This recipe for banana cream pie features a buttery and flaky pie crust, vanilla pastry cream filling, fresh bananas, and homemade whipped cream. This is a diner worthy classic recipe!

A whole banana cream pie

Overview

My banana cream pie recipe features classic components: traditional pastry crust, vanilla pastry cream, fresh bananas, and plenty of fresh whipped cream. These components may be simple to make on their own but when layered together, they make a seriously delicious banana cream pie.

This banana cream pie will remind you of the classic diner pie but because it’s made from scratch and by you – it’s that much better!

What I love about this banana cream pie

  • It’s a classic! If you think of diner pie, you think of banana cream pie. It’s a crowd favorite for a reason.
  • Homemade pastry cream is creamy, rich, and well worth the trouble of making from-scratch custard.
  • The flavors of this pie include not only the obvious banana but luxurious vanilla as well.
a slice of banana cream pie

Variation Ideas

Cookie Crumb Crust: Instead of a traditional flaky pie crust, make a cookie crust with either vanilla wafers or graham crackers. Follow my graham cracker crust recipe in its entirety (you can choose to bake the crust or leave it unbaked – completely up to you). Use the same recipe to make a vanilla wafer crust.

Chocolate Banana Cream Pie: For the filling, make chocolate pastry cream following the recipe notes in this pastry cream recipe.

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie: For the filling, make peanut butter pastry cream following the recipe notes in this pastry cream recipe.

How to Make Banana Cream Pie

There are four components to banana cream pie: pie crust, vanilla pastry cream, fresh bananas, and whipped cream. These components are simple to make on their own and, when layered together, make a seriously delicious banana cream pie.

Make & Bake the Pie Crust

I highly recommend making your own pie crust to make this the best banana cream pie. I know that making pie crust can seem daunting if you aren’t familiar with the process. This pie crust tutorial is a great place to start to help you gain some confidence.

For an even easier recipe, use a store-bought pie crust!

It’s important to note that this pie filling does not need to be baked in the oven. Because of this, the pie crust needs a blind bake before assembling the pie. Allow the crust to cool while you prepare the other components.

Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream

Pastry cream going through a strainer

For this recipe, we are using my classic pastry cream recipe. It’s flavored with vanilla which pairs perfectly with the bananas. Once you make a homemade custard, you will never again make a pie with boxed pudding mix!

After the pastry cream is made, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to ensure that it is silky smooth. Allow the pastry cream to cool slightly before assembling the pie.

Assemble

When the pastry cream has cooled down (it can still be warm but not hot), take it out of the refrigerator. Slice the fresh bananas and place half in a single layer in the bottom of the crust. Pour half of the pastry cream over the bananas and spread out with an offset spatula.

Add the other half of sliced bananas on top. Pour the remaining pastry cream on top of the bananas. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the filling and refrigerate until completely cool- at least 2 hours.

Make the Whipped Cream

Whipped cream in a bowl

Real homemade whipped cream is the absolute best (and most classic!) topping. Because whipped cream is so simple to make yourself, I don’t recommend using store-bought whipped cream. It just isn’t the same!

If you’d like to make the whipped cream in advance, make a stabilized version that contains gelatin. My recipe for stabilized whipped cream can be made up to 4 days in advance.

A whole banana cream pie

For decoration and to drive the point home, add additional sliced bananas on top of the whipped cream. Do this step right before serving or they will turn brown. Serve immediately.

Storage

Banana cream pie should be stored covered in the refrigerator and will keep for up to 4 days. Remove the banana slices on top before refrigerating. They will brown quickly.

Make-Ahead Pie

Surprisingly, banana cream pie is a great make-ahead recipe. Most of the components can be made a couple days before you plan to assemble and serve.

Pie Crust: Store premade pie dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store a baked, un-filled pie crust in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (wrap tightly in plastic wrap before refrigerating). 

Pastry Cream: Store vanilla pastry cream in an airtight container (with a piece of plastic wrap touching the pastry cream surface) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Whipped Cream: I don’t recommend making fresh whipped cream ahead of time. It’s best to wait until you’re ready to assemble and serve to whip the cream.

Learn how to stabilize homemade whipped cream! Stabilized whipped cream can be made up to 4 days in advance.

FAQ

What is the best crust for banana cream pie?

This diner classic recipe utilizes a traditional pie pastry crust. However, I’ve also made it using a graham cracker crust and even a vanilla wafer crust. While these cookie crusts are great if you are trying to mimic more of a banana pudding flavor, I much prefer the buttery flakiness of a traditional pastry crust.

How to do you keep the bananas from turning black in a banana cream pie?

It’s important that when you spread the custard filling over the top of the fresh bananas, that it fully covers the bananas. If you leave any fresh banana exposed, it will brown more quickly. I recommend only adding the decorative banana slices on top of the whipped cream right before serving.

Why don’t you use banana pudding for banana cream pie?

You can absolutely use a banana flavored pudding or pastry cream to make banana cream pie. However, it’s more traditional to use vanilla pastry cream with the addition of fresh bananas. The bananas are more flavorful and fresh than the flavor in banana pudding.

a slice of banana cream pie

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious cream pie recipes.

A whole banana cream pie
Yield: 10 servings

Banana Cream Pie

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 52 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 37 minutes

This recipe for classic banana cream pie features a buttery, flaky pie crust, vanilla pastry cream filling, fresh bananas, and homemade whipped cream!

