Banana Pudding Pie
This Banana Pudding Pie features a creamy banana pudding base topped with a light and airy meringue. It’s a combination of two favorites in one!
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Most cities (or at least regions) have their own unique recipes that have become synonymous with the city itself. Upstate New York has Garbage Plates and Chicken Riggies. New York City is known for its pizza and bagels. Chicago is known for its hot dogs and deep-dish pizzas. Kansas City has its own take on barbecue. The list goes on and on…
Today we’re talking about a new addition to the list: Banana Pudding Pie. This one might not be quite as established as the other foods mentioned above, but I suspect it will get there. This Banana Pudding Pie recipe is a unique creation found at Buxton Hall in Asheville, NC.
Buxton Hall was a BBQ restaurant located in the South Slope area of Asheville. (They recently closed their doors permanently.) While their BBQ was tasty (order the hushpuppies!), one of their desserts takes center stage. Some folks actually ordered their Banana Pudding Pie as a side dish! Don’t just take my word for it, though – look at some of the reviews about this pie:
“I know this pie has star status but even that doesn’t give this pie the credit it deserves. It’s what my dreams’ dreams are made of.”
“Hands down the best Banana Pudding pie around! We go here annually for my husbands birthday just for the pie.”
“This was the best dessert I have ever had.”
Banana Pudding Pie
Ok, so now that we’ve established that this dessert has rock star status…what exactly is it!? A Banana Pudding Pie is a cross between a Banana Cream Pie and a Lemon Meringue Pie. Think creamy banana filling topped with a light and fluffy meringue. It’s a mash-up of two favorite desserts…and it’s definitely worth making!
This recipe is not Buxton’s Hall’s recipe. Their version is incredible. However, I am partial to my own banana pudding pie and meringue, so I went with those instead. This version is certainly inspired by Buxton Hall – we’ll call it a close cousin. This pie is quite tasty, and I promise it’ll have everyone in the neighborhood talking!
Ingredients in Banana Pudding Pie
This Banana Pudding Pie isn’t terribly difficult to make, but it does take some time. It’s worth it – trust me!
- Vanilla Wafer Crust
- Vanilla Wafers – feel free to use graham crackers if you prefer. I just think vanilla wafers and banana pudding go together like Shaggy and Scooby.
- Brown Sugar – adds a sweetness that’s a little deeper than granulated sugar
- Melted Butter – binds everything together
- Banana Pudding Filling
- Sugar, Flour, Cornstarch, Salt – this combination of dry ingredients brings flavor, but also helps soak up extra liquid – the result is a creamy, delicious filling.
- Eggs – act as a thickener and an emulsifier to create better texture
- Whole Milk and Butter – Adds fat which in turn adds texture. Puddings without enough fat won’t have that indulgent, creamy texture that makes pudding great.
- Vanilla – Adds flavor
- Bananas – Turns a delicious vanilla pudding into a delicious banana pudding!
- Meringue
- White Sugar and Brown Sugar – a combination of sugars brings flavor to the meringue
- Egg Whites – when whipped, the egg whites provide volume and structure
- Cream of Tartar – gives more stability to your fluffy meringue.
Ok, so that’s a lot of ingredients. Most of them are fairly basic pantry staples, though. And be warned – that banana pudding will need to rest in the fridge overnight. The banana flavor actually comes from the sliced bananas just sitting in the vanilla pudding. If you try to rush this recipe, the banana flavor won’t be as strong.
If you’re looking for a tasty dessert that’s sure to have friends and family talking, then this pie is it. I hope you enjoy this pie as much as we did here in our house – happy baking!
Did you make this Banana Pudding Pie at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Banana Pudding Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2¼ cups vanilla wafer crumbs ~60 vanilla wafers
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Filling
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 Tbsp 3 oz unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas peeled and sliced ¼” thick
For the Meringue
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9” pie dish with nonstick cooking spray; set dish aside.
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add vanilla wafer crumbs, brown sugar and butter; stir until well combined.
