Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe

Name: Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 340 min
Ingredients: 1 pie crust (homemade or store bought); 3 eggs; 5 tablespoons of cornstarch; 1 cup sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 1/2 cups whole milk; 3/4 cup half and half; 2 tablespoons salted butter; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 2 bananas; whipped cream (store bought or homemade)

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Easy as pie! If you can stir, you can make this Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe. Tender creamy custard, fresh bananas, and real whipped cream inside of a flakey crust is among my favorite desserts. We'll show you exactly how to make it!

Easy banana cream pie recipe slice and placed on a white plate. It is garnished with whipped cream. Whole pie is in the background.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This easy banana cream pie recipe is the perfect ending to a feast of brined turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. But it is also a delicious dessert to serve after any meal, not just Thanksgiving. You're going to go bananas for it! You're going to love this recipe because:

It is made ahead of time, leaving you time for dinner preparations the day of serving.
It is completely customizable and can be made into a cream pie, a banana cream pie, a chocolate cream pie, or a coconut cream pie.
The only requirement for this recipe is stirring. If you can stir, you can make this cream pie.
While some recipes use instant pudding like instant banana jello pudding, or instant vanilla pudding, this one is done the old fashioned way, and it makes all the difference! Homemade beats instant banana cream pie every time!

Cream Pies 101

A cream pie is a type of pie filled with a rich custard or pudding that is made from milk, cream, sugar, thickener, and eggs. It comes in many forms - Banana Cream Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Chocolate Cream Pie, and so on. One characteristic of most cream pies is a whipped cream topping. Cream pies are a one-crust pie, meaning the crust covers the bottoms and sides but not the top.

About The Ingredients

All of the ingredients you need for this recipe can be purchased at your local grocery store. Here are a few items to note:

Bananas, eggs, cream, vanilla, butter, and cornstarch on a marble counter.

cornstarch - this is the thickener for the custard. This is a really important ingredient when making cream pies. This can be located on the baking aisle at your grocery store.
pantry items - there are a few pantry items needed for this recipe like sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
whole milk - when making this recipe it is really important to use whole milk. Skim or low-fat milk will result in a runny filling.
half and half - half and half is just what is sounds like. It is half heavy cream and half whole milk. You can purchase half and half on the dairy aisle at your grocery store. This will add some extra creaminess to the filling.
bananas - you'll need fresh bananas for the pie and for the garnish.
whipped cream - one of the quintessential parts of a cream pie is the whipped topping. You can use store bought in a can, frozen whipped topping (like cool whip) or homemade whipped cream. I'll include instructions for homemade in the recipe card.

A complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.

How do I Make Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe From Scratch?

Let me show you step by step how to make this pie:

Note - This recipe is a one-crust pie, meaning only the bottom and sides will be covered with crust. You can use your favorite store-bought crust, or prepare a homemade crust. We have an amazing, delicious, and easy crust recipe here on the blog.

A pie crust being prepared and eggs being beaten.

Step 1- Start by preparing your pie crust. Press the crust along the bottom and edges of your pie plate. Crimp the edges. Using a fork, poke the bottom of the crust generously. This prevents it from puffing up during baking. Bake pie crust at 450 for 8-10 minutes until golden. This technique is called a blind bake. You can cover your crust with parchment and fill with beans to ensure the shape remains, but it is not necessary. Once crust is baked, set aside to cool.

Step 2 - In a medium mixing bowl, add eggs.

Step 3 - Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Step 4 - In a 4 quart saucepan, add your sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk to combine these dry ingredients.

Step 5 - Pour in whole milk and half and half. Whisk until well combined. Set heat on your stove to medium.

Step 6 - As you heat the mixture continually whisk. When I say continually, I mean constantly. You're going to stir until your arms fall off. Stir continuously until mixture is thickened and simmering. You want the temperature of the mixture to be between 175-180 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes. Make sure you are stirring the entire time.

