Banana Cream Pie

When my husband and I got married, I warned him I have big plans for family reunions when we are old and have grown up kids and grandchildren.  These plans involve family trivia games and lots of cream pies which will obviously be thrown in the face of anyone who gets a question wrong.

He thinks I am joking, which I don't really understand, because this is obviously a very serious plan.


Fun people like to get pies thrown in their faces.


Plus pie is delicious so a family reunion planned around pie has to be a slam dunk. 


Banana cream pie is one of my favorite cream pies.  I love it the first day it's made when the bananas are still fresh, and it's pretty good the day after as well.

So many banana cream pies are insanely sweet, so I cut down the sugar a bit in this recipe.  This is a really great pudding pie base, and coconut could be exchanged for the bananas (just mix 1 cup shredded coconut into the pudding) for a coconut version instead.

This pie MUST be refrigerated overnight before eating.  The banana flavor intensifies overnight.  If you eat it the day you make it, it will taste like a vanilla pudding pie with bananas mixed in.

We really can't have that, can we?

Banana Cream Pie

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

-1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked  (I like homemade, but you can do store-bought if you want)

-2/3 cup sugar

-3 Tbsp cornstarch

-1/4 tsp salt

-2 cups milk

-3 egg yolks

-2 Tbsp butter

-1 1/4 tsp vanilla

-2 or 3 large yellow bananas, sliced  

 -Stabilized whipped cream, to top.

Bake your pie crust, following directions for a filled-pie, and allow to cool completely.  (Usually you need to prick the sides and edges with a fork so it doesn't shrink).

Beat your egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually pour in the milk while stirring. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Cook 2 minutes longer and remove from heat. 

Very slowly pour small amounts of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, while whisking constantly so the eggs don't scramble!  When the mixtures are combined, pour back into saucepan and cook for 2 minutes while stirring constantly. 

Once thickened, (right as the mixture simmers, but before it comes to a full boil), remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until smooth and combined.  

Slice bananas into the baked pie crust.  Top with pudding mixture and smooth top.  Cover pudding with plastic wrap to prevent it from forming a "skin".

Refrigerate pie overnight.

Top with stabilized whipped cream, or regular whipped cream if you prefer.  If you use stabilized you can pipe on the whipped cream using a pastry bag and a large star tip.  (I use a 1M)

Eat within 2 days.


For Butterscotch Banana Cream Pie: Sub DARK brown sugar for white sugar in pudding. Use a small spoon to drizzle  a small amount of Mrs Richardson’s butterscotch over bananas before filling pie. Don’t use too much or it will be too sweet!