Banana Cream Pie Recipe
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This banana cream pie recipe has been passed down from my husband’s grandmother Rhea, and there’s a reason why it’s so beloved in my family! The silky homemade vanilla custard is made with a secret step to make it light, custardy, and irresistible. It takes just 30 minutes of hands-on prep and can even be made a day in advance. With one taste, you’ll be dreaming of this pie until you make it again!
If you love easy, creamy desserts, try my banana bars with cream cheese frosting or Italian ricotta cheesecake next!
Quick Look: Banana Cream Pie
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour (not including chilling time)
- Servings: 8 people
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian; can be made Gluten Free & Dairy Free
- Method: Stovetop (for cooking custard) & Oven (to pre-cook pastry)
- Technique: Cook the custard mixture in a saucepan, then beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture. Spread in a baked crust over sliced bananas, then chill until set. Garnish and serve.
- Flavor & Texture: This banana cream pie has a light, fluffy custard mixture paired with creamy bananas, flaky pastry, and a dreamy whipped cream garnish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This banana cream pie will leave you dreaming for days of its goodness! It is silky, smooth, and light while remaining dense and custardy.
There is a secret step with the eggs that sets it apart from any other. The egg whites are whipped until stiff, then folded into the hot milk and egg custard. This step makes the filling fluffy, soft, and light like nothing you’ve ever tasted!
This pie is surprisingly easy to prepare and is worth every minute. It’s a tried and true family recipe, like this Poppy Seed Cake with Glaze, and is passed down from my husband Jordan’s grandmother, Rhea. Trust me, this pie is dreamy and is a big hit with our family every time I make it.
If you love bananas, you will also enjoy this chocolate chip banana bread and biscoff banana pudding! If you love easy and tasty desserts, you’ll also want to try my blueberry pie with flaky crust and best Italian cheesecake.
Made With Amore,
“Delicious pie! The recipe was clear and simple to follow, the outcome was so rewarding and the pie was a hit!”
– Alyssa
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
- Pastry: Prepare one recipe of either Crisco pie crust or flaky all butter pie crust. Blind bake a bottom crust only in a 9-inch pie plate, as this filling is pre-cooked and doesn’t need to go in the oven.
- Eggs: You’ll need both egg yolks and egg whites for this dreamy pie filling. Separate the eggs while they’re cold, then let the egg whites come to room temperature before beating into the meringue.
- Bananas: Choose not-too-ripe bananas, as they’ll slice beautifully and hold their shape better. You’ll need to put a layer of sliced bananas in the pie crust under the custard, and you can use extra slices as a garnish.
- Heavy Whipped Cream: This makes the perfect creamy topping for the pie. Feel free to use unsweetened or sweetened whipped cream as desired.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Try a Graham Cracker Crust: Swap the traditional pastry crust for a vanilla wafer or graham cracker crust. It pairs beautifully with the creamy custard and ripe bananas.
- Add Chocolate: Sprinkle finely shaved dark chocolate between the banana slices and custard, or garnish the finished pie with chocolate curls for an elegant finish. Or, drizzle with homemade chocolate syrup! (If you love chocolate, don’t miss these chocolate covered bananas.)
- Dairy-Free Option: Use your favorite unsweetened plant-based milk, dairy-free butter, and coconut whipped cream. Keep in mind the custard may be a little softer than the original version!
- Crunchy Topping: Garnish with toasted sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or toasted coconut flakes for a little crunch in every bite.
How to Make Banana Cream Pie
This is a next-level silky, soft, and delicious custard pie! Once you try this recipe, it will be hard to go back to any other.
- Whisk the 3 tablespoons sugar along with the flour and salt in a small bowl.
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Add the sugar-flour mixture and whisk until thick, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks and keep whisking for another few minutes. Add the butter and vanilla and mix until incorporated, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Beat the egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until the mixture is holding stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into the hot custard mixture.
- Place sliced bananas on the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Spread the custard on top to cover the bananas completely.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set the custard.
- Before serving, top with freshly whipped cream and garnish with extra sliced bananas if desired.
- Slice this banana cream pie and serve! (Drizzle with strawberry coulis or homemade Nutella for a fun variation!)
Banana Cream Pie FAQs
The easiest way to do is to keep the banana slices completely covered by the custard in the pie. Any bananas on the top of the pie will turn brown with time, but you can slow it down by lightly brushing the banana slices with fresh lemon juice. If you’re making the pie ahead, wait until you’re ready to serve before garnishing with banana slices.
The most common reason that the pie didn’t set is that the custard wasn’t cooked long enough. It should become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon before removing it from the heat. The pie also needs several hours in the refrigerator to chill completely so the filling can firm up.
