This cream pie is absolutely worth the time spent to make it. Crunchy vanilla wafer crust, creamy banana custard, fried bananas and soft pillowy meringue combine into an absolutely luscious bite!
The first real recipe I remember seeking out as a teenager and trying on my own was a Banana Cream Pie from an older Good Housekeeping cookbook. After working through the recipe, I was so proud of the end result that I volunteered to make it for every family & friends gathering we had in the near future.
I recently started craving this pie after all those years and found my old recipe but decided to throw in some twists to make it my own. This can either be made as one 9"inch pie or in muffin cups as individual pie cups - the pie cups are my preferred way to eat it and are perfect for summer parties!
- Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
- Custard:
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk (2% is best!)
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons Bananas Foster Dark Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Fried Bananas:
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced thin (about 1/4")
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Bananas Foster Dark Balsamic
- Meringue:
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, granulated sugar and melted butter in a bowl and stir until combined. Take 2 12 cup muffin tins and line about 20 of the cups with a cupcake liner. Put a heaping spoonful of crust mixture in each liner and use fingers to press the crust into place on the bottom and sides of the liner. It's ok if the crust doesn't go all the way to the top but it should go at least halfway to keep the pies stable. Bake crusts for 12 minutes, turning the crusts halfway through for even browning. Set aside to cool.
Custard: In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and Bananas Foster Dark Balsamic together until well mixed and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of half and half, whisking until fully combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil for one minute then remove from heat.
Pour the hot milk mixture into the egg/balsamic mixture slowly and whisking the entire time to temper the eggs. Once all the hot milk has been mixed into the eggs, pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and put back over medium heat - bring it back to a boil and boil for one minute, whisking the whole time. Remove from heat and gently whisk in butter and vanilla extract. Set aside to let cool.
Fried Bananas: In a medium frying pan, add butter, brown sugar and Bananas Foster Dark Balsamic. Heat on low for 1-2 minutes until sugar is melted and mixture is starting to caramelize. Toss in all the sliced bananas and turn off the heat. Using a spatula, gently stir the bananas around in the caramel mixture to coat them as much as possible. Set aside until ready to use.
Meringue: In a stand mixer, combine egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside until ready to use.
The pies can be constructed as you go or all at once! I like to fill the crusts with the custard and bananas as the meringue is whipping up to save some time.
In each crust, layer a spoonful of custard, 2-3 banana slices and then cover it all with custard to nearly the top of the muffin cup. Repeat for each crust cup. Place meringue in a piping bag or ziploc bag (use a star tip if you have one!) and pipe a layer over each cup. Using a small torch, toast the meringue if desired.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve!
Not a meringue fan? Use whipped cream instead!
This could also be made with Butter Pecan Dark Balsamic, Caramel Dark Balsamic, Chocolate Dark Balsamic or Pecan Praline Dark Balsamic.
Cari E
Mar 3, 2024, 7:08 AM