5-6ripe bananas,divided (2 for the infusion and 3-4 for the filling)
2 ½cups (600 grams)whole milk
½cup (120 grams)heavy cream
5largeegg yolks
⅓cup (43 grams)cornstarch
114-ouncecan sweetened condensed milk
½teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonvanilla bean paste or extract
½cup (113 grams)unsalted butter
For the nilla wafer pie crust
70(~255 grams)nilla wafers
¼cup (50 grams)granulated sugar
½teaspoonkosher salt
½cup (113 grams)unsalted butter,melted
For the dulce de leche
114-ouncecan sweetened condensed milk (or 1 can prepared dulce de leche)
For the whipped cream topping
1 ½cup (360 grams)heavy whipping cream,chilled
3tablespoons (36 grams)granulated sugar
½teaspoonvanilla bean extract or paste
1chocolate bar for chocolate shavings (optional)
Instructions
For the banana pastry cream
Note: I recommend steeping the bananas overnight but one-hour will do just fine if you’re pinched for time.
Slice two bananas and place them in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and heavy cream. Heat on medium until boiling, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the banana slices. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, let come to room temperature, and refrigerate overnight or at least 1 hour.
Strain the banana milk into a medium saucepan. Discard the banana slices. In the same saucepan with the strained banana-infused milk mixture, add the sweetened condensed milk, salt, and vanilla bean. Stir to combine.
In a bowl, add the egg yolks and cornstarch and whisk to combine. Add a few tablespoons of the cold milk mixture to the egg and cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Heat the milk mixture on medium until it comes to a boil. Once the milk is boiling, remove from the heat and slowly stream in half of the milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This will temper the eggs. Once combined, pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Whisk to combine off heat.
Return the mixture back to the heat and heat on medium while stirring constantly. I like to start off with the whisk and then once it starts to get thicker, I switch to a heatproof rubber spatula.
Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and once it comes to a boil, cook for another 2 minutes to cook off the cornstarch. Then remove from heat and strain through a sieve over a bowl to remove any cooked egg bits.
Let the pastry cream cool slightly and then add the softened butter cubes to the pastry cream, one tablespoon at a time. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender to emulsify the butter into the pastry cream.
Once fully incorporated and emulsified, transfer the pastry cream to a shallow dish, cover directly with plastic wrap right on top touching the surface of the pastry cream. This will prevent a skin from forming.
Transfer the pastry cream to the refrigerator. Let cool in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours before using. Then fluff it up with a whisk or rubber spatula when you’re ready to use it.
For the nilla wafer pie crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the Nilla wafers until finely ground into crumbs. Transfer Nilla Wafer cookie crumbs to a medium-sized bowl, add granulated sugar and salt and mix to combine.
Pour the melted butter into the mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate or 9-inch deep dish tart pan using the bottom of a measuring spoon or a shot glass.
Bake the crust for 15-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the crust cool for at least 20 minutes before filling.
For the dulce de leche
Pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with hot water.
Bake at 425º for 2 hours or until thick and caramel colored.
For the whipped cream topping
Right before serving, whisk the heavy whipping cream using a hand mixer or an electric stand mixer with the whisk attachment (you’re welcome to use a whisk if you’re looking for a workout!). Whisk on medium-high speed just until it holds soft peaks or until its reached your desired consistency, about 3-4 minutes.
Spoon the whipped cream on top of the chilled pie and sprinkle with chocolate shavings (I use a vegetable peeler to make my chocolate shavings). Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Note: Whipped cream is best served immediately as it is not very stable. If you do make it ahead, whip the heavy cream just until it has reached soft peaks. Cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. Then, right before serving, re-whip it for a few seconds to revive it a bit.
To assemble the banoffee banana cream pie
Once the Nilla wafer crust has cooled, spread an even layer of dulce de leche on the bottom of the Nilla wafer crust using an offset spatula.
Top the dulce de leche with slices of bananas from 3-4 ripe bananas, ensuring there aren’t any gaps.
Add the pastry cream on top of the sliced banana layers and smooth with an offset spatula. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set.
Right before serving, finish by topping the pastry cream with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
This banoffee banana cream pie (or any custard-based pie in my opinion) is best eaten the same day. If you’d like to get a head start and make it in advance, I recommend making the banana pastry cream and dulce de leche a few days before, storing them in the refrigerator, and then assembling the pie the same day you want to serve it. Both the banana pastry cream and dulce de leche are great to make ahead and keep well in the refrigerator covered. I also recommend making the whipped cream right before serving, but see my note above about making it in advance.