How to Make Banana Cream Pie

Fresh bananas layered with vanilla pastry cream in a fully baked crust, topped with whipped cream. No oven needed for the filling.

Makes

One 9-inch pie, 8 slices

Active time

About 1 hour

Bake

Crust only, about 30 minutes

Chill

At least 4 hours

Banana cream pie is a fully baked crust filled with stovetop vanilla pastry cream and sliced bananas, then topped with whipped cream. The filling is cooked in a saucepan, not the oven, so the main things to get right are a crisp, fully baked shell and a pastry cream that's cooked long enough to stay thick.

Ingredients

For the single crust

• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the pastry cream

• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) whole milk
• 2/3 cup (130 g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For assembly

• 3 ripe but firm bananas, yellow with a few brown specks
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cold heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Make and chill the dough. Mix the flour and salt, work in the butter until it is in pea-sized pieces, then stir in just enough ice water for the dough to hold together. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Shape the shell. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle, ease it into a 9-inch pie plate, trim, fold under and crimp. Prick the bottom all over with a fork and freeze for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
3. Fully blind-bake. Line the shell with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 15 minutes, remove the weights and paper, then bake 12 to 15 minutes more until the bottom and edges are deep golden. Cool completely.
4. Start the pastry cream. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until steaming. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a bowl, then whisk in the egg yolks until smooth and pale.
5. Temper the yolks. Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, so the eggs warm gently without scrambling. Pour it all back into the saucepan.
6. Cook until thick. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and reaching into the corners, until the mixture thickens and large bubbles break the surface. Let it bubble for a full minute while whisking. This is what keeps the filling from thinning out later.
7. Finish the cream. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. For the smoothest texture, press it through a fine sieve.
8. Layer. Slice two bananas about 1/4 inch thick and arrange them over the bottom of the cooled crust. Pour the warm pastry cream over them and smooth the top. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so no skin forms.
9. Chill. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until the filling is cold and set.
10. Top and serve. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to medium peaks. Spread it over the pie, then top with slices of the last banana just before serving.

Common problems

• Runny filling: the pastry cream wasn't boiled long enough. Egg yolks contain an enzyme that breaks down starch unless it's heated to a full bubble.
• Lumpy pastry cream: the yolks scrambled or the cream sat still on the heat. Whisk constantly, and strain it to fix small lumps.
• Soggy crust: the shell wasn't fully baked. Bake until the bottom is golden, not just dry.

Keep banana cream pie in the fridge, loosely covered, for up to 2 days. It doesn't freeze well, since the bananas and pastry cream turn watery when thawed. For more on getting a flaky shell, see Why Cold Butter Makes a Flaky Pie Crust.