With Mar. 2 being National Banana Cream Pie Day, here is a step-by-step recipe that is not only delicious but requires little to no baking. This dish can be made from scratch or made with the help of some store-bought shortcuts.
Ingredients:
For custard filling:
- Four eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup of flour
- ¾ cup of sugar
- ½ tsp of vanilla extract
- Two cups of milk
For crust:
- Two and ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp of salt
- One cup of chilled unsalted butter
- Four tbs of granulated sugar
- Four tbs of cold water
- Store-bought frozen pie crust (optional)
For whipped topping:
- Two cups of heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup of powdered sugar
- Two tsp of vanilla extract
- Eight oz container of Coolwhip (optional)
For garnish:
- Four to Five bananas sliced
Quick version:
Cook time: 12 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Total cook time: 35 minutes
Chill time: Six to Eight hours
Yields: Eight people
Handmade version:
Cook time: 35 minutes
Prep: 20 minutes
Total cook time: 55 minutes
Yields: Eight people
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a food processor or by hand, blend flour, sugar and salt. Add in chilled cubes of butter and slowly pour in cold water and pulse until mixed.
- Roll dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- On a well-floured surface, flatten out the dough until it is slightly larger than the pie pan. Transfer flattened dough into the pie pan and press it into the pan.
- Fold the edges over and crimp with a fork or fingers. Dock the button of the pie crust and lay parchment paper in the bottom of the pie and fill with beans or rice to weigh down the paper.
- Bake the pie crust in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until brown. If using a store -bought crust, just dock the crust and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Once crust is brown, set aside to cool for 10 minutes. In a medium saucepan, turn the heat to low and add in the flour and sugar, and whisk together. Pour in milk and whisk ingredients together until evenly mixed.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue mixing. Temper the eggs by slowly adding the yolks into the warm mixture while whisking quickly. Continue this process until all eggs are incorporated and the mixture thickens
- Once the mixture is thick like pudding, turn off the heat and add in the vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside to cool down to room temperature.
- Next, peel and slice the bananas in small slivers to place at the bottom of the pie crust and add half of the custard on top. Add another layer of custard over the `bananas and smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Place pie in the fridge for about six to eight hours to cool and set.
- In a medium bowl, add in heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla and mix with a stand mixer, hand mixer or whisk by hand until firm peaks are formed. Alternative for whipped topping is store-bought container of Coolwhip.
- After cooling, add whipped cream to the top of the pie and add more slices of bananas on top of the whipped cream for garnish. Slice and serve.
