Banana Cream Pie is a classic dessert for a reason! The flaky pie crust, rich, creamy custard filling and the fluffy whipped topping make for a delicious chilled dessert that always hits the spot.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the pie crust. Line the crust with parchment paper, and fille it with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment paper and pie weights, rotate the crust halfway in the oven, and bake an additional 10 minutes until crust is golden brown. Let the pie crust cool to room temperature (see notes).
For the pie filling, beat eggs and egg yolks until combined. (set aside)
In a medium saucepan, add milk, heavy cream, cornstarch, and sugar. Heat over medium heat, whisking continuously until sugar is dissolved. Continue whisking over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer (bubbles around the edges of pan). Lower heat to simmer at this point and continue simmering until mixture begins to thicken (about 7 minutes). Remove from heat.
Ladle out 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and pour it slowly into the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from curdling. Place the saucepan back on medium heat, and slowly pour in the egg mixture, whisking until combined. Keep whisking to prevent the custard from scorching on the bottom of the pan. Once it starts to boil (rolling bubbles), cook an additional minute, then remove from heat.
Stir in the kosher salt, butter, and vanilla extract. Lay sliced bananas over the cooled pie crust. Pour the custard over the bananas. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (overnight is great too)
When ready to serve, make the whipped cream. In a large mixing bowl, beat cold whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until the whipped cream is desired consistency. Spoon over the pie and top with additional banana slices. Serve cold.
Notes
Pie crust- we love our homemade pie crust recipe. If you choose a frozen pie crust, bake according to package directions.
Milk- whole milk creates a thick and creamy custard. You could also use 2% if desired.
Cornstarch will help stabilize the custard.
Storage- Keep pie covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (bananas will be browning, so feel free to keep those off and only add upon serving).
Freezer- Cover pie with plastic wrap, then wrap entire pie in foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, add fresh sliced bananas when serving.
PRO Tip: You’ll want to keep whisking the custard anytime it is over heat to prevent it from scorching. If the custard does scorch, you can push the custard through a sieve to remove any dark brown chunks. The custard will have a slightly more caramel flavor but should be fine otherwise. If the eggs curdle, you can push them through a sieve to remove any cooked egg bits.