Store the pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. It’s at its very best during the first 24 hours when the crust is crisp, the bananas are fresh, and the custard is perfectly creamy.
I don’t recommend freezing a banana cream pie. The custard can become watery as it thaws, and the bananas may get mushy. For the best flavor and consistency, enjoy the pie fresh or refrigerate it for up to 2-3 days.
Serving Suggestions
For an extra-special presentation, garnish each slice with a dollop of freshly whipped cream, a few banana slices, and a sprinkle of shaved dark chocolate. Pair this pie with a dollop of homemade blueberry sauce for a fun twist, or enjoy along with a cozy cup of Italian hot chocolate if you make this during a cooler time of year.
This banana cream pie is a beautiful ending to just about any meal! I love serving it after comforting Italian favorites like my classic lasagna bolognese, Italian braciole (stuffed beef), or creamy risotto alla milanese.
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Use ripe, but not overripe, bananas. Look for bananas that are bright yellow and with few or no brown speckles; they’ll hold their shape well when sliced.
- Whisk the custard constantly to prevent lumps and ensure a silky-smooth custard.
- Let the pie chill completely. Give the pie at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight) in the refrigerator before slicing to allow the custard to fully set.
- Slice with a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for perfectly neat slices. If the pie sets up firmly, you can even run the knife under hot tap water and dry it before each cut.
More Pie Recipes You’ll Love
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Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Custard
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 egg yolks, beaten, save egg whites in a clean bowl
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 ripe bananas, sliced
For the Pie & Garnishes
- 1 9-inch pie crust, blind baked
- 1 pint heavy whipped cream, whipped and sweetened as desired; for topping
Instructions
- Whisk the 3 tablespoons sugar along with the flour and salt in a small bowl.
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Add the sugar-flour mixture and whisk until thick, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks and keep whisking for another few minutes. Add the butter and vanilla and mix until incorporated, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Beat the egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until the mixture is holding stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into the hot custard mixture.
- Place sliced bananas on the bottom of the pre-baked pie crust. Spread the custard on top to cover the bananas completely.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set the custard, or keep in the fridge for up to 2 days (crust won’t be as fresh after two days).
- Before serving, add mounds of freshly whipped cream to the pie, garnish with extra sliced bananas if desired, and serve!
Notes
- Use ripe, but not overripe, bananas. Look for bananas that are bright yellow and with few or no brown speckles; they’ll hold their shape well when sliced.
- Whisk the custard constantly to prevent lumps and ensure a silky-smooth custard.
- Let the pie chill completely. Give the pie at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight) in the refrigerator before slicing to allow the custard to fully set.
- Slice with a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for perfectly neat slices. If the pie sets up firmly, you can even run the knife under hot tap water and dry it before each cut.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If I need to make the filling gluten free, what alternative would you suggest?
Hi You can thicken with gluten free flour, or cornstarch!
what is the sugar method for pie crust, can’t find it.
You can find it in the pie crust recipe. You can blind bake the pie crust any way you like!
Enjoy!
Can oat milk be substituted for whole milk?
Hi! I have not tested it this way, so I am not sure!
I decided to make banana cream pie for our Easter dessert because my parents were visiting. I remember learning as a child that my dadโs favorite pie was banana cream pie. But my mom never made it. I donโt think she ever mastered it; it wasnโt that she didnโt want to make it for him. Anyway, you shared your recipe, and I thought it was perfect. Iโve never made a homemade custard before but it worked perfectly. I have a couple kiddos who are picky with fruit desserts, and everyone raved about it. We ate the leftovers tonight, and my youngest was quick to tell me again that he wasnโt sure he would like it, but that itโs one of his favorite desserts. I made homemade whipping cream, of course, and I did less powdered sugar than normal, but everybody was raving that they liked that it wasnโt super sweet. Thank you!!
I LOVE this story. I am happy you and all the kids loved it. Yes, it is just the right amount of sweetness!
I made this pie for my husbandโs birthday. Banana cream pie is his favorite dessert and this did not disappoint!! He really loved it!! His father was also so impressed he kept saying how delicious it was. It will definitely be a birthday tradition going forward in our house! Thank you Elena
Yay! So happy it was a hit for everyone.
Delicious pie! The recipe was clear and simple to follow, the outcome was so rewarding and the pie was a hit!
Yay! Happy you loved it.
Can this pie be made with a store-bought gram cracker crust pie crust?
The email I sent you is my email address that I use.
Hi Sandy. Yes, you can make it with a store bought crust. Hope you love it.