Banana Cream Pie

Homemade pie is a treat anytime of year, but come summer, banana cream pie is always at the top of my list. It's layered with dreamy vanilla pastry cream and slices of banana, all topped with fluffy clouds of whipped cream and my ingredient superstar: toasted coconut chips. Decadent yet light, this is the pie that will be the centerpiece of your summer potluck or any special occasion. Here are a few tips for ultimate success:

How To Make Banana Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS

• Pie Dough: This version calls for our favorite basic pie dough, but of course you can use store-bought dough if you prefer.
• Egg Yolks: We only need the egg yolks for this recipe, so save the egg whites for your omelet the next morning!
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla and banana are a match made in heaven. A little bit of extract will amplify the banana flavors with a sweet, floral addition.
• Whole Milk: Whole milk will deliver the adequate amount of creaminess we want for this pie—I highly suggest using it for its full-fat richness.
• Granulated Sugar: This is a sweet pie, but it’s not ridiculously rich. 1/2 c. of sugar will sweeten our pastry cream the perfect amount.
• Cornstarch: This will help thicken up the pastry cream so that it isn’t runny, and holds up when we cut a slice.
• Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter, cut into pieces, is going to add richness and a glossy texture to our pastry cream.
• Bananas: I use around 5 to 6 medium-sized bananas. We’re not using banana extract here, only real bananas to bring the banana flavor, so I’m using a good amount of bananas. They don’t need to be banana-bread ripe, you still want them to hold up in your pie, but you also want them to be decently sweet.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Banana cream pie just isn’t complete without whipped cream on top, so I’m calling to whip heavy whipping cream into soft peaks before adding to the top of the pie.
• Toasted Coconut Chips: This is optional, but adding toasted coconut chips on top really completes this pie to me. It adds a nutty, tropical vibe to every bite.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, lightly flour a work surface, and roll your pie dough out to a 12” circle. You’re looking for it to be between 1/4” and 1/8”. Don’t roll the pie dough too thin to ensure it can hold the weight of the luscious pastry cream and bananas when slicing. Then, carefully drape it over a 9” pie dish, and gently press it to fit (no stretching it!). Trim the excess, leaving a 1/2" overhang. Fold the edges under, then crimp as you desire. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough all over, then place in the refrigerator until firm (this should take around 30 minutes).

Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla extract until combined. Set aside, then in a large saucepan, whisk together the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and combined. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, making sure to stir often. Cook until thickened, around 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Very gradually, whisk 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture until well combined. Then, whisk the egg mixture into the remaining milk mixture in the saucepan (again, very gradually). Bring the entire mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then cook while stirring constantly until thickened (this should take around 2 to 4 minutes).

Then, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the butter until melted and combined. Transfer the mixture to another large bowl (or measuring cup), then cover with plastic wrap that is pressed tightly onto the surface of the mixture. This will help prevent a skin from forming on top of the pastry cream. Place the bowl in the ice bath until slightly cooled, about 15 minutes, then remove from the ice bath and refrigerate until cold. This should take at least 30 minutes, but if you want to work ahead, you can do this up to 1 day ahead of time.

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 375°. Grab the refrigerated pie dough, and line it with parchment, leaving a 1” overhang. Fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice, then bake until the edges are golden. This should take around 20 to 25 minutes. Lift the parchment to remove the pie weights, then continue to bake the crust until it is deeply golden, around 12 to 15 minutes more. Once golden, place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely before moving on. Slice 2 to 3 bananas on a bias into 1/4"-thick slices, then arrange the slices on the bottom of the crust, slightly overlapping them, until the entire bottom of the crust is fully covered. Then, spread the pastry cream over the sliced bananas.

Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pastry cream (again, this prevents a skin from forming on the surface), then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

Once you’re almost ready to serve the pie, whip the heavy whipping cream into soft peaks. Dollop the whipped cream on top of the pie, leaving a 1” border. Slice your remaining bananas in the same manner as before, and arrange them on top of the whipped cream. Sprinkle the top with coconut chips (if you’re using), slice into wedges, and serve!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• No runny pie here. Many banana cream pies can become runny, but with a properly made pastry cream (made with whole milk for adequate creaminess), that won't be a problem here. Make sure all the components are cooled completely, and give the pie its time to chill in the refrigerator—it helps the filling set and makes slicing easier.
• Preventing brown bananas. You'll layer some of the bananas in the pie, which prevents the fruit from browning, and top the cream with the rest, so slice the bananas as you go.

Make Ahead & Storage

If you'd like to make this pie ahead of time—or if you're storing leftovers—simply cover it in storage wrap and place in the fridge for up to three days. Wrap the entire pie in storage wrap if you'd like to freeze it where it'll keep for around two months.