by using 2 store bought pie crusts and following the recipe exactly up until the very end, I only have whipped cream enough to top one pie. If you were to alter it in this way as well, you’d need to whip one more cup cream with 1.5 T sugar and a little vanilla to top the second pie