Banana Cream Pie
I have been dreaming of a gluten free Banana Cream Pie for ages. The problem has been finding a gluten free vanilla wafer cookie. Thank you Kinnikinnick for solving my problem! The idea of making scratch vanilla wafers to make a Banana Cream Pie sounded like a lot of work. Even for me!
Instead, I concentrated my efforts on making a creamy banana pie filling that tastes like bananas. I don’t mean that I used banana flavoring. No, no, no! Real banana. Most Banana Cream Pies are filled with vanilla pudding and slices of banana, which is great. I’m not bashing those pies. But I really wanted to up the banana game and top it with a boozey flourish. So I made a rum laced whipped cream for the topping. Yum!
Begin with the Crust
One box of Kinnikinnick Vanilla Wafers finely crushed will perfectly fill a standard 9 inch pie plate. I combine the crushed cookies with a little sugar and melted butter until the mixture held when pressed against the side of the bowl. Then the mixture gets pressed into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. I let it chill in the fridge while I work on the filling.
For the Filling
Using the back of a fork, mash one of the bananas very well in a medium saucepan. I put it in the saucepan because I don’t like to clean any more than absolutely necessary! Lol! And the saucepan is where the banana needs to go anyhow. So smash it there, then add the eggs, egg yolks and sugar. By the way, the saucepan is NOT heated on the stove yet. I am just using it like a mixing bowl at this stage. On that note, use a hand mixer on a medium-high speed, to beat the egg/sugar/banana mixture until pale in color and frothy.
In a separate bowl, make a slurry by combining the cornstarch with just enough milk to make it dissolve. Make sure that no lumps remain. Then add the remaining milk and vanilla, stirring very well.
Now the milk/cornstarch mixture gets added to the saucepan. And finally, begin to gradually heat the mixture on low while constantly stirring. Gradually increase to a medium heat while continuing to stir. This part is very important because we are not tempering the eggs. We are heating them slowly after being fully incorporated and diluted by the other ingredients. This is my fail proof method for making custards and pastry creams without needing to temper the eggs. When it looks like the consistency of pudding, remove it from the heat and pour into the prepared crust. It will be a little lumpy from the bananas, but feel free to use the hand mixer or an immersion blender to smooth it out. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the pie filling and return it to the fridge to chill through.
Boozey Topping
Of course you don’t have to put rum in the whipped cream. You can omit it entirely or use a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Or, if you prefer bourbon over rum, that swap will work too! Either way, making it is a breeze. All of the ingredients go in a bowl and whip it until soft peaks form. When the pie is completely chilled through, spread it on top. That’s it!
About Serving
This Banana Cream Pie can be frozen, covered in plastic wrap for several days prior to serving. It cuts best when slightly frozen and tastes best at fridge temp, so I found that freezing it for an hour or two prior to serving it will allow you to cut well-shaped slices like you see in my photos. When cut at fridge temp, the filling is soft, like pudding and will lose its shape. It defrosts very quickly, so you can cut it while slightly frozen and by the time you get the servings plated and on the table, it will likely be defrosted nicely.
Need More Gluten Free Pie?
Me too! I can’t get enough pie in my life… check these out: Cherry Crumb Pie, Blueberry Cardamom Cream Pie, Ginger Apple Pie, Chocolate Cherry Pie, Cherry Cream Pie, Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pudding Pie, Lime in the Coconut Pie, Tangy Thyme Tart
Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups gluten free vanilla wafers, finely crushed (I use Kinnikinnick brand)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup melted butter
Filling Ingredients:
- 3 large ripe bananas, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp rum (* can sub 2 Tbsp bourbon or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- additional banana for garnish (*optional)
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Finely crush gluten free vanilla wafers using a food processor or by putting them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Combine them with sugar in a medium bowl, then drizzle in the melted butter a little at a time until it holds together when pressed against the side of the bowl with a spoon.
- Transfer the mixture to a standard 9 inch pie plate. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of the dish. Store in the fridge while you work on the filling.
For the Filling:
- Using the back of a fork, mash one of the bananas very well in a medium saucepan. Add the eggs, egg yolks and sugar to the saucepan (on the countertop, NOT heated on the stove yet). Using a hand mixer on a medium-high speed, beat the mixture until pale in color and frothy.
- In a separate bowl, make a slurry by combining the cornstarch with just enough milk to make it dissolve without and no lumps remain. Then add the remaining milk and vanilla, stirring very well.
- Place the saucepan on the stove over a low heat and add the milk mixture to the egg and banana mixture while stirring continuously. Gradually turn the heat up to medium over the course of several minutes while continuing to stir and scrape the bottom with a spatula. At about the 10 minute mark, you should start to notice it becoming more fragrant and starting to thicken.
- When it looks like the consistency of pudding, remove it from the heat and set it aside for a moment while you slice a banana and place the pieces in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared crust.
- Pour the filling mixture on top of the layer of bananas in the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the pie filling and return it to the fridge to chill through. This will take about 3 hours.
For the Topping:
- Once the filling is well chilled, combine the heavy cream, rum and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Whip with a hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the top of the pie and garnish with more slices of banana when you are ready to serve.
Serving:
- This Banana Cream Pie can be covered in plastic wrap and frozen for several days prior to serving. It cuts best when slightly frozen and tastes best at fridge temp, so I found that freezing it for an hour or two prior to serving it will allow you to cut well-shaped slices like you see in my photos. When cut at fridge temp, the filling is soft, like pudding and will lose its shape. It defrosts very quickly, so you can cut it while slightly frozen and by the time you get the servings plated and on the table, it will likely be defrosted nicely.
