This is the ultimate banana cream pie; rich, silky, and indulgent yet so light and dreamy. Full of banana flavor with no artificial ingredients, you’ll love the creamy, crunchy, light and fluffy elements working together in each bite!

A flakey homemade butter crust holds creamy vanilla custard with fresh bananas above and below all topped with a giant mound of whipped cream! This pie is hard to beat and will be a home run even if you’re not a big banana fan!

How to Make Banana Cream Pie

For the pie crust; preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Whiz together. Grate in chilled butter and drizzle in ice cold water. Mix using a fork.

Roll the pastry dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a ziplock bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Dock your pie crust. Add tin foil to keep your pie crust propped up. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Make the egg wash by mixing the egg and a dash of heavy cream together. Take out the tin foil and brush the crust with the egg wash.

Now dock the pie crust with a fork or sharp knife and add a tent of foil around the sides. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 then reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the center is golden. Once the center is golden, remove the pie crust from the oven and set aside

For the Filling; whisk the dry ingredients together add milk and whisk again. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened while whisking continuously.

Slowly drizzle a cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs to temper them. Add the egg mixture back into the pot while whisking and cook on medium an additional 2 minutes.

Stir in butter and vanilla then mix until dissolved. Cover and chill to bring to room temp.

For the Whipped Cream Topping; add heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to a stand mixer. Whip on high until you reach soft peaks. Add the whipped cream to the top of the pie and smooth slightly.

Add a thin layer of custard to the base of your cooled pie shell. Slice bananas and place on bottom.

Use the rest of the custard filling to fill the pie shell, and whipped cream and more bananas on top.

Pro Tips For this Recipe

You can make this pie a day ahead, served chilled and it will be delicious!

If you want to make the pie 2-3 days ahead just add the bananas and whipped cream before serving. Fresh bananas will get brown and mushy in a few days so best to add before serving.

I LOVE this pie drizzled with a chocolate ganache or sprinkled with some toasted coconut on top. Have them both prepared when you serve so guests can play with some options.

You can add a tablespoon less cornstarch to the filling for a softer texture. It’s a delicate balance between texture and stability!

This pie works well with a cookie crust too so feel free to experiment!

Use vanilla bean paste for an extra hit of vanilla and lovely visual from all those tiny seeds floating throughout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep the bananas from turning brown?

Brush your bananas lightly with a bit of citrus juice. Lemon works well as does orange and even pineapple. If you don’t want to introduce another flavor to your banana cream pie then consider slicing and arranging the banana on top just before serving.

Should banana cream pie be refrigerated?

You should definitely refrigerate banana cream pie as it is filled with dairy, which should not be left out for longer than an hour or so. Cover with a large cloche or arrange some tin foil loosely over the pie and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Can I make it in advance?

Banana cream pie can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated. I recommend filling the pie crust with the filling then adding the bananas and whipped cream on top before serving for best results.