- Press mixture firmly into bottom and sides of the prepared pan. (Tip: A flat bottomed glass is helpful for this step.)
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and let cool to room temperature.
For the Filling
- Meanwhile, using a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt and eggs; set mixture aside.
- Using a medium saucepan, and the milk and place over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, 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.
- Pour half of the filling on top of the baked pie crust. (Tip: The crust doesn’t need to be completely cool.)
- Spread the sliced bananas evenly on top of the filling and then pour the remaining filling on top of the bananas.
- Press parchment paper or plastic wrap directly to the surface of the filling; refrigerate overnight.
For the Meringue
- Using the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Place bowl over a saucepan filled with 1” of simmering water. (Note: Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.)
- Whisk gently but often until mixture reaches 160°-165°F, approximately 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.
- Remove the pie from the refrigerator and discard parchment paper or plastic wrap. Spread meringue over filling, making sure that the meringue is touching the crust all the way around the pie. Use a spoon or an offset spatula to gently create swirls on the surface of the pie.
- Preheat oven broiler to high heat. Broil for 1-2 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown. (Tip: You might need to rotate pie every ~30 seconds to ensure the meringue browns easily. Alternatively, you can use a torch instead of the broiler. Just sweep the torch back and forth ~2” from the top of the pie until meringue is well browned.)
- Slice pie into wedges using a wet knife; clean knife in between slices.
- Serve immediately. (Note: Topped pie can be refrigerated up to 4 hours before the meringue begins to weep.)
Looking for more iconic Southern desserts? Check out some of these favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me i never had banana pudding pie before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
This is a really fun dessert recipe, Ramya – I hope you enjoy it!
I’m pretty sure what you guys call wafers are not what we call wafers so i guess you could use whatever biscuit seems suitable … This looks soooo good david! I am not a fan of bananas due to the texture but i think i could go with this beauty! I don’t mind the taste of ’em so much. Have a fab weekend.
cheers
sherry
Haha – the translation bug bites again! Vanilla wafers are basically vanilla cookies…or vanilla biscuits as you call them I think. This is a really fun dessert in that it’s a mashup of 2 favorites. Thanks, Sherry!! Have a great weekend yourself. 🙂
Ya know, I’m not quite sure if I’ve ever had banana pudding pie. I’ve certainly had banana pudding, but not pie! Well, that has got to change!! This pie looks so delicious, David! Creamy, tasty and such a treat. We always love to have a little dessert planned to enjoy over the weekend, so this homemade pie is great timing! Have a good one, my friend!
This Banana Pudding Pie is a unique one, Dawn – but it’s also delicious! It’s great for hot summer days. 🙂
Banana cream pie is one of my favorites, and I’m also a fan or merengue, so I have a feeling I’d love this mashup.
I have a feeling you would indeed love this mashup, Jeff. Make it happen!
When traveling, we love trying specialities from different places – it’s kind of fun even though many of them can be quite similar:) This banana pudding pie is something new to me, and it looks absolutely delicious and appealing!
It is fun to see similarities in foods and how they change (or don’t change) from place to place. Definitely put this pie on the menu soon, Ben – it’s fantastic!
This is a genius mashup of a couple of my favorite pies! Definitely a must try recipe!
This is a great summer dessert recipe! Thanks, Marissa!
I know your banana pudding pie is delicious David, it is what I grew up eating in Texas. It is also the way coconut cream and chocolate cream pie were served…all topped with meringue. 😊
Interesting! I had never come across banana cream pie with meringue until recently…but now I’m hooked. This is one of my favorite desserts now! Thanks, Karen!
I love how you’ve combined the creamy banana pudding with a light meringue topping, it’s like the best of both worlds in one dessert.
You can say that again, Raymund – this dessert really is the best of two worlds combined in one! It’s great for hot summer days!
I’m drooling over here! I love banana desserts. Definitely going to be using my next house guests as an excuse to make this pie!
You better invite some houseguests over ASAP then! 🙂 This pie is absolutely delicious, Nicole!