Banana Cream Pie
Creamy, homemade banana cream pie with a buttery graham cracker crust, silky vanilla custard, and fresh bananas, the best you'll ever have!
Ingredients
Banana Cream Filling
- 3 cups (720 g) Whole Milk
- 6 (108 g) Egg Yolks
- 3/4 cup (150 g) Sugar
- 6 tbsp (48 g) Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Milk Powder, (optional)
- 3 tbsp (42 g) Salted Butter
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp (23 g) Vanilla Bean Paste, (or vanilla extract)
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 2 tsp Unflavored Gelatin Powder, (optional)** See notes
- 3 tbsp (30 g) Water, (omit if not using gelatin)
- 1/2 cup (240 g) Heavy Cream, (cold)
- 4 oz (113 g) Mascarpone or Cream Cheese, (cold), these are typically sold in 8oz containers/blocks. Use half for the filling and the remaining half for the whipped cream topping.
- 1/4 cup (32 g) Powdered Sugar
- 4 Bananas, (sliced)
Brown Butter Graham Cracker Crust
- 18 sheets Graham Crackers
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted Butter, (browned)
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 1/2 cups (360 g) Heavy Cream, (cold)
- 4 oz (113 g) Mascarpone or Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup (63 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Instructions
- Start by making the pastry cream filling. In a medium saucepan, heat whole milk over low heat for about 5 minutes, until just warm (do not bring to a boil). 3 cups Whole Milk
- In a large bowl, whisk together, egg yolks, sugar, milk powder (optional), and cornstarch until smooth and pale, about 30 seconds. Slowly pour warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking (pour slowly so you don’t scramble the eggs). 6 Egg Yolks 3/4 cup Sugar 6 tbsp Cornstarch 1 tbsp Milk Powder
- Pour everything back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (like pudding), about 10-12 minutes. Once the mixture begins to bubble and you can see ribbons while whisking, begin to whisk vigorously for 1 minute. It should be a thick pudding-like consistency and should coat the back of the spoon without running off.
- Add butter and vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), nutmeg, and kosher salt and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from developing a film while cooling, Chill in the refrigerator until completely cold and set, about 2-3 hours. 3 tbsp Salted Butter 1 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste 1/8 tsp Nutmeg 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- Once the cream is fully cooled, make the whipped cream. This will get folded into the pastry cream. In a small bowl, mix together gelatin and water. Let it sit for 10 minutes, it'll thicken and become jelly-like. 2 tsp Unflavored Gelatin Powder 3 tbsp Water
- Place the bowl with the gelatin into the microwave for about 10-15 seconds, until it become liquidy/melted.
- In a separate large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat mascarpone (or cream cheese) .. (we're only using half of the 8oz container, save the remainder for the whipped cream topping) until smooth, about 30 seconds, then add the melted gelatin, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes, then add the chilled pastry cream and continue to mix until combined and smooth. It'll look lumpy at first but continue to mix until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place into the refrigerator while making the graham cracker crust (no need to cover with plastic wrap). 1/2 cup Heavy Cream 4 oz Mascarpone or Cream Cheese 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Now make the brown butter graham cracker crust. Melt butter in a skillet and cook it until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 10 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. 1/2 cup Salted Butter
- Add graham crackers, sugar, and nutmeg to a food processor and blend until uniform graham cracker crumbs form. Mix in the melted butter until the texture resembles it looks like wet sand. 18 sheets Graham Crackers 3 tbsp Brown Sugar 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- Press firmly into a 9-inch springform pan, making sure to press the crumbs all the way up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes until set. Let it cool for about 20 minutes.
- Add a layer of fresh sliced bananas on the bottom of the pan (on top of the graham cracker crust). Add half of the mascarpone cream filling, then add the remaining fresh banana slices and cover with the remaining cream on top. Let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight to firm up and set. 4 Bananas
- Before serving, make the whipped cream. Add remaining mascarpone and powdered sugar to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth, about 30 seconds, then add heavy cream and vanilla bean paste and mix until stiff peaks form. Garnish with crushed nilla wafers or chessman cookies. 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream 4 oz Mascarpone or Cream Cheese 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Notes
Gelatin is optional but recommended for a more stable banana cream filling. Without it, it'll still slice cleanly but the gelatin allows it to be stable at room temperature for a bit longer.
Nutrition
Calories: 643kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 207mg, Sodium: 314mg, Potassium: 297mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 39g, Vitamin A: 1571IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 154mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @BritneyBreaksBread or tag #BritneyBreaksBread!