If you love old-fashioned banana pudding, this banana cream pie will be right up your alley. With a vanilla wafer crust, creamy custard, layers of fresh bananas, and heaps of whipped cream, it’s essentially banana pudding in pie form—just easier to slice and serve. Simple to make and make-ahead friendly, it’s the kind of comforting dessert that always makes people happy.
WHat You’ll Need To Make Banana Cream Pie
- The Crust – Vanilla wafers (crushed), light brown sugar, and unsalted butter.
- The Filling – Whole milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and bourbon (optional).
- The Topping – Heavy cream, sugar, bananas, and crushed vanilla wafers.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the crust. In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and brown sugar, then add the melted butter and mix with a spatula or your hands until evenly moistened. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan. Gently press the crumbs up the sides first and then across the bottom. Bake for about 10 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant, then let cool on a rack. (The crust can be made up to 3 days ahead.)
Pro Tip: Press the crumbs just until they hold together without compacting them too much, which can make the crust hard to cut. Leave the seam where the bottom meets the sides a touch thicker; this will help it slice neatly.
Step 2: Make the custard. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk the milk and egg yolks, then gradually whisk the mixture into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until thickened and bubbling, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue whisking for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, butter, and bourbon (if using) until smooth. Let cool for a minute or two before assembling.
Pro Tip: Whisking constantly prevents the custard from scorching on the bottom of the pan and keeps the egg yolks from scrambling.
Step 3: Layer and chill. Cover the bottom of the crust with banana slices. Give the custard a quick whisk and pour half of the custard over top. Add another layer of bananas, cover with the remaining custard, and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before refrigerating for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Whip the cream. Up to a few hours before serving, whip the cream on medium-low speed until it leaves tracks. Add the sugar and continue whipping until the cream holds medium, silky peaks, being careful not to overwhip. Spread the whipped cream over the filling, swirling decoratively and leaving some of the pudding visible around the edges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pro Tip: If you accidentally overwhip the cream and it looks grainy, gently fold in another tablespoon or two of the heavy cream with a spatula to smooth it back out.
Step 4: Finish and serve. Right before serving, top with sliced bananas and sprinkle with the crushed vanilla wafers. Cut slices with a warm, dry knife, wiping clean between cuts. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Banana Cream Pie
A classic banana cream pie recipe with a rich filling and plenty of fresh banana flavor.
Servings 8 to 10
Calories 546kcal
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups Nilla wafer crumbs (from about 3½ cups whole wafers; see note)
- ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 3 large ripe bananas
For the Topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons crushed vanilla wafers
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
For the Crust
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9-in (23-cm) deep-dish pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the vanilla wafer crumbs and brown sugar. Add the melted butter and mix with a spatula or your hands until the mixture is evenly moistened.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan. Starting with the sides, use your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to gently press the crumbs up the edges of the pan in an even ¼-in (6-mm)-thick layer. Don’t pack them too firmly—press just until the crumbs hold together. Then lightly press the remaining crumbs into the bottom of the pan, using the same gentle pressure and keeping the layer about ¼-in (6-mm) thick. Use the back of a spoon to gently round the seam where the bottom meets the sides—leaving this area a touch thicker helps the crust hold together and slice neatly.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool on a rack. (The crust can be made up to 3 days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic, and stored at room temperature.)
For the Filling
- Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan and whisk gently to combine.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg yolks. Add the milk mixture to the saucepan in a slow, steady stream, whisking until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook—whisking constantly, especially around the edges—for one minute more. (Whisking constantly prevents scorching and keeps the eggs from scrambling.)
- Off the heat, add the vanilla, butter, and bourbon (if using); whisk until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Let the custard cool for just a minute or two, then begin assembling the pie. (If you need to step away and can’t assemble immediately, press a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface to prevent a skin from forming.)
- Cut enough banana slices to cover the bottom of the cooled crust. Give the custard a quick whisk, then pour half of it over the bananas. Add another layer of banana slices, whisk the remaining custard again to smooth it out, and pour it over top. Cover immediately with plastic wrap to prevent a film from forming, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight, until completely set.
For the Topping
- Up to a few hours before serving, place the heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Using a stand or hand-held mixer, whip on medium-low speed until the whisk or beaters begin to leave tracks. Add the sugar and continue whipping until the cream holds medium, silky peaks. (Go slowly toward the end; if it looks grainy, it’s overwhipped.)
- Spread the whipped cream over the chilled filling, swirling decoratively and leaving some of the pudding visible around the edges. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Right before serving, top with sliced bananas and sprinkle with the crushed vanilla wafers. Cut slices with a warm, dry knife, wiping clean between cuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Per serving (10 servings)Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 245mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g
Nutritional Data Disclaimer
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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