No-Bake Banana Cream Pie From Scratch
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Thanksgiving in America is rolling around soon and that means it’s time to gather your loved ones around and enjoy special food.
In my opinion, one of the dishes that is definitely the definition of bringing people together is a pie. Everyone waits for a slice of the pie, and the enjoyment that everyone shares is unmatched!
Everyone adores a crispy pie crust, a sweet filling, and the toppings! I was never a pie eater before coming to Canada, but now I really see the appeal!
This pie is extra special because we’re going to make all our components from scratch. This will be the classic Banana Cream Pie you know and love but with a special flavour twist to the custard. Keep on reading to see how we do it! To make your Thanksgiving extra special, then be sure to put your heart on a plate by preparing this No-Bake Banana Cream Pie as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get started on your cooking journey for free today by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!
To get a visual representation of everything discussed here, be sure to watch the video at the bottom of this post! If you’re not already, it would mean a lot to me if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t forget to press the bell button so you’re notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get started!
What is a Banana Cream Pie?
A Banana Cream Pie is a dessert that will be one of your new favourites, guaranteed! As you can guess from the name, this pie is banana heaven topped with a fluffy whipped topping. Here are the components of a banana cream pie:
Crust: We’re going to make our very own pie crust here that’s flaky and oh so tasty!
Custard: This custard is going to be made from scratch as well. We’ll add some warm spices to balance out the sweet and make this custard cozy for the holidays with a slight Indian touch!
Bananas: We’ll add a layer of sliced bananas to bring the banana delight!
Whipped cream: The topping we all love! Topping your pie with whipped cream really completes it, and you’ll just love that extra smoothness combined with the sweetness of the bananas, the aromatic and creamy custard, and our incredible crust!
Why You’ll Adore this Banana Cream Pie Recipe!
All components are made from scratch!
Super creamy and full of banana goodness!
Easy to follow process from start to finish.
An Indian-flavoured custard making this a unique fusion banana cream pie.
Freezer-friendly making this an amazing make-ahead dessert!
Enjoy it cold or at room temperature!
Questions You May Have!
Why Is My Custard Not Smooth?
When the custard mixture, along with the mixed in egg-cornstarch mixture starts to get heated, you need to ensure to whisk constantly to get a smooth creamy texture. And if you keep up with this technique until the custard has thickened, you are guaranteed to get a smooth custard. However, if you heat it for too long and are not as diligent with whisk properly, cleaning the sides, then you risk curdling the eggs. You can try to save the custard if this happens by running the lumpy custard through a fine mesh sieve.
How Do I Make Sure that the Banana Cream Pie Sets?
Make sure to refrigerate the custard in the pie crust for at least 24 hours. Before serving, you can even place it in the freezer for an hour or so to slightly firm up the custard.
How Do I Prevent the Pie Crust From Getting Soggy?
Once the pie crust is done baking, remove crust and then allow it to cool down completely. And once cooled, only then spread the bananas and the cooled down custard. This prevents the condensation from warm ingredients and helps the crust to stay crispy.
Tools Needed for Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients for No-Bake Banana Cream Pie
The full instructions to save for later and all ingredient quantities can be found in the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You can also use the recipe card to scale the recipe based on the number of pies you want to make and how many bananas you have on hand so that no inch gets missed!
For the Pie Crust
Shortening: Shortening has been the magic touch to my pie crust! You’ll want to cut it into cubes.
All purpose flour: The base of the pie crust.
Baking powder: For the pie crust to rise.
Cold water
For the Banana Cream Pie
Milk: For our custard. I’m using full fat milk so that it is really delicious and creamy.
Heavy cream: To add that extra richness to the custard.
Vanilla bean pod: Split and its seeds scraped.
Cinnamon stick: This will add a little bit of wintery goodness to the custard.
Cardamom pods: Lightly crushed.
Saffron strands: These add a little bit of a yellow tinge and an incredible aroma to the custard.
Sugar: Key sweetener for the custard!
Cornstarch: Mixed with egg yolks to thicken the custard.
Egg yolks: Mixed with egg yolks to thicken the custard.
Butter: I recommend unsalted butter so that you have more control over the seasoning of the custard.
Salt: Add to taste.
Bananas: Ripe bananas that are sliced. Make sure that they are not overripe or else they will be mushy.
Whipped cream: To give the pies their final garnish.
How to Make The Creamiest No-Bake Banana Cream Pie
For the Pie Crust
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.
Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Gradually add cold water, mixing until dough just comes together.
Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out dough and fit into a 9-inch pie dish.
Prick the bottom with a fork, line with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden. Remove weights and parchment and bake for an additional 10 minutes until full baked. These times may vary based on your oven. Allow the pie crust to cool completely.
For the Custard
In a medium saucepan, heat milk, vanilla bean (pod and seeds), cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and saffron over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes.
Strain out the spices, then return the milk to the saucepan.
Add sugar and salt, and stir until dissolved.
In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch and egg yolks until smooth.
Slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
Pour the tempered yolks into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches a low boil, about 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in butter until smooth. Let the filling cool slightly, then refrigerate for 2-3 hours until fully set.
For the Banana Cream Pie
Arrange a layer of sliced bananas on the bottom of the cooled crust.
Pour the chilled filling over the bananas, smoothing the top.
Add another layer of sliced bananas, followed by a layer of whipped cream on top for garnish.
Refrigerate the assembled pie for another hour to allow it to firm up further before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips for A Banana Cream Pie That WIll Make YOu Come Back for Seconds!
Crumbling the flour with shortening is an essential step in making a pie crust that is light, flaky and crusty. The crumbling process helps to separate the dough into several layers which helps in achieving a flaky texture. It also breaks down the gluten into smaller strands and prevents the flour from absorbing too much water - this helps to stop the development of too much gluten and prevent a crust that is stretchy and elastic.
Don’t scorch the milk, make sure to keep a close eye on the temperature and keep stirring the milk to prevent it from burning and tainting the flavours in the custard.
The same applies when preparing the custard, even heating and constant stirring is needed to avoid scorching or curdling the custard. Be swift as you mix the hot milk mixture with the egg-cornstarch mixture to temper correctly and whisk constantly to prevent curdling.
To get a super smooth texture in the final thickened custard, run it through a fine mesh sieve before cooling down the custard.
Variations of Banana Cream Pie
Pie crust: If you want, you could switch up your pie crust by making an Oreo crust using crushed Oreos or a graham cracker crust. If you’re in a time crunch, you could use a store-bought crust. However, I have used a store-bought crust before and I really encourage making your own - it is so much tastier! As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Make Cooking Fun!, setting realistic expectations is key to ensure success. If you’re really uncomfortable with making pie and you’re overwhelmed by all the steps we have here and you need to urgently make the Banana Cream Pie right before Thanksgiving, then don’t worry about it! Perhaps use a store-made pie crust this time around but prepare your own custard. As you get more comfortable, then you can make your own pie crust!
Custard: If in a pinch, you can prepare Bird’s custard, the custard which I grew up on. Some recipes also use banana jello pudding mix. Again, if you can make the time to prepare your own custard, then I would strongly recommend it!
Whipped cream: I used a can of whipped cream here to save some time. Typically, though, I love to make my own whipped cream! Using a whipped cream dispenser can help give you professional results, so if you want to learn about how to use a whipped cream dispenser for the airiest and fluffiest cream over your Banana Cream Pie, then check out my complete guide here. The combination of chocolate and bananas is heavenly, so you could even make Chocolate Whipped Cream!
Garnish: You could do some shaved chocolate using a microplane over the cream, add mini peanut butter cups, chocolate chips or M&Ms. You could also drizzle some Cafe Mocha Sauce or Caramel Sauce on top of the cream!
Can I Make Banana Cream Pie ahead of time?
Yes, you definitely can! That’s why I highly recommend this pie for special occasions because you can prepare this dessert before the rest of your meals that would need to be freshly made for the occasion. Take out a day or two before your event to make this Banana Cream Pie and have dessert taken care of!
Storage Instructions
You can keep the No-Bake Banana Cream Pie in the fridge if you will enjoy it within 3 to 4 days. However, the whipped cream will eventually lose its airiness, so you may need to apply a fresh layer. Otherwise if there are leftovers or you want to enjoy the pie later, be sure to store the pie in the freezer. It will stay good for not longer than 1 month, but be sure to prepare the pie for the freezer before freezing. Avoiding adding any fresh fruit prior, and wrap tightly to avoid any excess air that may cause spoilage. Adding a layer of foil paper can also help prevent the chances of freezer burn.
To store the Banana Cream Pie, you can either place the pie in the pie dish directly in the fridge and cover with plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can put individual slices of pies in an airtight container.
More Pie Recipes Perfect for the HOlidays
Watch How to Make No-Bake Banana Cream Pie From SCratch here:
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