Banana Cream Pie
This is more of a traditional banana cream pie that uses pastry cream and real bananas, rather than banana pudding or a pre-made mix. This can be challenging to make the first time - there is a reason that people typically use a pre-made mix for banana cream pies.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup sugar (optional - I usually leave this out because it makes the crust extremely sweet)
- 6 Tablespoons melted butter
Banana Cream Filling
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 bananas, sliced
Whipped Cream Topping
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix well. Add melted butter and mix until it is well blended.
- Press into a 9 inch pie pan and bake for 7 minutes.
- Cool completely.
Banana Cream Filling
- In medium sauce pan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add half and half and egg yolks and whisk until well combined. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute and remove from heat. Stir in butter, and vanilla. As soon as it thickens, remove from direct heat.
- It is extremely important to keep stirring this the entire time, so that it doesn’t separate. If it does separate, you can add a small amount of cornstarch and hope for the best.
- You are making “Pastry Cream” here, which can be challenging to make if you have never done this before. Googling for pastry cream related advice may be helpful if you run into trouble here.
- Pour one half of the filling into the crust.
- Top with sliced bananas to cover the filling.
- Pour the rest of the filling over the bananas.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly on the filling itself to avoiding a sticky film on top.
- Chill for at least 3 hours.
- Top with another layer of sliced bananas.
Whipped Cream Topping
- In a medium mixing bowl beat whipping cream at high speed. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. You don’t want them to be soft but you don’t want them to become butter either.
- Spread whipping cream over the top of the bananas and then garnish with a few more slices of bananas. Serve.