Banana Cream Pie Recipe

This banana cream pie is a from scratch custard pie with the bananas blended right into the filling instead of sliced under it. Two ripe bananas are pureed and stirred into a vanilla custard of whole milk, 5 egg yolks, and cornstarch, then spread into a blind baked butter crust and topped with soft whipped cream. It makes one 9 inch pie, about 8 slices, and takes roughly 1 hour 10 minutes of work plus at least 4 hours in the fridge.

Because the banana is in the custard, every forkful tastes of it. There are no gray slices hiding under the cream on day two. The texture is closer to a smooth homemade banana pudding than a layered pie, held up by a crisp, flaky crust.

The Banana Custard, Measured for a 9 Inch Pie

• Milk: 2½ cups whole milk
• Thickeners: ¼ cup cornstarch and 5 large egg yolks
• Sugar and salt: ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
• Banana: 2 medium ripe bananas, pureed until completely smooth
• Finish: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1½ teaspoons vanilla, stirred in off the heat
• Topping: 1 cup heavy cream whipped with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla

That fills a 9 inch shell level with the crimped edge. The cornstarch and the yolks work together here: the starch gives body, the yolks give richness and a firmer set, and together they hold a clean slice without any gelatin.

Blended Bananas vs Sliced Bananas

Most banana cream pies layer sliced bananas under a plain vanilla custard. It works, but the slices brown at the cut edges within a day, they let off water into the filling, and you only taste banana where your fork happens to hit fruit. Blending the bananas into the warm custard carries the flavor through the whole filling, so the last slice tastes like the first.

Choose bananas that are yellow with brown freckles. Green tipped ones taste starchy and thin. Black, mushy bananas taste overripe and can darken the custard.

Blind Baking the Butter Crust

The crust is 1¼ cups flour, ½ cup cold cubed butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water, the same butter crust I use for my apple pie recipe. Cut the butter in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea size pieces left. Those bits of butter are what bake into flaky layers. Add the water a tablespoon at a time and stop as soon as a squeezed handful holds together, then chill the disk for at least 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle, ease it into a 9 inch pie dish, and trim and crimp the edge. Line it with parchment, fill it with pie weights or dried beans, and bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Lift out the weights and let the shell cool completely.

Do not rush this part. The custard never goes back in the oven, so the shell has to be fully baked and cool before it is filled. A pale or warm crust turns soggy under the filling by morning. A store bought crust works too; blind bake and cool it the same way.

Cooking a Banana Custard That Sets

In a medium saucepan, whisk the milk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until the cornstarch dissolves, and warm it over medium heat. Whisk the yolks in a separate bowl, then ladle in a little of the warm milk while whisking. This is tempering. It brings the yolks up to temperature slowly, so they thicken the custard instead of scrambling. Pour the tempered yolks back into the pan.

Keep whisking over medium heat, reaching into the corners, for 6 to 8 minutes. The custard goes from thin to thick quite suddenly. Do not stop at that first thickening. Keep it on the heat until big, slow bubbles break the surface. Cornstarch only reaches full strength near a boil, and egg yolks carry an enzyme that thins starch again if the custard is undercooked. That is the most common reason a banana cream pie turns runny overnight.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and banana puree until smooth. The banana goes in last because cooking it would dull its flavor. Scrape the custard into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap right onto the surface so no skin forms, and chill for about 1 hour, until it is thick but still spreadable.

Whole Milk, Not Cream, in the Custard

I have tried this custard with part cream for extra richness. It came out too thick and heavy, almost cloying, and it did not set as cleanly. Whole milk keeps it silky. Save the cream for the top, where it belongs.

Filling, Chilling, and Topping the Pie

Spread the chilled custard into the cooled shell and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours; overnight gives the cleanest slices. Like my sweet potato pie, this is a custard pie that is better after a long rest, because the filling firms up and the banana flavor settles.

For the topping, chill the bowl, then beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form: the cream holds a curl that droops at the tip. Stop there, since a few seconds more turns it grainy. Spread or pipe it over the pie just before serving. If you want a sturdier piped finish, my whipped cream frosting holds its shape longer.

A Day Ahead Plan

• The day before: make and blind bake the crust, cook the custard, fill the shell, and chill it overnight.
• Before serving: whip the cream and top the pie. Cream added hours early starts to weep.
• Slicing: use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts.
• Storage: covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. After that the banana flavor fades.
• Freezing: skip it. Cornstarch custard turns spongy and lets off water when it thaws.

Why Banana Cream Pie Goes Runny or Weepy

• Soft, runny filling after chilling: the custard was pulled at the first sign of thickening. Next time, cook it until it bubbles.
• Little lumps in the custard: the yolks were added too fast or the heat was too high. Press the hot custard through a sieve before you stir in the banana.
• Wet, soggy bottom crust: the shell was underbaked or still warm when filled.
• Watery whipped cream: it went on hours too early or sat out at room temperature. Top the pie just before serving and keep it cold.
• Grayish color or a fermented taste: the bananas were too ripe. Use freckled yellow ones.

What People Ask About Banana Cream Pie

Do you have to blind bake the crust for banana cream pie?

Yes. The filling is cooked on the stove and never baked, so the crust must be fully baked first, at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, and cooled.

Can I add sliced bananas as well?

You can lay a few slices on the crust before the custard goes in. Serve that pie the same day, because the slices brown and soften.

How long does banana cream pie last?

Up to 2 days in the fridge, covered. Add the whipped cream on the day you serve it.

If You Like This Pie

For more banana, try banoffee pie with its toffee layer, my easy banana pudding, or banana cream pie cupcakes for a party. If cream pies are your thing, my coconut cream pie and chocolate cream pie are good next bakes.