This easy banana cream pie recipe is sweet, creamy, and bursting with banana flavor! Made with real from-scratch banana pudding, homemade whipped cream, and a buttery graham cracker crust. This banana cream pie is sure to be a hit!

a close up of a banana cream pie with a slice taken out

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I love, love, love banana cream pie! Usually, I’m a fruit pie kind of girl, I’ll almost always choose fruit pies over creamy pies. But there is just something about banana cream pie, something about its creamy texture, and delightful banana flavor, that makes this pie a tried and true favorite of mine. And though most people might not know just how much I love banana cream pie, they can tell you that I don’t eat it often. At least I didn’t.

a finished banana cream pie with some plates, forks, whole bananas, graham crackers and a tea towel by it

For a good year, I’ve been thinking about how to create the perfect banana cream pie, I had a few different ideas, some worked, but a lot didn’t. But in the end, I finally created, what is, at least in my mind the best banana cream pie recipe.

But what makes this the best banana pie recipe ever? Well, I’m happy to explain!

Real banana pudding, or perhaps I should say actually banana pudding. While classic banana cream pie usually features a layer of bananas on the crust, topped with creamy vanilla pudding.

a cut off picture of a banana cream pie in a glass pie dish

My pie features banana-flavored pudding, made with fresh bananas and banana extract. This not only gives the pie a stronger banana flavor(which I love!) But it also gives it a longer shelf life, as you don’t have to worry about any fresh banana slices turning brown and mushy!

And while homemade banana cream is more often than not made in a traditional pastry crust, or a regular pie crust as I like to say. I opted to make mine in a homemade graham cracker crust. I feel the graham crackers pair nicely with the banana flavor, plus it makes this no-bake pie just that much easier to make!

a banana cream pie with a slice taken out of it, and two plates behind it

Homemade Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients

homemade graham cracker crust. You can also use a premade graham cracker crust, or use a regular pie crust for this recipe. If you are using a pastry crust though, be sure to prebake it!

Banana milk

ripe bananas, mashed
white sugar
unsalted butter
whole milk, or any kind of milk you like

For the banana pudding

banana milk, recipe above
white sugar
sea salt
eggs
egg yolks
cornstarch
unsalted butter
banana extract

For serving/homemade whipped cream

heavy cream
powdered sugar
vanilla extract
banana slices, optional
graham cracker crumbs, optional

a banana cream pie in a glass pie dish with a slice taken out

How to make banana cream pie

To make the banana milk. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer, stirring often.

Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved, be sure to keep a close eye on it to avoid scalding the milk. Drain through a metal mesh strainer or a piece of cheesecloth. Be careful to burn yourself, as the milk will be hot. I would recommend draining it in 2-3 batches.

Discard the banana pieces, and place the milk in the fridge to cool. Allow the banana milk to cool until completely cold or let it cool overnight.

Prepare your crust in a pie plate of choice and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until everything is completely incorporated, and set aside.

In a large pan over medium heat combine the homemade banana milk, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a slow boil(or to the brink of boiling) stirring often to avoid scalding the milk.

Once the milk mixture is hot, temper the egg mixture. To do this slowly add about 1/4 cup of the milk to the eggs, whisking constantly, this will bring the eggs up to the same temperature as the milk, and prevent the eggs from cooking.

Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture into the rest of the milk, and continue to whisk, until it thickens. The pudding should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the pan from the heat, and add the butter, whisk until the butter is completely melted. Then add the banana extract and whisk to combine. Taste, and add more extract if needed.

Pour the hot pudding into your pie pan, place it in the fridge to cool, and set up. Allow the pie to cool for 4-6 hours or overnight.

In the meantime, prepare your whipped cream. Combine all the whipped cream ingredients in a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat until it forms stiff peaks.

Once the pie is cool, spoon the whipped cream on top of the pie and gently spread it out with a rubber spatula. Top with a few sliced bananas and some graham cracker crumbs.

Cut into 8 pieces, and enjoy!

a banana cream pie with a slice taken out of it, you can faintly see a slice of pie on plate

Recipe Notes

Any leftover banana cream pie can be moved to an airtight container, or covered with a piece of plastic wrap, and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days!

If you like you can use premade whipped topping or Cool Whip to top your pie!

I don’t like putting a layer of sliced bananas in the pie itself, but you can most definitely add one to your pie if you like!

I like to make this banana cream pie the day before I am planning to serve it. But if you would like to make it the same day, I would recommend making it early in the morning so it has plenty of time to set up before serving!

You can find my super easy homemade graham cracker crust recipe HERE! But you can also feel free to use any kind of pie crust you like for this recipe, some people even make a vanilla wafer crust!