This Banana Cream Pie is amazingly light and fluffy and full of ripe banana chunks. The mile-high whipped cream and toasted coconut are the perfect finish to the perfect pie. Creamy Dreamy Banana Cream Pie.
Wow. Just wow. That’s the only way I can describe this Creamy Dreamy Banana Cream Pie recipe.
The light and fluffy filling.
The ripe banana chunks.
The mile-high whipped cream on top.
You will not want to miss this one!
I surprised the kids with this pie on Monday after work.
I’d been wanting to make a banana cream pie for a while.
I tried a recipe I found online a few weeks ago and it was definitely not a winner in my book.
It was much too heavy and dense.
I could not find a recipe that sounded exactly like what I was wanting so I combined a few and made my own
And Noah loves it too. He’s a big banana fan.
Tonight, he got a banana and started dipping it in his pie before eating it!
That’s a new way to eat pie for sure.
Disclosure – I may get a small commission for purchases made through affiliate links in this post.
Let’s get into the recipe.
Key to Success #1 – The Graham Cracker Crust
I always use my Kitchen Ninja to make the graham cracker crumbs.
You can use any good food processor or even a plastic bag and a rolling pin.
I add all the dry ingredients to the Kitchen Ninja but I like to transfer it to a separate bowl when I add the melted butter and water so that I can be more gentle with it.
I think that creates a more tender crust.
The secret ingredient to this classic graham cracker crust is a bit of cinnamon.
It adds a wonderful flavor to the pie. Also, be sure to add a pinch of salt for flavor.
Key to Success #2 – The Fresh Bananas
Next time I make this pie, I will add more fresh bananas to the filling.
You can see from my photo that I made a pretty layer of bananas underneath the filling.
Next time, I might add half the filling then more bananas then more filling.
Key to Success #3 – The Banana Cream Filling
The filling for this pie is a cross between a banana pudding and a light and fluffy cheesecake.
It has a wonderful banana flavor and the cream cheese adds a special touch.
It’s exactly what I had in mind for a banana cream pie.
Key to Success #4 – Topping It Off
Fresh sweetened whipped cream tops this beautiful pie.
When I made the pie for the blog, I used about 3 cups of heavy whipping cream so that I could have some extra whipped cream for decorating the pie.
You certainly don’t have to do that, but just remember to make some extra whipped cream if you’re going to be using it to decorate your pie.
I used the Wilton Dessert Pro Decorator to create the pretty top of my pie then I sprinkled toasted coconut on top.
The coconut is totally optional if it’s not your thing but it adds a nice texture to this light and fluffy banana cream pie.
Save this Banana Cream Pie recipe to your favorite Pie Board or your Banana Desserts Board.
Creamy Dreamy Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
For Graham Cracker Crust
- 14 graham crackers
- 6 Tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp water
For the Filling
- 1 large box (5 oz) banana cream pudding mix
- 1 cup milk
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 3-4 bananas
- 2 cups heavy cream whipped and divided
- 1/2 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, salt and water. Press into 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
- Turn oven down to 325 degrees. Spread shredded coconut onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir frequently to prevent over-browning.
- Mix together pudding mix and milk. Refrigerate at least 5 minutes or until firm.
- Using electric mixer, whip heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In separate bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and pudding and mix completely. Fold in 1/2 of the sweetened whipped cream.
- Spread a thin layer of filling on the sides and bottom of the cooled crust. Cut 3-4 bananas into coins and press into the filling. Spread remaining filling on top of bananas.
- Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.