Banana Cream Pie
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This banana cream pie recipe has it all: lots of bananas, a smooth vanilla custard, and a crisp vanilla wafer crust.
This banana cream pie swaps the usual pie or graham cracker crust for a vanilla wafer crust—a trick I picked up from Magnolia Bakery Icebox Desserts by Bobbi Lloyd—and it makes all the difference. The wafers add a light vanilla sweetness that plays perfectly against the creamy custard and fresh banana layers. It’s essentially old-fashioned banana pudding, reimagined as a pie you can slice and serve. Make the components ahead, assemble whenever you’re ready, and you’ve got a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing dessert with barely any last-minute fuss.
“Oh my goodness…Made the pie for my daughter and her friends. It was rich and delicious.”
WHat You’ll Need To Make Banana Cream Pie
- Vanilla wafer crumbs: These make a buttery, lightly sweetened crust that pairs perfectly with the creamy filling. I use Nilla Wafers, but any similar vanilla wafer cookies will work.
- Brown sugar & butter: Brown sugar adds a subtle caramel note, while melted butter binds the crumbs together and helps the crust crisp as it bakes.
- Whole milk: Creates a rich, creamy custard with the best flavor and texture. I don’t recommend substituting low-fat milk.
- Egg yolks: Give the custard its rich flavor, silky texture, and beautiful golden color.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the custard without making it heavy, creating a smooth, pudding-like filling.
- Vanilla extract & bourbon: Pure vanilla extract is the star flavor in the custard, so use a good-quality one if possible. A splash of bourbon is optional but adds subtle warmth and depth that pairs beautifully with the bananas.
- Bananas: Choose ripe bananas that are mostly yellow with a few brown speckles. They’ll have the best flavor and sweetness while still holding their shape in the pie.
- Heavy cream & confectioners’ sugar: Whipped together, they create a light, billowy topping that perfectly balances the rich custard.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the crust. Combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly moistened, then press the mixture into the pie plate. I like to press the sides first and then the bottom so the crust is an even thickness throughout. Bake until lightly golden and fragrant, then let cool completely before filling.
Pro Tip: Press the crumbs just until they hold together without compacting them too much, which can make the crust hard to cut. Leave the seam where the bottom meets the sides a touch thicker; this will help it slice neatly.
Step 2: Make the custard. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a saucepan, then whisk the milk and egg yolks together in a measuring cup. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and cook over medium heat until the custard thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and continue whisking for 1 minute more to ensure the cornstarch is fully cooked. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and bourbon.
Pro Tip: Whisking constantly prevents the custard from scorching on the bottom of the pan and keeps the egg yolks from scrambling.
Step 3: Layer and chill. Arrange a layer of banana slices in the cooled crust, spoon over half the warm custard, then repeat with another layer of bananas and the remaining custard. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until completely chilled and set.
Step 3: Whip the cream. Up to a few hours before serving, whip the cream and confectioners sugar until it holds medium, silky peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the filling, swirling decoratively and leaving some of the pudding visible around the edges. Refrigerate the pie until ready to serve.
Pro Tip: If you accidentally overwhip the cream and it looks grainy, gently fold in another tablespoon or two of the heavy cream with a spatula to smooth it back out.
Step 4: Finish and serve. Right before serving, top with sliced bananas and sprinkle with the crushed vanilla wafers. Cut slices with a warm, dry knife, wiping clean between cuts. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups Nilla wafer crumbs (from about 3½ cups whole wafers; see note)
- ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 3 large ripe bananas
For the Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons crushed vanilla wafers
Instructions
For the Crust
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9-in (23-cm) deep-dish pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and brown sugar. Add the melted butter and mix with a spatula or your hands until the mixture is evenly moistened.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan. Starting with the sides, use your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to gently press the crumbs up the edges of the pan in an even ¼-in (6-mm)-thick layer. Don’t pack them too firmly—press just until the crumbs hold together. Then lightly press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the pan, using the same gentle pressure and keeping the layer about ¼-in (6-mm) thick. Use the back of a spoon to gently round the seam where the bottom meets the sides—leaving this area a touch thicker helps the crust hold together and slice neatly.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool on a rack. (The crust can be made up to 3 days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic, and stored at room temperature.)
