When dessert calls for something truly special, break out this recipe for Mom's Best Banana Cream Pie, and you won't be sorry!
This easy-to-make banana cream pie can be made using homemade pie crust or store-bought. Either one is fine, and you need to know that this is a totally judge-free zone!
For another banana lover's recipe, check out my Oatmeal Pancakes with Banana and Coconut.
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Table of Contents Found Here
- The ingredient list:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- How long will this recipe take from start to finish?
- Why this recipe works:
- This recipe calls for tempering. What is it, and why is it important?
- How ripe should the bananas be for this recipe?
- Can over-ripe bananas be kept in the freezer?
- How to store banana cream pie?
- Here are some fun and interesting ways to crimp a pie crust:
- Can banana cream pie be frozen?
- Get my very favorite homemade pie crust recipe.
- The step-by-step for how to make Mom's Best Banana Cream Pie:
- Additional dessert recipes with bananas:
- Printable Recipe Card
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredient list:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
- 1 - 9" pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
- granulated sugar
- coarse salt
- cornstarch
- milk
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
- bananas, overripe
- heavy whipping cream
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- large saucepan
- measuring cups and spoons
- stand mixer or hand mixer, (optional, for whipping cream)
- wooden spoon or spatula
- small bowls
- fork
- plastic wrap
- pie plate
- rolling pin
- paring knife
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- food processor (for making homemade crust, optional)
- pie weights (optional)
- pastry blender (optional)
- pie keeper (for storage)
How long will this recipe take from start to finish?
Including the blind-baking (pre-bake) time for the crust, the making of the filling, and the chilling of the pie before serving (overnight is best), this banana cream pie will take roughly 12 hours so please plan accordingly.
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Why this recipe works:
It's relatively easy to make and most of the time spent is hands-off time while the pie and the filling chill in the fridge.
It's got a great banana flavor and the whipped cream on top is sweet and creamy, but not overly sweet. And it's a delicious compliment to the banana cream filling.
It's a great way to use spent bananas that are past their prime.
Everybody loves a good homemade cream pie!!
This recipe calls for tempering. What is it, and why is it important?
Tempering is a way to slowly and gradually bring ingredients to the same temperature (from cold to hot as in this recipe that uses raw eggs) to avoid the eggs from curdling (aka scrambling).
How ripe should the bananas be for this recipe?
I like when they've got plenty of brown spots but they're not overly mushy.
This recipe also uses sliced bananas for which you can use bananas that don't have as many brown spots, and maybe aren't as over-ripe as for the mashed banana step.
I used a variety of banana ripeness's for this recipe; overly ripe with plenty of brown spots, and perfectly ripe, yellow bananas, for the sliced section in the middle.
Can over-ripe bananas be kept in the freezer?
Yes!
Peel them first, and store them in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to two months.
How to store banana cream pie?
You can store the completed banana cream pie, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Here are some fun and interesting ways to crimp a pie crust:
Can banana cream pie be frozen?
Yes!
Wrap it well or store it in an air-tight pie keeper and freeze it for up to two months.
The slices can also be frozen individually, if desired.
To thaw, allow the pie to sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before serving.
Get my very favorite homemade pie crust recipe.
The step-by-step for how to make Mom's Best Banana Cream Pie:
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
- Place and crimp a 9" pie dough (homemade or store-bought) into a pie pan and blind bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove, cool, and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt over medium heat, stirring frequently until thickened.
- Meanwhile, mash one over-ripe banana in a small bowl, and set aside.
- In a small bowl lightly beat two eggs.
- When the milk and sugar mixture has thickened, it's time to temper the eggs by adding about 3 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, stirring to combine. Set aside.
- Add the mashed bananas into the saucepan, stirring to combine, and then add the tempered eggs into the saucepan, stirring well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the vanilla extract to the banana mixture, and stir to combine. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Pour the cooled mixture into a bowl, cover the banana cream with a layer of plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator, if needed, until ready to assemble the pie.
- Slice 2 bananas and place half of the slices on the bottom of a pre-baked pie crust.
- Spoon half of the cooled banana cream mixture over the sliced bananas.
- Top with another layer of sliced bananas, and top with the remaining banana cream mixture.
- Cover the pie with a plastic wrap layer and chill in the refrigerator while making the whipped cream topping.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream, and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to the whipped cream, and fold to combine.
