Easy Banana Cream Pie

This banana cream pie is easy as, well, pie. Can I share a secret with you guys? Just because something is labor-intensive or 100% homemade doesn’t mean it’s the best. Making great food doesn’t have to be hard, and sometimes shortcuts are delicious. This easy banana cream pie is a prime example of exactly that. It utilizes Jell-o pudding and a pre-made graham cracker crust and I guarantee you’ll find it disappears very quickly once served!

• Instant vanilla pudding mix – NOT cook and serve. If you want to play around with flavors, that’s totally fine–I always use vanilla because I hate artificial banana flavor and the vanilla pudding will take on the banana flavors from the bananas, but you can get wild and crazy and use butterscotch, cheesecake, chocolate–wherever your pretty little brain takes you.
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Graham cracker or cookie pie crusts – Grab a couple- this recipe makes enough for two pies. You can always make your own Graham Cracker Pie Crust if you’d like as well!
• Bananas – Try to use bananas that are nice and yellow so they are sweet, but not yet browning, so they hold up in your pie and don’t get too soft.
• Heavy whipping cream
• Powdered sugar

How to Make an Easy Banana Cream Pie

1. First, mix up some pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Set in the fridge to chill.
2. In another bowl, whip some heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Set aside.
3. Line your pie crusts with sliced bananas.
4. Retrieve your pudding mix from the fridge and fold in the whipped cream. Divide the pudding mixture between the two pies.
5. Whip up some sweetened whipped cream and spread it on top of the two pies. Place the clear plastic shells back on the pies and allow to chill for several hours. This is actually really important–I tried eating it right away once and the pie wasn’t banana-y at all and the moisture hadn’t absorbed into the crust, so the crust just fell apart.
   
   And there you have it–the best AND the easiest banana cream pie you’ll ever have or need!

Frequently Asked Questions

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Banana Cream Pie

5 from 21 votes

This is the best AND the easiest banana cream pie you’ll ever make.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

ServingsServings16 servings (2 pies)

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Equipment

• mixing bowl
• electric mixer

Ingredients

• 1 3.4- ounce package instant vanilla pudding do not use "cook and serve"
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 8-serving graham cracker or cookie crusts
• bananas 4-5 small bananas, or 2-3 large ones
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, cold water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well and place in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.
• In another bowl, whip 1 cup of whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
• Slice the bananas (probably 4-5 small bananas or 2-3 large bananas) and layer them on the bottom of the crusts. Set aside. Be sure and save the plastic domes that come with the pie crusts–you'll need them later!
• Remove pudding from the fridge and gently dollop the whipped cream on top of the pudding. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until well-combined.
• Now divide the mixture between the two pies. Rinse the pudding bowl and beaters and set aside for later.
• Place the clear plastic shells back on the pies and allow to chill for several hours. This step is very important, as without it the crust will fall apart, and it will lack flavor.
• If possible, immediately before serving, combine the remaining heavy cream and ⅓ cup powdered sugar in the bowl you mixed the pudding in and beat with an electric mixer on high until soft peaks form. Spread over the pies. (If you can't do this immediately before serving, it's okay to do the whipped cream step after you put the pudding mixture in the shells.)

Notes

• Store leftover pie, tightly covered, in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
• Because the bananas can start to break down, this pie is definitely at it’s best the same day it’s made!
• If you’d like to make your pie ahead of time, I recommend omitting the bananas during the assembly process, since they will brown and soften while they sit. Prepare the pudding filling as directed and fill the pie crust, then refrigerate. Immediately before serving, prepare your sweetened whipped cream. Top your pie with the whipped cream and freshly sliced bananas and serve.
• Chunky Monkey Variation: Blend 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter into the pudding/water/sweetened condensed milk mixture (before you fold in the whipped cream). Continue as directed but place in a chocolate cookie crust. Sprinkle with honey roasted peanuts just before serving.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 58mg, Potassium: 30mg, Fiber: 0.05g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 435IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 0.04mg

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Banana Cream Pie

Calories: 140kcal

Author: Kate Jones

Cost: $5

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