For the Filling
- Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan and whisk gently to combine.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg yolks. Add the milk mixture to the saucepan in a slow, steady stream, whisking until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook—whisking constantly, especially around the edges—for one minute more. (Whisking constantly prevents scorching and keeps the eggs from scrambling.)
- Off the heat, add the vanilla, butter, and bourbon (if using); whisk until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Let the custard cool for just a minute or two, then begin assembling the pie. (If you need to step away and can’t assemble immediately, press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.)
- Cut enough banana slices to cover the bottom of the cooled crust. Give the custard a quick whisk, then pour half of it over the bananas. Add another layer of banana slices, whisk the remaining custard again to smooth it out, and pour it over top. Cover immediately with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight, until completely set.
For the Topping
- Up to a few hours before serving, place the heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, whip on medium-low speed until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks. Add the sugar and continue whipping until the cream holds medium, silky peaks. (Go slowly toward the end; if it looks grainy, it’s overwhipped.)
- Spread the whipped cream over the chilled filling, swirling decoratively and leaving some of the pudding visible around the edges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Right before serving, top with sliced bananas and sprinkle with the crushed vanilla wafers. Cut slices with a warm, dry knife, wiping clean between cuts.
Notes
- You can measure out 3½ cups whole wafers and then pulse them into crumbs, but since the recipe uses nearly a full box, it’s easiest to just blitz the whole box and measure out what you need—you’ll only have a little leftover.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The crust can be baked up to 3 days ahead and stored at room temperature, tightly covered. The fully assembled pie (without the topping) can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Add the whipped cream, fresh banana slices, and crushed wafers just before serving for the best texture and appearance.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My pie didn’t turn out at all. It was all liquidy and I had it in the fridge overnight so it had lots of time to set.
What did I do wrong??
Hi Lori, I’m so sorry you had a problem with this! Did you make any changes to the recipe or ingredient substitutions? Did you use whole milk?
Hi Jenn
I made your banana cream pie (first time I’ve ever made one) it was delicious! Thank you for the advice and pressing the crust into the pie plate, it came out beautifully!
This sounds wonderful. My hubby has asked many times for Banana Cream Pie and I haven’t found one I like until now. I too would like to use graham crackers for the crust, can you tell me how many wafers I should use.
thanks, Claudia
Hi Claudia, I have a recipe for a graham cracker crust you can use. I’d love to hear how the pie comes out!
Oh my goodness ! I started tasting the hot custard once it was cooked and being a custard lover I almost ate half of it before assembling the pie it was so delicious!! I know where to get my custard recipe from now ! Made the pie for my daughter and her friends. It was rich and delicious- thank you
Perfect, followed it exactly and it was divine.
My family is dairy free. Would I be able to sub plant-based milk. I would use dairy free whipped cream on top as I serve.
Hi Barb, I think it should be fine, but I can’t say for sure without testing it myself. Just make sure whatever you use is plain and unsweetened. I’d love to hear how it comes out if you try it!
This came out lovely. Delicious, too!
Even my pickiest son ate it and came back for more. Subbed Graham crackers for the nilla wafers (personal preference) and worked beautifully
Hi Jenn,
If I was to sub graham crackers for the nilla wafers, would anything change? Or can I simply insert 2 cups grahams for the nillas? And keep the sugar and butter the same. Can’t wait to make this! Thank you in advance for your expertise!
Hi Karen, if you want to use graham crackers, the ratios would be slightly different. I have a graham cracker crust that I haven’t posted yet, but I’ll email it to you now.
Thank you Jenn for sending me that recipe ❤️
My favorite version of Banana Cream Pie has a layer of chocolate in the crust. Any advice on how to accomplish that? Maybe make the crust and then pour in melted chocolate?
PS Your recipes are terrific.
Hi Kevin, so glad you like the recipes! I’d use the chocolate ganache recipe from this peanut butter pie to add the chocolate layer. I’d love to hear how it turns out!