- Spoon the whipped cream topping over the banana cream pie (*Note - you'll notice in the photo that I had frozen my banana cream pie due to time constraints in making this recipe), and use an offset spatula to gently cover the pie with the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Additional dessert recipes with bananas:
*No-Churn Banana Walnut Ice Cream (shown below)
No-Churn Banana Walnut Ice Cream is a favorite for people who love bananas, toasted walnuts, caramel, and vanilla wafers. It’s utterly delicious!!
*Banana Poppy Seed Cake (not shown)
The flavor in this banana poppy seed cake is simply scrumptious. The cake is tender and has a wonderful crumb, and the banana buttercream frosting has the perfect sweetness to compliment this delicious cake.
*Banana Coconut Pudding (shown below)
Comforting and extra delicious! This super easy and creamy Banana Coconut Pudding for the slow cooker will be your new favorite dessert!
*White Chocolate Banana Walnut Cookies (not shown)
Soft, plump, and tender, these White Chocolate Banana Walnut Cookies taste like a slice of fresh banana bread, only better!
*Mom's Best Banana Cream Pie (shown below) THIS IS THE PLACE!!
When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did.
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Printable Recipe Card
MOM'S BEST BANANA CREAM PIE
Equipment
- pastry blender optional (or fork) for mashing the bananas
- kitchen scale optional
- hand mixer optional for whipped cream
- stand mixer optional for whipped cream
- whisk optional
- kitchen timer optional
- pie weights optional for blind baking the crust
Ingredients
For the pie:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 baked pie crust 9 inches
- 3 bananas; one mashed two sliced
For the whipped cream topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees F (175 degrees Celsius).
- Place and crimp a 9" pie dough (homemade or store-bought) into a pie pan and dock the crust with a fork. Blind bake the crust (i.e. bake with no filling) for 20 minutes. Remove, cool, and set aside.
To make the banana cream pie:
- In a large saucepan, combine milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt over medium heat, stirring frequently until thickened.
- Meanwhile, mash one over-ripe banana in a small bowl, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat two eggs.
- When the milk and sugar mixture has thickened, it's time to temper the eggs by adding about 3 tablespoons of the hot milk mixture into the eggs, stirring to combine. Set aside.
- Add the mashed bananas into the saucepan, stirring to combine, and then add the tempered eggs into the saucepan, stirring well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the vanilla extract to the banana mixture, and stir to combine. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Pour the cooled mixture into a bowl, cover the banana cream with a layer of plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator, if needed, until ready to assemble the pie.
- Slice 2 bananas and place half of the slices on the bottom of a pre-baked pie crust.
- Spoon half of the cooled banana cream mixture over the sliced bananas.
- Top with another layer of sliced bananas, and top with the remaining banana cream mixture.
- Cover the pie with a plastic wrap layer and chill in the refrigerator while making the whipped cream topping.
To make the whipped cream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to the whipped cream, and fold to combine.
- Spoon the whipped cream topping over the banana cream pie and use an offset spatula to cover the pie with the whipped cream.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's recipe for homemade banana cream pie as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
AM says
I have made several different banana cream pie recipes for my husband and this is his favorite. He likes the banana in the pudding and not just vanilla pudding on top of bananas. It’s a great recipe.
Renée says
Awesome! I appreciate you letting me know and also for the 5 star rating of this recipe.
Thank you so much, and I hope you'll visit me again.
Take good care,
Renee
Yvonne scherer says
made this, flavor is delicious, just not thick enough
Renée says
Hi, Yvonne!
I'm sorry to hear that you weren't thrilled with the consistency. Maybe next time you can add a touch more cornstarch.
In any case, I'm glad you enjoyed the flavor.
Take good care,
Renee
Diane N says
I would like to make this with a graham cracker/ cookie crust any recipes for same up your sleeve?
The banana cream part sounds amazing! TY
Renée says
Hi, Diane!
I think that sounds delicious. I do have a few recipes that include homemade graham cracker crusts (if you're looking to make your own), and here are some of the links:
https://www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com/double-chocolate-cheesecake-chocolate-cracker-crust/
https://www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com/malted-milk-ball-cheesecake/
https://www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com/pumpkin-praline-pie-with-graham-cracker/
https://www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com/dutch-apple-cheesecake/
All that said, you can also purchase the pre-made graham cracker crust (already in the pie shell), and take the recipe from there.
I hope this information helps and that you find a method/recipe you love.
Take good care,
Renee
Tim Kolzow says
Very easy to make. Used a graham cracker crust and Truvia in place of sugar. Worked out fine.
Renée says
Hey, Tim!
Nice to see you here.
I love your idea to make this with Truvia and the graham cracker crust.
So smart and a lot less sugar.
Glad you had success with the recipe.
Take good care,
Renee