Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Banana Cream Pie Recipe.. one of the best, most delicious, cream pies you'll ever taste.


Choose a yummy, Banana Cream Pie Recipe with a Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust or a Homemade Flaky Pie Crust.  


Choose a topping of rich, Homemade Whipped Cream or a Golden Brown Meringue.


Garnish with ripe banana slices and or, easy-to-make Chocolate Curls.

Banana Cream Pie Recipe

• 3 large eggs
  
  
• 3/4 cup sifted, all-purpose flour
  
  
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  
  
• 3 tablespoons butter
  
  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
  
• 3-4 large ripe bananas
  
  
• 1 prepared 9" Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust
  
  
• 1 recipe Homemade Whipped Cream or 8 oz. frozen whipped cream, thawed
  
  
• Banana Slices and Chocolate Curls (see below) for garnish
  
  

In a medium size sauce pan, place the eggs, sifted flour, sugar and salt.

Slowly stir in 1/2 cup milk and continue to stir until mixture is smooth without flour lumps.

Stir in remaining milk.


Drop in butter.

Place saucepan over low heat and continue stirring until pie filling has thickened.


So it doesn't stick or scorch.

Takes about 18-20 minutes, depending on the bottom size of your saucepan.

Pans with larger diameters will thicken mixture faster because more filling is closer to the heating element.


I like to use a 3 quart size saucepan.

When the filling begins to boil you will see few bubbles start rising.


This is an indication the mixture is almost done.


It will take another 2 or 3 minutes to get thick enough.


Your filling should be thicker than pudding.


It should be about the consistency of creamy, mashed potatoes.


When thick enough, remove from heat, cover with lid or aluminum foil and let set until thoroughly cooled.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/2 cups fine crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs
  
  
• 1 stick butter, soften at room temperature
  
  
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  
  

Mix all ingredients together with a fork or your fingers until well mixed and crumbly.

Press the crumbs evenly, in the bottom and on the sides of a non-greased, 9" pie pan with your fingers or the back of a spoon.

I prefer to use my fingers. However, I lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the crumbs before pressing so I don't get crumbs on my fingers.


Bake in a preheat 375 F. oven 8-9 minutes until crust is lightly browned.

Remove from oven and cool completely before filling.

Set Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust in refrigerator to chill while making pie filling, Easy Chocolate Curls and Homemade Whipped Cream.

Easy Chocolate Curls

• 1 (4 oz.) bar semi-sweet chocolate
  
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
  
• Potato peeler for curling
  Break sections of chocolate bar in half.

Place them in the top of a double boiler on low heat, stirring until almost completely melted.

Take off heat and continue to stir until all chocolate has melted.

The goal here is to get the chocolate to the melted point at the lowest temperature possible.


High heat will render the chocolate too soft to curl.


When completely melted and while still warm, pour the chocolate into a wax paper lined container.

A pliable, plastic container is ideal because of flexibility.

It is similar in size to the non-melted original bar, to mold.


Let cool until firm enough to handle and make curls. Test it!


To make the curls, remove chocolate from the mold and remove the waxed paper.


Hold the molded bar of chocolate in one hand and slice down the side of the chocolate bar using the potato peeler.


This will peel off curls like ones in the image above.


If the curls crumble instead of curling, your chocolate has gotten to cold and hard.


Fix it by letting it set at room temperature to soften a little more.


If the chocolate starts melting in your hand it is too warm, fix it by putting it back into the refrigerator to harden a little more.


This technique takes a little patience to get it right the first time you make it.

Keep testing and working with it until you develop the skill.

It is fun and well worth it.


One chocolate bar makes a lot of chocolate curls.

Store unused curls in a tight container in the freezer.


Leftover curls are great on pies, cakes and ice cream.


Add them to a cup of hot chocolate or hot coffee for a delicious, mocha beverage.

Homemade
Whipped Cream Topping

Prepare Homemade Whipped Cream and place in refrigerator to keep cold until assembling the Banana Cream Pie.

If choosing to use commercial frozen whipped cream, thaw the frozen whipped cream in refrigerator while making the banana pie.

Assemble Banana Cream Pie

To assemble your cream pie, gather your chilled pie crust, pie filling and bananas on countertop.

Slice bananas.

A quick and easy way to slice them is to lay the whole peeled banana on a cutting board.

I actually use a platter for this.

It is easier to clean than a cutting board, especially a wooden board.

Split the whole banana in half, lengthwise and lay the flat sides down on the board.

Then those slices crosswise about 1/8" to 1/4" inch thick.

This gives enough pockets for the creamy filling to flow through them as you pour it in. 

Place half of the sliced bananas in bottom and up around the sides of your crust.

This gives your pie a little stronger structure for when you slice and serve it.

Tip: Working quickly, slicing one banana at a time and placing it onto your pie crust will help keep them from turning dark.

Pour or spoon half of the pie filling on top of the sliced bananas.

Move the sliced bananas around a little with a fork or spoon to allow the filling to settle in the pockets.

Try not to move the bananas pieces at the very bottom of crust because they will help prevent your crust from becoming too soft or soggy.

Make another layer with the rest of the bananas,saving some for garnish, if desired and top with the remaining pie filling.

Chill pie in refrigerator, uncovered for an hour or so to firm up a little before adding whipped cream topping.

It will form a type of crust as it chills. But that is OK because it will help the pie when slicing.

It will be covered with whipped cream.

Meanwhile, if choosing to use commercial frozen whipped cream, remove it from the freezer to thaw.

When ready, top Banana Cream Pie with Homemade Whipped Cream and place it back in the refrigerator until time to serve.

Banana Cream Pie
With Meringue

• 1 baked 9" Flaky Pie Crust
  
  
• 3 egg yolks
  
  
• 1/3 cup white sugar
  
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 2 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
  
  
• 2 cups milk
  
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  
• 2 ripe bananas
  
  
  

Place egg yolks in top of double boiler. Beat slightly with a fork.

Add sugar, salt and cornstarch. Beat gradually together.

Stir in milk and add butter.

Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Slice bananas thinly and arrange on bottom of cooked pie shell.

Pour filling over bananas.

Cover with Meringue and bake per instruction below.

Tip: DO NOT freeze pie.

A Banana Cream pie will not do very well, frozen and thawed.

It will become watery and too soft.

Golden Brown Meringue

• 3 egg whites, room temperature
  
  

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
  
  
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  
  

Place egg whites in mixing bowl. Stir in cream of tarter.

Beat on low speed until frothy. About 1 minute.

Beat in the sugar, adding a little at a time until all is added.

Turn to high speed and beat until stiff peaks form.

Cover pie with meringue, sealing the edges of the pie crust.

It you prefer, pile meringue high in the center for a mile-high look, making swirls and peaks with the back of a spoon or spatula.

Bake in a preheated oven 400 F. for 8-10 minutes until delicately, golden brown.

Cool Banana Cream Pie With Meringue away from a draft to prevent shrinkage.

Related Pages

Coconut Cream Pie


Delicious, creamy pie cooked on stove-top or in a microwave, then poured into a crumb or Flaky Pie Crust.

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding


Best old fashioned recipe made from scratch with evaporated milk and sour cream like Grandma used to make.

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