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 180 grams (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 grams (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold
  • 30 grams (2 ½ tablespoons) shortening
  • 57-85 grams (4-6 tablespoons, 60-90 milliliters) ice water

For the Pastry Cream Filling

  • 192 grams (6 large) egg yolks
  • 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 30 grams (¼ cup) cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 568 grams (2 ½ cups, 600 milliliters) whole milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste
  • 28 grams (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3 medium to large fresh bananas, ripe but not overly ripe

For the Whipped Cream

  • 352 grams (1 ½ cups, 360 milliliters) heavy cream or whipping cream, cold
  • 60 grams (½ cup) powdered sugar

Instructions

Prep: 

  1. Read through this recipe in its entirety to get a feel for the workflow. 
  2. Measure out all of the ingredients.
  3. Cut the cold butter (85 grams/ 6 tablespoons) for the pie crust into small pieces, about ½-inch (1 cm) size. Make sure it is very cold. If it has started to warm up, you can place it in the freezer for a few minutes before starting. 
  4. Cut the butter (28 grams/ 2 tablespoons) for the pastry cream filling into small pieces and set aside at room temperature.

Make the Pie dough:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (180 grams/ 1 ½ cups), salt (½ teaspoon), and sugar (12 grams/ 1 tablespoon).
  2. Add the shortening (30 grams/ 2 ½ tablespoons) and cold butter to the bowl and toss with your hands so all of the fat is coated with flour. Use the tips of your fingers and thumbs to press down on all of the pieces of fat, creating little sheets of fat throughout your mixture. If it feels like the fat is starting to melt, pop the bowl in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before continuing. Continue working the fat through the flour until all of the fat has been worked through and ranges in size from peas to walnuts throughout. 
  3. Add the ice water (57-85 grams/ 4-6 tablespoons) little by little into the mixture. Fold the mixture gently with a silicone spatula to incorporate. Use a light hand to slowly hydrate the flour as you add more water. You may not need all of the water. Once large clumps of dough start forming, gather the dough up and press it together. If it crumbles then you need to add a little more water. If it holds together then you are ready to chill the dough. 
  4. Bring the dough together on your counter and press into one mass and knead very gently for one or two turns to bring it into a cohesive dough.
  5. Press flat into a round disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and the flour to fully hydrate. While the dough is chilling, make the pastry cream.

Make the pastry cream filling:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks (192 grams/ 6 large) with the sugar (100 grams/ ½ cup), cornstarch (30 grams/ ¼ cup), and salt (¼ teaspoon) with a whisk until foamy and about double in size. This will ensure a smooth pastry cream.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk (568 grams/ 2 ½ cups) on medium heat until it starts to boil. 
  3. Temper the egg yolks by slowly pouring about half of the milk into the egg/cornstarch mixture while whisking continuously. It can be helpful to nestle the mixing bowl in a damp kitchen towel to stabilize the bowl while you whisk and pour.
  4. Pour the milk/egg mixture back into the pot with the remainder of the milk and cook over low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and starts rapidly bubbling. Do not rush this process. 
  5. Pour the hot pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve.
  6. Add the butter and vanilla extract or paste (1 ½ teaspoons) and whisk in. 
  7. Place a piece of plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bake the pie crust:

  1. Preheat the oven at 400°F/205°C.
  2. Lightly flour a clean work surface and place your chilled dough on top. Lightly flour the top of the dough and your rolling pin. As you roll the dough, lift it up, turn it, and redistribute flour underneath it every few rolls to prevent sticking. Roll the dough out to about 1 ½ - 2-inches (4 -5 cm) wider than your pie dish all the way around. This is important so that your dough doesn’t need to stretch to fit down into the plate, which can cause it to shrink.
  3. Set the rolling pin in the middle and fold the dough in half over the rolling pin. Gently transfer it into the pie plate, unrolling it off the rolling pin. 
  4. Lift up on the sides of the crust to allow it to fall naturally into the pie plate without having to stretch it. 
  5. If there are places that don’t have quite enough dough to hang over the edge, you can patch it with pieces from the other side. 
  6. Trim the excess dough leaving about ½-inch overhang all the way around the pie plate. Fold the extra dough under, creating a lip all the way around and crimp the edges. Using a fork, dock the crust a few times on the bottom and up the sides. 
  7. Place a piece of parchment paper over top of the pie crust and fill it with dry beans, rice, or pie weights; they should fill the pan all the way to the top. This will help the crust hold its shape and not shrink while baking. I typically use dried beans for this and save them to reuse. 
  8. Optional: I suggest placing your crust in the freezer for at least 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up before baking to prevent shrinkage. 
  9. Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 20 minutes. 
  10. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights from the crust. Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 12-15 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and fully set. Let the crust cool on a wire rack.

Assemble:

  1. When the pastry cream has cooled down (it can still be warm but not hot), take it out of the refrigerator. Slice the bananas (about 3) and place half in a single layer in the bottom of the crust.
  2. Pour half of the pastry cream over the bananas and spread out with an offset spatula. Add the other half of sliced bananas on top. Pour the remaining pastry cream on top of the bananas.
  3. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the filling and refrigerate until completely cool- at least 2 hours.

Make the whipped cream:

  1. Wait to make the whipped cream until right before serving. Place the cream (352 grams/ 1 ½ cups) in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. 
  2. Begin whipping on medium speed until soft peaks begin to form. 
  3. With the mixer still running, slowly add the powdered sugar (60 grams/ ½ cups) and mix until medium peaks form. Be careful not to over whip the cream. It will start looking curdled if you go too far, as it begins turning into butter. 
  4. Top the whipped cream over the filling and spread out using the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Alternatively, you can pipe the whipped cream into a decorative design. Top with additional banana slices if desired. Serve immediately.
  5. STORE: Banana cream pie should be stored covered in the refrigerator and will keep for up to 4 days. Remove the banana slices on top before refrigerating. They will turn brown quickly when chilled.

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