This caramel banana cream pie has a sandy, crumbly chocolate crust, a layer of tasty dulce de leche, a fantastic banana cream filling and fresh banana slices in between. It is a real delight for all those who love bananas and caramel.
There is one thing that is key to the perfect taste of this pie: you have to use really ripe bananas with an almost black peel. You can smell the sweet, intense banana flavor as soon as you peel these soft and squishy bananas – maybe you wouldn’t eat them like this anymore, but at this point they are perfect for this pie.
Tools & Equipment
- 22,9cm / 9-inch pie plate
- Food processor or blender
- Heatsafe container
- Large baking sheet
- Large pot
- Medium bowl
- Medium saucepan
- Pair of tongs
- Parchment paper
- Silicone spatula
- Small airtight container
- Spatula
- Stand mixer fitted with whisk and paddle attachment
- Whisk
Recipe Tips
Dulce de Leche: you can use store-bought or homemade Dulce de Leche. If you use homemade dulce de leche prepare it in advance, because the can must be completely cold. Do not try to open the can while still hot, as pressurized hot caramel can spray dangerously. Unopened cans of dulce de leche can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 months. In case you’re not a fan of caramel, you can leave it out. That way you have a “regular” banana cream pie… pretty good too.
Chocolate Crust: for the crust you need baked chocolate crumbs. They have to be completely cold before using. Therefore I prepare the chocolate crumbs one day ahead.
Ripe Bananas: you need very ripe bananas for this pie. Sometimes it’s difficult to get very ripe bananas, therefore my approach is different: I freeze “normal” ripe bananas and keep them in the freezer for at least 2-3 days, where they automatically turn brown-black. I usually have 3-5 bananas in the freezer. If you need ripe bananas, take them out of the freezer and let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Now you have the perfect bananas for this recipe. You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 month.
Food Coloring: the banana cream pie gets its beautiful color only by adding food coloring. This is optional and you can leave it out if you do not want to use it. However, your pie will then look “cement colored” – exactly like peeled bananas look after a while.
Directions – How to Make Caramel Banana Cream Pie
Start by making Dulce de Leche & the chocolate crumbs, because both have to be completely cold before you can use them in a recipe.
Make the Chocolate Crumbs
Preheat the oven to 149°C / 300°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Weigh your ingredients.
Mix flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and stir on low speed until the mixture starts to form small clusters.
Spread the clusters on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Break them up occasionally. The crumbs should still be a bit moist; they will dry and harden as they cool. Let the crumbs cool completely.
Make the Chocolate Crust
Have all ingredients ready. Place the chocolate crumbs in a food processor and pulse until sandy and no larger crumbs are left. Pour the sand into a bowl, add sugar and salt and use your hands to mix everything together.
Add the melted butter and knead it into the sand until moist enough to knead into a ball. If it is not enough to do so, melt another 14g of butter and knead it in. Transfer the ball into a 22,9cm / 9-inch pie pan and press it firmly into the pan using your fingers and palms. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan evenly.
Make the Banana Cream Filling
Weigh your ingredients. Mix bananas, heavy cream and milk in a food processor until completely smooth.
Add sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks and pulse until smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.
Bloom the gelatin. Heat the banana mixture over medium-low heat and bring to a boil, whisk vigorously for 2 minutes to fully cook the starch. The texture and color of the mixture resembles of cement.
Transfer the mixture into the food processor again. Add the bloomed gelatin and butter and mix until smooth. Add yellow food coloring until it has a bright banana yellow color. Fill the banana mixture into a heatsafe container and chill in the fridge for 60 minutes – until it has cooled completely.
Whip the cream and powdered sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to form medium-soft peaks. The peaks should hold their shape. Add the cold banana mixture to the whipped cream and whisk slowly until evenly colored and smooth.
Assemble the Pie
Spread half of the can dulce de leche onto the chocolate crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth the surface. Add half of the banana cream and spread it on the layer of dulce de leche.
Cut a banana into slices and arrange on top of the banana cream. Cover with the remaining banana cream and smooth the top with the spatula.
Drizzle some dulce de leche on top of the pie and let it sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours until the filling has set.
Storage: keep the pie in the fridge until serving. The pie tastes best within the first 2 days and should be eaten within a few days after making. No need to cover the pie.
My Summary for Caramel Banana Cream Pie
Difficulty: intermediate.
Taste: this pie has an intense flavor of banana and caramel. The chocolate crust is not too sweet and fits perfectly to the caramel banana cream filling.
Texture: the banana filling and the layer dulce de leche are creamy, while the chocolate crust is crunchy. The banana slices in the filling add also more texture to the pie.
PROS: the perfect pie for all banana lovers. It’s worth the effort and with me this pie won’t survive for long.
CONS: making the pie is time-consuming, especially if you make dulce de leche from scratch. However, the crumbs also have to be made in advance and you need some equipment.
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