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 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! 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.
I usually make a recipe my own by changing it up a little. This pie sounds perfect, as is!! I am going to add a layer of chocolate ganache at the bottom and chocolate curls or mini chocolate chips on top bc that’s how I’ve always made a banana dream pie for my family and they’ve come to expect it. This time they will be super happy it’s completely homemade and not from a boxed pudding mix – LOL! This is my son’s 25th birthday request in lieu of cake so I thought I’d go all the way out and make a custard and I’m so happy to find your recipe!! I have heirloom recipes from both of my grandmas and my husbands grandmas, too and they are sacred in my family! I do not share them bc id rather make it for you, as my gift of love! I have friends and family that request them and I make it for their special occasions, too!! I love feeding people; it’s my language of love!! I can’t wait to send you pictures of the end result and am certain it will be amazing bc it’s exactly what I was looking for in a homemade pie recipe!!! I will be adding this to my recipes and sure it will be a family favorite!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
I hope you love it! My love language is feeding people too.
This is the first recipe I’ve used for banana cream pie and the only one I’ll ever need! I made it about 5 times in the last month already.
The only note is don’t make my mistake and triple the recipe off the bat. I got overzealous. The recipe is best if you make one batch at a time.
Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe. We’ve enjoyed it so much.
You are most welcome! It is a well loved recipe!
You may want to try the brown butter apple and fresh roasted pumpkin this fall. They are favorites too!
Finally got around to making this pie a couple of weeks ago and it will definitely be a keeper! The pie is to die for and so easy to make!
I am happy you loved it! It is a family favorite.
Family favorite!
Does the pie crust need to be completely cooled before adding the filling?
Yes! Best results if it is completely cooled. You can even make it a day ahead of time.
Works great with almond milk too!
Great to know!
Pie game changer
Karissa, isn’t it the best! We love it so much in our home as well.
This is my favorite pie. It’s so light, yet so flavorful. Will make again and again.
The first time my wife made this pie I was told I had to share. I did not share. This pie tastes so good I was ready to go scorched earth policy to retain as much of it for myself as I could. Now my wife just makes me my own. I recommend this pie to everyone, but I must say don’t tell me you are making it, because I will endeavor to steal it from you. Nothing personal, it is just that delicious.
I am so happy you get your own pie now. You are worth it! This banana cream dream pie will make any day better!
I absolutely love this pie! I was always so intimidated by making my own custard. Elena’s recipe looked so good that I faced my fears and gave it a shot. The recipe is well written out and easy to follow. My pie turned out wonderful on the first try!