Banana Cream Pie Is Sunshine in a Pie Dish

In a lineup of classic Southern pies, banana cream pie wins first place for being literal sunshine in a pie dish. Cold pastry cream filling, fresh bananas, a flaky pie crust, all topped with dollops of fluffy whipped cream? It’s a recipe for smiles. But the best part about cold pies, like this banana cream pie, is that it’s the ideal make-ahead dessert.

In fact, making this pie ahead is a key component to getting it right — the chilling time is as much of an ingredient as the bananas or cream.

What’s in Banana Cream Pie?

• Pastry cream filling: To ensure a sturdy, sliceable consistency for the pie, the pastry cream for the banana cream pie has some added cornstarch for stability.

• Fresh banana slices: They’re not only for decoration! You’ll find a layer under the cream filling as well. To avoid browning bananas, coat the banana slices in an acidic fruit juice such as lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, or even apple juice to inhibit oxidation.

• Flaky pie crust: You can use store-bought or homemade. Or you can sub in a graham cracker crust.

• Whipped cream: For the most delicious results, make your own!

Tips for Best Results

Plan ahead. I suggest breaking up the recipe into two days. On day one, I like to make and bake the pie dough and pastry cream, then on day two, I assemble the pie with fresh bananas and make the whipped cream.

• Chill everything. Follow the recipe to make sure all components are adequately chilled before assembly. The pastry cream in particular needs the chill time to firm up or it will be too loose to hold its shape when sliced.

• Strain the pastry cream. There’s an added step in this recipe to strain the pastry cream before refrigerating, and while it’s not necessary, I’ve never once regretted pulling out the sieve. No matter how well I think I’ve stirred, the sieve always manages to catch a few lumps in my cream. It’s worth the wash!

• Make whipped cream right before serving. Fresh whipped cream is best made day-of, so resist the urge to do that in advance!

Banana Cream Pie

Serves 8 to 12; makes 1 (9-inch) pie

• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1 store-bought or homemade pie crust (1/2 recipe flaky pie crust), thawed if frozen or refrigerated for at least 1 hour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 ripe medium bananas, divided

For the Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Lightly flour a work surface. Place 1 pie crust on it and roll out to a 12-inch round. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish). Press it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim all but 1 inch of the excess pie dough from around the edge. Fold the edge under itself, then crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Using a fork, pokes holes all over the bottom of the crust. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pastry cream.

2. Place 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium saucepan and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Place over medium heat and cook, swirling occasionally, until steaming but not boiling, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, fit a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Place 4 large egg yolks and 1/4 cup cornstarch in a medium heatproof bowl and whisk until smooth.

3. Turn off the heat. Use a measuring cup or ladle to scoop out about 1 cup of the steamed milk. While whisking constantly, slowly pour it into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

4. While whisking continuously, cook over medium heat until the pastry cream comes to a simmer and thickens into a pudding-like consistency, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and whisk until combined.

5. Pour the pastry cream into the strainer. Push through the strainer with a flexible spatula; scrape the pastry cream on the underside of the strainer into the bowl. Discard the contents of the strainer. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. Meanwhile, blind bake the pie dough.

6. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet. Line the crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil, making sure to completely cover the bottom and sides and pressing it up against the sides. Fill the crust with pie weights.

7. Bake until the edges of the crust start to turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven. Grasp the corners of the parchment or foil, and lift the weights out of the pie. Transfer them to a bowl or plate to cool.

8. Return the crust to the oven and bake until the edges are browned and the bottom is lightly golden-brown, 5 to 8 minutes more. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

9. Peel and slice 2 of the medium bananas crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds. Arrange the slices in a single layer in the crust, starting from the outside and working your way toward the center.

10. Transfer 1/2 cup of the pastry cream (reserve the plastic wrap) onto the bananas and use the back of a spoon or small offset spatula to push the cream into the empty spaces between the slices. Top with the remaining pastry cream and smooth out the top. Press the reserved plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Make the Whipped Cream

1. When ready to serve, make the whipped cream: Place 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using an electric hand mixer). Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until firm peaks form, about 5 minutes.

2. Spoon the whipped cream evenly on top of the pie. Alternatively, pipe the whipped cream: Transfer it to a piping or zip-top bag. Cut off the bottom tip of the piping bag or one bottom corner of the zip-top bag with scissors. Pipe decoratively on the outside edges of the pie.

3. Peel and slice the remaining 1 medium banana crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds. Garnish the top of the pie with the slices.

Recipe Notes

• The pastry cream can be made up to two days in advance. The pie dough can be made up to four days ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Let cold pie dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling out.

• Cover leftover pie loosely covered with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to three days (the whipped cream may start leaking).

Maria Do is a contributor to TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to [email protected].