Step 7 - You'll know when the mixture is thick enough because you'll be able to coat the back of a wooden spoon and run your finger through it. If the line remains, it is thick enough.

Step 8 - Add about a cup of hot liquid to your slightly beaten eggs, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. Make sure you are whisking eggs continuously while you pour the small amount of hot liquid in. This is called tempering your eggs.

Custard being prepared and poured into a pie plate.

Step 9 - Pour tempered eggs into your thickened custard while you whisk. Continue to stir and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Step 10 - Remove from heat and add in butter and vanilla. Stir until combined and smooth.

Step 11 - Line pie crust with slices of 2 bananas.

Step 12 - Pour custard pudding mixture over on top of banana layer.

Step 13 - Press plastic wrap to the surface of the custard layer. This prevents the custard from forming a thick skin. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Step 14 - Top with whipped cream, and additional banana slices if desired. Serve chilled.

Pie Pan Recommendation

There are several options when it comes to pie pans. There are two standard sizes, 9 inch regular and 9 inch deep dish. Here are a few of my favorite pie plates:

Glass pie dish - this type is a classic pan. It bakes up evenly and is sturdy.
Ceramic Pie Pan - this pie pan is so beautiful and bakes up great. If you're looking for something beautiful, this is your guy.
Cast Iron Pie Plate - there is nothing more indestructible than cast iron. For even cooking and something heavy duty opt for cast iron.
Disposable Pie Pan - for easy clean up I like to use these disposable pie pans. They don't cook as evenly, but they sure are convenient!

Variations

This cream custard can be altered for different versions of cream pie. Because this is not a banana cream pudding, but rather a vanilla custard - simply omit the bananas from the original recipe and make this changes:

A ¾ shot of easy banana cream pie in a white pie plate. It is garnished with flowers.

For a plain cream pie: Omit bananas from the recipe.
For Coconut Cream Pie: Omit the bananas, add ½ to 1 cup of coconut flakes to the custard filling after it is prepared. Pour into baked pie shell. Cool completely and chill. Top with whipped cream.
For Chocolate Cream Pie: Omit the bananas, add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the custard filling after it is prepared. The warm mixture will melt the chocolate chips. Stir until well combined. Pour into baked pie shell. Cool completely and chill. Top with whipped cream.
For Chocolate Banana Cream: follow recipe as directed, add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the custard filling after it is prepared. The warm mixture will melt the chocolate chips. Stir until well combined. Pour into baked pie shell. Cool completely and chill. Top with whipped cream.
Swap the crust: swap out the traditional pie crust for a graham cracker crust. You can use store bought or homemade graham crust.

A slice of cream pie on a dessert plate, with the whole pie in the background.

Easy Banana Cream Pie Recipe FAQ

Why is my pie filling runny?

To avoid soupy, runny custard, make sure to use whole milk and cook it until it's nice and thick. Undercooked pudding is the #1 reason the pie gets soupy. One trick to check the doneness is to coat the back of the spoon with pudding and run your finger right through the middle.

How do I store banana pie?

Cream pie will last 4-5 days in the fridge. This pie must be refrigerated.

Can this pie be made ahead?

Yes, we recommend making this pie a day ahead, because it requires hours of chilling before served.

Is this pie gluten free?

The filling is completely gluten free! You need to swap the crust out for a gluten free crust to make the entire pie gluten free.

An overhead shot of easy banana cream pie in a white pie plate. It is garnished with whipped cream and chamomile flowers.

Expert Kitchen Tips

Keeping bananas from turning brown - Treat the bananas with citrus juice: Lemon, orange or pineapple juice will prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown. Don't use too much - you don't want to alter the flavor, but you can brush citrus juice onto the slices or place the juice in a pray bottle and spritz them.
When is the custard done? - You'll know when the mixture is thick enough because you'll be able to coat the back of a wooden spoon and run your finger through it. If the line remains, it is thick enough.

I LOVE PIES! DO YOU HAVE MORE RECIPES?

Boy, do we ever! Check our our:

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