Go Back
Print

How to Make Banana Cream Pie from Scratch

Banana cream pie is delicious, easy to make, and a real crowd-pleaser!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Banana cream pie
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Chill 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 5 minutes
Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

Pie Crust Ingredients

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
  • 3-6 Tbs ice-cold water

Pie Filling Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 eggs large
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 1 oz. package unflavored gelatin
  • 2 Tbs unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp real vanilla extract
  • 4-6 ripe bananas sliced

Optional, to serve

  • Whipped cream
  • Sliced bananas

Instructions

  1. Place top oven rack in the center position and pre-heat your oven to 400°F.

  2. Use a stand or hand-held mixer to prepare the pie crust. Add the flour, salt, and shortening in a medium-size bowl and mix to combine.
  3. Add the ice-cold water a little at a time, until the dough clumps together and can form a ball.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch diameter. Fold the dough in half and then in half again and transfer to a 9-inch diameter deep-dish pie plate. Press the dough down into the pie pan. Trim if there is more than ½ inch of excess dough hanging over the edges. Fold the edges of the dough under, and then crimp together with your thumb or a fork.
  5. Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans. Blind bake (aka “pre-bake”) the crust in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove the crust from the oven and remove the dry beans or pie weights. Set aside.

  7. To make the filling, combine the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, salt, corn starch, and gelatin in a large saucepan. Stir until well blended and heat over medium-low heat while whisking often. When the custard has thickened and becomes difficult to stir, turn the heat off and stir in the butter and vanilla. Set aside.

  8. Slice the bananas and line the bottom of the pie crust with two layers of sliced bananas. Pour the custard over the bananas and smooth it out.

  9. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 20-25 minutes.

  10. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely before transferring it to the refrigerator. Chill for a few hours or overnight before serving.

  11. To serve, top with whipped cream and additional banana slices, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

You can also use a pastry wheel decorator tool to crimp the crust edges together. This is a great tool for beginners, but even seasoned home cooks love it for its ease of use.

Use pie weights to blind bake the pie crust. This will keep the crust from rising in the pie pan and give you plenty of room for the delicious filling.