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Recipe: Chef Kevin's Banana Cream Pie

If you don’t want to make a whole pie, you can make the banana cream recipe and put it in individual mason jars. Deliciousness on the go.

NEW ORLEANS — With New Orleans being a port city, bananas have always been abundant. This has fostered a love that has grown over time for bananas especially in sweet and delicious dessert like Banana Cream Pie. 

If you don’t want to make a whole pie, you can make the banana cream recipe and put it in individual mason jars. Deliciousness on the go.

Homemade Pie Crust - makes 2 crusts; you can halve the crust recipe or freeze the 2nd half (recipe below) 

Banana Cream Pie

  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
  • 4 bananas
  • sprinkle of ground cinnamon, optional 

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

After the pie dough has chilled (see recipe below), preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Use a small paring knife to trim excess dough off the edges. Flute the edges. Chill the prepared pie shell for 30 minutes. You want it very cold before blind-baking.

Line the chilled pie shell with aluminum foil or parchment paper, making sure to cover the edges so they do not burn. Fill with pie weights or dried beans, then bake until the pie crust is very lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil or parchment paper (and weights) carefully and continue to bake the crust until it is a deeper brown, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the pie shell to a wire rack to cool completely as you prepare the filling.

Combine the milk, heavy cream, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally. Working quickly as the milk mixture begins to simmer, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together in a medium heatproof bowl until thick and smooth. Very slowly stream in 1 cup of the simmering milk to slightly warm the egg yolk mixture. Then, in a very slow stream, whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pan. While continuously whisking, cook until the mixture is thick and big bubbles begin bursting at the surface, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the warm pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming on top. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Slice 2 bananas and arrange slices into the cooled pie shell. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Spread cooled filling on top. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the filling. Again, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

When ready to serve, make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spread or pipe onto the chilled pie. Slice 2 remaining bananas and decorate the pie with slices. Slice and serve.

Homemade Pie Crust 

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour,  leveled
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, chilled and cubed
  • 3/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening.

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.

Measure 1/2 cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup of water(since the ice has melted a bit). Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps.

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.

Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days).

When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal.

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