Banana Pudding Pie

Love banana pudding? Then you'll flip for this amazing made-from-scratch Banana Pudding Pie! Vanilla wafer crust is filled with bananas and scratch-made vanilla pudding, all topped with fluffy golden-brown meringue. It's the classic comfort dessert we love, even better. -- Because it's pie.
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Banana Pudding, or 'nanner pudding, as we say in our house, is such a fabulous classic Southern dessert. And our family loves it in all  its many forms -- "regular'", as we call it, made with packaged pudding and whipped topping, old-fashioned banana pudding made from scratch with meringue topping, trifles, banana pudding yum yum, individual parfaits, banana pudding cake ... you name it.

Our family's banana pudding love is so great, we've even been known to have debates in our home about which type of banana pudding is best. My husband Mark stands firm that old-fashioned banana pudding made from scratch is the absolute best, and will defend it to the end. I, on the other hand, am a staunch supporter of banana pudding cake. I mean, you basically take classic creamy banana pudding and slather it on top of a cake, and I'm all about that!

And now? Now we've added a new form of banana pudding love to our list. -- this banana pudding pie!

Banana Pudding Pie has all the creamy comfort we look for in classic old-fashioned banana pudding made from scratch, but in a fun pie form. It starts with a crust of crushed vanilla wafers, which is then filled with layers of scratch-made vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, and more vanilla wafers. All this creamy goodness is then topped with fluffy meringue that's baked until it's a beautiful golden brown.

Banana Pudding Pie has all the creamy comfort we look for in classic old-fashioned banana pudding made from scratch, but in a fun pie form.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• Fun take on an old-fashioned classic - With a vanilla wafer crust, homemade vanilla pudding filling, and meringue on top, Banana Pudding Pie has all the creamy comfort of old-fashioned banana pudding, in a fun pie form.
• Fabulous flavor - Bananas and vanilla shine in this delicious pie, delivering up fabulous flavor in every bite.
• Creamy deliciousness - Loaded with homemade vanilla pudding and meringue, Banana Pudding Pie is a pie plate full of creamy deliciousness, for sure.
• A crowd pleaser - With all the flavors of old-fashioned banana pudding from scratch, this is one comfort food dessert that's always sure to please.

Banana Pudding Pie Ingredients:

Banana Pudding Pie comes together with many of the same ingredients as classic banana pudding. To whip one up, you'll need:

• Bananas - The central namesake ingredient of banana pudding. -- And choosing "good" ones is key. For the best result, select ripe bananas that are very yellow without any green remaining on the peel or stem, are still firm (so they'll slice nicely and cleanly), and that have not yet developed brown spots. A few small specks of brown here and there are still fine -- but the bananas shouldn't have many spots, and definitely shouldn't have any big brown areas or streaks.

• Nilla Wafers - Vanilla wafer cookies are traditional to banana pudding and help create its signature taste. We're big proponents of Nabisco-brand Nilla Wafers for their classic flavor, but other brands work in this recipe, as well. You could use a graham cracker pie crust if you'd prefer, but you'd lose some of that classic banana pudding flavor.

• Butter - Binds the vanilla wafer crumbs together to create the pie's crust. You could use margarine or coconut oil, if you'd prefer.

• Ground nutmeg - Brings a lovely hint of flavor to the pie's vanilla wafer crust. You could substitute ground cinnamon, if you'd like. Or, omit the ground nutmeg if you'd prefer.

• Homemade vanilla pudding - The custardy-type pudding that delivers up wonderful creaminess and flavor in homemade banana pudding from scratch. It's made with:
• Granulated sugar
• All-purpose flour
• Egg yolks + whole eggs
• Whole milk
• Vanilla extract

• Meringue topping - The traditional topping of old-fashioned banana pudding. Light, airy, and golden brown from its quick bake in the oven, the meringue topping is made with:
• Egg whites
• Granulated sugar
• Cream of tartar (Stabilizes the egg whites, helping to create more volume when whipped, and a glossier meringue that's less prone to weeping, as well.) 

