Homemade Gourmet Banana Cream Pie

Pie is easier to make with pre-made crust and filling. But the flavors in this banana cream pie is 100% worth the effort. There is nothing quite like a homemade flaky crust and creamy filling!

Lindsey Hargett shares the recipe for a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving Day dessert spread.

Find more of Lindsey’s recipes on Instagram, @lkcooking, or on her website, www.lkcooking.com.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

• 1 baked pie crust, recipe follows
• 3 cups whole milk
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 bananas sliced (about 1 ½ cups total)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Add the milk to a large saucepan set over medium high heat. Cook the milk until it just starts to boil, then turn off the heat. This process is called scalding.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt.

3. Add the sugar mixture in with the scalded milk, and whisk constantly while heating it over medium heat. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, place the egg yolks and whisk together. Temper the yolks by stirring in a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk mixture to the yolks while whisking constantly. Do this once more with about ¼ cup of the milk mixture. Once combined, slowly pour the yolks into the hot milk mixture. Cook for two minutes, or until the mixture has thickened up even more.

5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract.

6. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until lukewarm.

7. Once the mixture has cooled, start assembling your pie. Get your cooked pie crust, place a layer of sliced bananas, then pour in half of your cooled vanilla pudding mixture. Repeat with one more layer of bananas and pudding.

8. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Allow to chill for at least one hour, but overnight is ideal.

9. In the meantime, make the whipped cream. Whip the chilled cream in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer on low for a few seconds, and then raise to medium and whip for 1 minute. When the cream has somewhat thickened, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping, on medium high speed, until the cream has formed soft peaks. Be careful not to over whip it!

10. Scoop the mixture into a pastry bag and decoratively pipe out the cream onto the chilled pie. Or you can simply spoon the cream over the top.

Pastry Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ cup water, cold
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.

3. Stir in the butter using a pastry cutter or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Mix until there are only small chunks of butter throughout.

4. Add in the egg yolks, water, and vanilla, then stir to combine. Once the mixture mostly holds together with little crumbling, finish combining the dough by hand in the bowl.

5. Split the dough in half, then form into two flat disks. Wrap in plastic wrap, then chill for at least an hour.

6. Remove the dough from the fridge for about 20 minutes, then roll it out into a large circle. Form into your pie dish. Place a layer of parchment over the crust, then fill with pie weights or dry beans. This will keep your crust from bubbling up.

7. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the beans and cook for another 5. If it starts to get dark at any point, cover the edges with foil. Cool completely before filling.

8. This will make enough dough for two pie shells, or one shell and top for a pie (ex. apple pie).