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!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- 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
- First, mix up some pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Set in the fridge to chill.
- In another bowl, whip some heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- Line your pie crusts with sliced bananas.
- Retrieve your pudding mix from the fridge and fold in the whipped cream. Divide the pudding mixture between the two pies.
- 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!
Storing and Other Tips
- 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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make banana cream pie ahead of time?
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.
Can I use a traditional baked pie crust for this recipe?
If you prefer a traditional pie crust you can absolutely use that in this recipe. You will just need to pre-bake the crust.
Banana Cream Pie
This is the best AND the easiest banana cream pie you’ll ever make.
Servings servings (2 pies)
Equipment
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
Calories: 140kcal
Cost: $5
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Questions & Reviews
OMG I MADE THIS PIE.WITH FRENCH VANILLA PUDDING AND IT’S WAS AWESOME. I ALSO ADDED VANILLA EXTRACT TO THE WHOPPING CREAM AND POWDER SUGAR AND I SWEAR THUS PIE WAS JUST OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING .. THANK U FOR THIS EASY RECIPE.. FIRST TIME MAKING IT AND EVERYONE ENJOYED IT.
I made this with Banana pudding and a Nila wafer crust (I baked it so it wouldn’t get soggy), and it was the first pie to go at Thanksgiving! And that is saying a lot since my in-laws are known for their pies! Thank goodness there was 2 of them! I have also tried this with Chocolate pudding, for choco cream pie, and the cheesecake pudding for a cheesecake pie and they also come out tasty!!
I make it basically the same way with instead Banana pudding, I’m curious now how the vanilla would taste, but afraid to loose my banana flavor, have you tried the Banana pudding instead?
I came across your site today and was quite impressed. I plan to make your banana cream pie and have a question. (You may think it is dumb, but here goes.) I only want to make one pie so would I cut each ingredient in half? *Don’t laugh*
*Not laughing.* Banana cream pie is never a laughing matter. 🙂
No, really, I’ve thought about doing this before so I only make one pie. The thing that has always held me back is the pudding–it’s so hard to accurately divide the pudding in half, you know? But you sound like you’re a brave woman, so I say go for it. 🙂
If I want to make one banana cream and one chunky monkey version out of the one recipe for the filling would I still mix in 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter? Thanks!
Honestly it’s been so long since I made that, I’m trying to remember! lol I’m almost sure that was for one pie. I would start with 1/4 cup and add another 1/4 cup if it needs it!
Hi Girls!
Just thought I would tell you that I used this pudding recipe combined with another of your recipes – the coconut strawberry lime shortcake to make trifle.
I can’t believe what a hit it was at our dinner. My husband especially couldn’t stop commenting on it.
I used the little coconut donuts that you can get at Walmart for the cake part, just break them up a bit; your vanilla pudding with sweetened condensed milk; the sliced strawberries mixed with lime juice and sugar; and cool whip instead of whipping my own (I was in a hurry).
I just layered them all in a pretty bowl and topped it with the coconut that was left in the bottom of the donut container.
The only bad part of all of this is that it disappeared so fast.
Thanks for all of your great ideas!!
I meant thanks for clarifying that Patty.
Thanks for clarify that Patty, I’m such a rookie at cooking, lol…
Lupe, no you don’t make the pudding first – just add the mix with the condensed milk and water.
my husbands FAV pie! I too have slaved for hours making homemade pudding and the works, instant pudding is great and I recently tried a cooked Organic pudding and it was as good as homemade with just a tad more time than instant! Premade graham crusts are not for me though, homemade ones are SO easy and taste SO much better! give a package of graham crackers a whirl in the food processor while you’re melting butter, press it in the pan and bake for 10 minutes, how easy is that?!? I’m going to have to give this a try with my homemade crust 😉