Banana cream pie is one of those delicious, comforting desserts that are great for any occasion! Not only that, but it’s as easy to make as it is delicious. Here’s the recipe.
Banana Cream Pie Recipe
Adapted from Taste of Home
Ingredients:
- 1 prepared pastry shell (for a 9-inch pie dish)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large firm bananas
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the prepared pastry shell in a 9-inch pie dish and bake until a light golden brown. This should take 10-15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool on the counter.
Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and milk to a large saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Heat over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble and get thick. Stir the mixture constantly during the cooking process. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 2 minutes longer, stirring vigorously the whole time.
Crack the eggs into a small dish and scramble lightly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add about ¼ cup of the milk mixture to the eggs. Beat with a fork until well combined. Transfer the egg mixture back to the pan, stirring vigorously. Return the saucepan to the burner and set the heat on medium-low to bring the mixture to a gentle boil. After the mixture starts boiling, cook while continuing to stir it for another 2 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and cover the saucepan with its lid. Refrigerate the saucepan so that the custard becomes cool, which should take about 30 minutes.
Once the custard has cooled, remove the saucepan from the refrigerator. Add half of the custard to the cooked pastry shell while making sure that you spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
Slice the bananas into even pieces and place them in a single layer over the custard. Spread the rest of the custard over the bananas and then add the whipped cream on top of that. Refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours before serving, but overnight is best. Serve the pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Variations:
Chocolate Banana Cream Pie. Prepare the banana pie recipe as listed above. When making the custard, add 3.5 ounces of chopped baking chocolate to the milk mixture while it is heating on the stove. After the pie is assembled, sprinkle the whipped cream with chocolate sprinkles, cocoa powder, or semisweet chocolate chips. Serve each slice with a scoop of chocolate ice cream, if desired.
Berry Cream Pie. Prepare the pie recipe as listed above. Omit the banana and use whole blueberries, whole raspberries, or sliced strawberries instead. Serve each slice of pie with additional berries and a scoop of ice cream, if desired.