When the summer sun is blazing, a cool cream pie is calling your name. Of course you can use a box of vanilla pudding instead of making it from scratch. But if, like me, you wish you had one more pie for Thanksgiving and realize you’re very limited on ingredients, banana cream pie can shine through. If you have the bananas and either whipping cream or Cool Whip, you probably have the rest of the ingredients already.
I even just like to keep this recipe around if I want to make vanilla pudding or whipped cream and can’t remember the ingredients.
If you’re making this gluten free, all the ingredients for the filling are naturally gluten free. Just make sure to use a gluten free pie crust.
Banana Cream Pie
Simple, yet creamy and delicious.
Ingredients
Pie
- Vanilla Pudding (from box or homemade)
- 2-3 Bananas
- Whipped Cream (Cool Whip or homemade)
- 1 Baked Pie Shell (or gluten free pie crust)
Vanilla Pudding
- ¾ c. Sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. Salt
- 2 c. Milk
- 2 slightly beaten Egg Yolks or 1 well-beaten Egg
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Whipped Cream
- 1 c. Whipping Cream
- ½ c. Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Directions
For pie, prepare vanilla pudding (box or homemade). In baked pie shell, slice 2 bananas. Cover with pudding. Pipe on whipped cream (spreading with spoon pushes pudding over sides) and top with banana slices (optional).
For homemade vanilla pudding, blend sugar, cornstarch, and salt; add milk. Cook over medium heat till thick and bubbly. Cook/stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir a little hot mixture into yolks; return to hot mixture; cook/stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Pour into glass bowl. Place Saran wrap on surface to prevent scum. Cool in fridge. (FYI: For chocolate pudding, increase sugar to 1 c. and add 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares with milk.)
For homemade whipped cream, beat all until cream forms soft peak when whisk is removed. (FYI, you can reduce the sugar if you prefer a little less sweet, but I always do the 1/2 c.)
Mitchell Meals 