If you ask anyone within a five mile radius of my grandma Helen’s house about banana cream pie, I bet you their eyes will light up and a little bit of drool will form at the corner of their mouths.
Yes, this pie is that good.
My dad and his siblings used to tell Helen that she should sell it.
But that wasn’t Helen’s style.
Cooking for her 6 kids and their friends and anyone else in the neighborhood who happened to stop by was her style.
So there are definitely quite a few people who can wax poetic about this pie.
I’m not going to lie, this is not really one of my typical easy dessert recipes.
It takes a lot of standing at the stove and stirring.
But, it is surprisingly itty bitty kitchen friendly! Once you make the crust, all you need is a saucepan and a bowl. So, time-consuming? Yes. Complicated and intricate? No.
I actually have this recipe hanging on the wall in my kitchen.
You’re going to need a 9 inch pie crust, baked, to start. Use your favorite recipe, or use Helen’s, which you can find here.
Now onto the filling.
You will need:
- 2/3 cup Sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups whole milk (sorry no cheating here)
- 3 eggs, well beaten
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 bananas sliced
- whipped cream (preferably homemade)
Mix the sugar salt an cornstarch in a medium pot.
Add the milk slowly, mixing well.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and boils.
Don’t try and force it by raising the heat. You will burn the milk (I’m speaking from experience). You should put on a show you’ve been meaning to catch up on or a CD you’ve been wanting to listen to, because you’re going to be here a little while.
When the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs.
Slowly ladle half of the milk mixture into the eggs, stirring as you pour. We’re tempering the eggs so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs in your pie.
When the mixture is well incorporated, pour back into the pot on the stove and bring to a boil, again stirring constantly.
Lower the heat and add the butter and vanilla and stir.
Let that sit for a minute, and turn your attention to your pie crust. We need to get it ready for this luscious filling.
Place a layer of sliced bananas along the bottom of the crust.
Pour in the filling.
Layer with more banana slices.
And top with whipped cream.
This is best when it’s icy cold, so let it sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Be careful when you go to lift it. It’s heavier than you think.
You will never be able to order a slice of banana cream pie at the diner again.