Banana Cream Pie
This Banana Cream Pie features a crust made from ground vanilla wafers!
Enjoy a slice on the back porch this weekend!
Well, here we are. The end of the summer. Wait, end of the summer?? How is that possible? I feel like Old Man Winter was just here…kicking and screaming all the way into April. At least we’ve crammed all kinds of awesome summer activities into our schedule over the past few months! Speaking of awesome, I was challenged to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge recently. (Follow me on Instagram to see the video.) I’m glad I got this challenge in while it’s still kinda warm outside!
Even though summer may be coming to a close soon, there’s still plenty of time left to make some delicious summer desserts. May I introduce you to a delicious Banana Cream Pie? It’s one of my favorite summer desserts ever!
I’m guest posting this Banana Cream Pie over on Cooking with Books today. I met Marnely back at Blog & Bake 2013, and we’ve been buddies ever since! She lives on Martha’s Vineyard (seriously, she does!) where she works with her husband in a local restaurant. Marnely’s site is amazing, but more importantly, she is an awesome person! Stop by Cooking with Books for all sorts of foodie inspiration. (A couple of my favorites are her Cinnamon Sugar Cashews, her Belgian Waffles with Green Tea Whipped Cream and her Southwestern Pasta Salad.)
Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Pie Crust
- ~60 vanilla wafers 1¾ cups
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the Cream Filling
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Pie
- 2 bananas
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor or mini-chopper. Pulse until finely ground. (Note: This should produce 1¾ cups of vanilla wafer crumbs. If needed, process additional vanilla wafers.)
- In a medium bowl, mix together 1½ cups of the vanilla wafer crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter. Cover the remaining ¼ cup of crumbs and set aside to use as a garnish.
- Press mixture into the bottom of a 9” pie pan. (Tip: use a straight-sided glass to help press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.)
- Bake at 375°F for 16-18 minutes. Remove crust from oven and set aside to cool.
For the Cream Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt and eggs. Set mixture aside.
- Place the milk in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until milk begins to boil.
- Remove pan from heat and gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly while you pour.
- Once fully combined, transfer the filling back into the saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. (Note: Stir the mixture constantly at this stage to prevent it from burning.)
- As soon as mixture begins to boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
For the Pie
- To assemble the pie, pour approximately half of the Cream Filling into the cooled pie crust.
- Next, slice the bananas and spread evenly across the pie. Pour remaining Cream Filling on top of the sliced bananas.
- Using an offset spatula, smooth the surface of the pie. Cover and place in the refrigerator until fully chilled (~3-4 hours).
- Finally, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form.
- Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe the whipped cream around the outside of the pie. Garnish pie with the ¼ cup of remaining crumbled vanilla wafers.
- Serve chilled.
Thanks so much for guest posting – I’m totally making this pie once the season winds down here. Can you believe I’ve only ever had ONE slice of banana cream pie in my ENTIRE life?!
I think you are lying about the one slice! Seriously though, it was my pleasure to guest post for you. Now I just need to get out there to Martha’s Vineyard to visit! Hang in there…just a couple of wild weeks left and then you get a much needed vacation! 🙂
What the heck is wrong with you, Nelly?! Eat up, girlyfriend! 🙂
OK, I want to live on Martha’s Vineyard too and eat banana cream pie all day. Can you make it happen?
You know what? I think that plan sounds pretty much perfect, Mike. Let’s make it work. We can crash on Marnely’s couch…I’m sure she wouldn’t mind!!
Deal! What’s the next step?
Nelly is the bee’s knees (whatever the heck that has to do with being awesome, I’m not sure), and I’m uber excited that you’re friends with her, too! I’m heading over to indulge in some banana cream pie goodness!
P.S. Next time you make this, check out the recipe for homemade vanilla wafers on my site. You’ll thank me! 🙂
Oooo..homemade vanilla wafers! Those sound like they need to show up in my kitchen. I’ve always had a weakness for vanilla wafers. And, yes, Marnely is the bee’s knees. Heck, she is the bee’s legs and ankles, too!
Dang that pie is gorgeous! I used to have a co-worker who was a “layered-banana-cream-pudding” dealer and he would ration out his stash like it was gold or something! Your pie reminded me of his pudding…see pie can conjure up thoughts of pudding – but I cannot help wondering (I know you said don’t) how that visit to the Antietam and the summer crab festival conjured up thoughts of this…hmmm…feel free to throw pie in my face for me to stop wondering! 😉
I think you are just trying to get some of this delicious banana cream pie, Shashi! I know your tricks. (Although, they are pretty good tricks…I gotta admit!)
Love banana cream pies- we eat Banoffee Pie here in the UK which is really similar to this but with caramel! Looks lush! 🙂
I’ve heard of Banoffee Pie, but I haven’t had the chance to grab a slice yet. It sounds absolutely delicious, though! Thanks, Jess!
David, this is so beautiful!
Banana cream pie and banana pudding are probably my two biggest sugar obsessions. Actually, banana anything. I just really love bananas.
Me, too, Graham! Speaking of bananas, you live in the bananas foster capital of the world…have I mentioned how jealous I am of that??
Yum, this pie looks delicious! I was just talking to daughter and realized that she has never had banana pudding or banana pie. I need to make this ASAP!
Woah! That situation with your daughter and the lack of banana pudding/pie needs to be fixed. Like this weekend! Have a great holiday weekend, Cindy! 🙂
I love Banana Cream Pie, I’m going to make this pie, beautiful pictures, Pinned!
Thank you so much, Cathy! I hope you enjoy this Banana Cream Pie…and I hope you are having a great weekend!!
Goodness, look at this beauty! I love a cream pie, but banana? Yes please! Please serve me up one big big big piece!
Absolutely, Pamela! It’s a long weekend…and that calls for an extra big slice of this cream pie!! 🙂
Nilla wafer crust! So good I can hardly stand it!!! Great idea! I’m gunna hop on over and see what Marley’s blog is all about and how quickly I can make this pie a reality!
Thanks, Lindsey!! Hope your long weekend is going well!
Boo end of summer. Yay this pie. Looks amazing dude! #wolfpackeats
Boo end of the summer is right, Chris. Hey, that means you have to go back to teaching. And waking up early. Boooo! Bet this pie would help you wake up early, though. 🙂
Definitely going to check out this recipe – what a fun guest post! This pie looks amazing! I can’t believe summer is over – it really flew by this year!
I know, Cate…where in the heck did the summer go this year?? I can’t believe we’re already into September!
I’ve never had a banana cream pie and I need to come out from under this rock I live in. Heading over now to check out the recipe! It looks amazing!
Oh, you definitely need to make a banana cream pie, Zainab! They are so incredibly delicious. We’ve still got a couple of weeks of warm(ish) weather left…I think you need one of these pies in your life before the cold weather arrives!