Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Creamy and smooth from-scratch custard joins bananas, whipped cream, and a buttery flaky baked pie crust to make one epic banana cream pie. This classic dessert is 100% homemade, like my cherry pie, and the perfect make-ahead option because the layered beauty needs to set before garnishing and serving.

This is a completely from-scratch banana cream pie recipe. You won’t find any box pudding mixes or artificial flavors hiding inside. I originally published the recipe in 2016, and have fine-tuned the process over the years. Get ready for a blissful banana experience where you can truly taste the homemade difference. And it will graciously satisfy your heart, soul… and your tastebuds.

The combination of kitchen magic. Seriously, though, banana cream pie combines homemade pie pastry crust, fresh bananas, vanilla custard, and fluffy whipped cream.

Let me walk you through each layer, so you’re fully prepared when it’s your turn to make it.

It’s helpful to review my how to blind bake pie crust tutorial before getting started. Blind baking a pie crust shell = baking it without a filling. Why do we do that? Well, if you have a no-bake pie filling like coconut cream pie or today’s banana cream pie, you need a baked pie crust.

Start with homemade pie dough. I always use this pie crust recipe, or I have an excellent all butter pie crust option. To bake pie crust without a filling, you need to weight it down to help prevent it from shrinking. I’m pretty loyal to these ceramic pie weights; they’re inexpensive and get the job done. You can also use dry beans. (Note: You’ll need 2 packs of the pie weights!)

Homemade Banana Cream Pie

Creamy and smooth from-scratch custard joins bananas, whipped cream, and a buttery flaky baked pie crust to make one epic banana cream pie. There are plenty of ways to make this banana cream pie recipe ahead of time. See various steps.

Prep: 4h

Total: 8h

Yield: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked pie crust (what I used) or all butter pie crust*
• optional egg wash: 1 large egg white beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
• 2 cups (480ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 yellow bananas (not super ripe yet)
• optional: sprinkle of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ or granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instruction:

1. Make the pie crust through step 5 according to my directions and video tutorial in my pie crust recipe. Make pie dough in advance because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out (step 2). The recipe makes 2 crusts, and you only need 1 for this pie, so save the other for another pie.
2. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. If dough is too warm, fluting/crimping will be difficult, so you can always chill it in the refrigerator for 5–10 minutes first. After fluting/crimping the edges, chill the pie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes. Chilling the shaped dough helps prevent the crust from shrinking.
3. While the crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
4. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. (Crunch up the parchment paper first so that you can easily shape it into the crust.) Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights to fit.) I like to push the weights up against the sides of the pie crust to help ensure the sides don’t shrink down. Bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown, about 15–16 minutes. Remove pie from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick holes all over the bottom crust with a fork. If desired for a shiny golden crust, brush egg wash on edges. Return pie crust to the oven and bake for 14–15 minutes, or until bottom has browned. Remove from the oven, and cool on a wire rack completely before filling. You can blind bake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover cooled crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill. (Review this how to par-bake pie crust page if you need extra help with this blind-baking step.)
5. Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together. (A fork works nicely for this, or a small whisk.) Set aside. Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally. Once simmering, remove about 1/2 cup (120ml) of the milk mixture and, in a slow and steady stream, whisk into the egg yolk and cornstarch mixture. Keep those egg yolks moving so they don’t scramble. In a slow and steady stream, pour and whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pot. The pudding will immediately begin to bubble and thicken. Stand back and use caution as the bubbles may burst. Cook for 1 full minute, whisking constantly.
6. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the vanilla and butter. You will have about 3 cups of filling. If you notice a lot of little chunks of egg yolk, they may not have been tempered properly. To fix, you can run the warm custard through a fine mesh sieve.
7. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the warm pudding to prevent a skin from forming on top. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. I do not recommend any longer than this, as it will be too thick to spread neatly into the crust.
8. Slice 2–3 bananas and arrange slices into the cooled pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Spread custard on top (it’s ok if it is still slightly warm). An offset spatula is helpful for spreading. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard; again, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
9. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts.
10. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top. (I use Wilton 1M tip.) Slice remaining banana and garnish with banana slices and serve pie immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour and then garnish with banana slices and serve. (Best to garnish with banana slices immediately before serving, but whipped cream can go on the pie up to 1 hour in advance.)
11. Slice and serve. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Banana Cream Pie

This is the ultimate banana cream pie; rich, silky, and indulgent yet so light and dreamy. Full of banana flavor with no artificial ingredients!

Prep: 20min

Total: 55min

Yield: 10

Serving Size: 1 slice

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 slice, calories 812 kcal, Carbohydrate 87 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 46 g, Saturated Fat 28 g, Cholesterol 223 mg, Sodium 251 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 38 g

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300g, plus more for rolling)
• 4 tbs granulated sugar (36g)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (3g)
• 1 cup unsalted butter (225g, chilled)
• 4 tbs ice water (60mL)
• 1 egg ( for the egg wash)
• 1 tbsp cream ( for the egg wash)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt (2g)
• 1/4 cup corn starch (40g)
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (250g)
• 3 cups milk (720mL)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract (15mL)
• 4 tbsp butter (57g, unsalted)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (480mL)
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar (50g)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (10mL)
• 4 bananas (sliced)

Instruction:

1. Add foil around the sides. Bake another 10 minutes at 425F then reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the center is golden, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Cover surface with plastic and chill to bring down to room temperature.
3. Add heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to a stand mixer. Whip on high until you reach soft peaks. I recommend making the whipped cream just before serving but you can do this in advance and chill the whole pie.
4. Add more banana slices on top of the whipped cream just before serving.

The BEST Banana Cream Pie Recipe

FAQ

How do you keep bananas from turning brown in a cream pie?

Is banana cream pie made of pudding?

What is on top of a Marie Callender’s banana cream pie?

How do you keep banana cream pie from getting watery?