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?

Coconut Cream Pie

  
Thanksgiving for me is about the pie.

And having enough pie leftovers to eat for the next two days.

In the spirit of this conviction I have a whole bunch of pie recipes to share with you this week.  I made 5 new pies this Thanksgiving and only one of them was not blog-worthy. Save these recipes for next year.  It's always good to have great pie recipes in your arsenal.


This coconut cream pie is delicious.  Not overly sweetened and perfectly coconutty.  I found unsweetened coconut in the bulk section at Winco.  I have not had any luck finding it in the baking sections at regular grocery stores.  Mine was finely shredded (think very very finely shredded cheese), so if yours is long thick strands, you may want to put it in your food processor until you  have teensy shreds.  I personally don't care for long chunks of coconut in my pie.  Also I made this on a graham cracker crust but next time I'll use a regular pastry crust.  Personal preference only so use whichever you like.

I’m partying at the Pi Day Pie Party at Crazy for Crust today. Come party with us!