How to Make Banana Pudding Pie:

Banana Pudding Pie starts with a crust of crushed vanilla wafers, which is then filled with layers of scratch-made vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, and more vanilla wafers.

Prepare the crust by combining vanilla wafer crumbs with some melted butter, and a small bit of ground nutmeg. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom, up the sides, and onto the lip of an 8-inch or 9-inch pie plate, and bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is lightly browned.

Next, make the homemade vanilla pudding by combining granulated sugar, flour, egg yolks, and whole eggs, in a heavy saucepan, whisking to combine. Then whisk in some whole milk. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, until it's thickened. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in some vanilla extract.

Immediately layer the hot pudding mixture with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers in the prepared crust.

Whip up the meringue topping by placing egg whites in a bowl and beating them with a stand mixer or electric mixer until foamy. Add some cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Then, with the mixer running, gradually add granulated sugar to the egg whites, beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread the meringue evenly over the pie's hot pudding filling, sealing all the way to the edges. Pop the assembled pie in the oven and bake the meringue for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the meringue is a nice golden brown.

Cool the pie completely. Then coarsely crush a few vanilla wafers and sprinkle the crumbs on top of the meringue. Chill the finished pie at least 4 hours before serving. -- And this chilling time is very important. If the pie is cut before it's fully chilled, it won't be set and the pieces will be too soft and squishy.

And there you have it! -- A fabulously delicious Banana Pudding Pudding pie, all just waiting for your fork to dive in. And believe me, you will  want your fork to dive in.

So if you're like our family and love banana pudding in all its creamy-comfort glory, give Banana Pudding Pie a try. We promise it'll make a great addition to your list of banana pudding loves.

Check out these other tasty banana treats:

• Buttermilk Banana Bread
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Pumpkin Banana Bread
• Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding from Scratch
• Banana Pudding Yum Yum
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
• No-Bake Banana Split Cake
• Banana Pudding Poke Cake
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
• More desserts

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

banana pudding pie, banana pie, banana pudding from scratch, pie recipe

Desserts

Yield: about 8 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Banana Pudding Pie Recipe

Love banana pudding? Then you'll flip for this amazing made-from-scratch Banana Pudding Pie! Vanilla wafer crust is filled with bananas and scratch-made vanilla pudding, all topped with fluffy golden-brown meringue. It's the classic comfort dessert we love, even better. --  Because it's pie.

prep time: 30 Mcook time: 40 Mtotal time: 70 M

ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 (11 oz.) box vanilla wafers
• 1/3 c. butter, melted
• pinch ground nutmeg

Pudding Filling:

• 3 large bananas, sliced
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 4 egg yolks {keep the whites for the meringue topping!}
• 2 eggs
• 2 c. whole milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Meringue:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

instructions:

How to cook Banana Pudding Pie

1. PREPARE CRUST: Set aside 28 vanilla wafers. Pulse remaining vanilla wafers in a food processor about 10 times until coarsely crushed, yielding about 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. {If you don't have a food processor, place vanilla wafers in a gallon-sized ziptop bag and crush with a meat mallet or the bottom of a glass jar.}
2. Combine crumbs, melted butter, and nutmeg, stirring until well blended. Press firmly into the bottom, up the sides, and onto the lip of an 8-inch or 9-inch pie plate.
3. Bake at 350℉ for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Place on a wire rack to cool completely {about 30 minutes}.
4. PREPARE VANILLA PUDDING FILLING: Slice bananas just prior to beginning to prepare pudding filling; arrange half of banana slices evenly over the bottom of the crust.
5. In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the 3/4 cup sugar, flour, 4 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs, and milk. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 10 to 15 minutes until mixture is very thick, like the consistency of chilled pudding {it will seem like this thickness will never happen, but it will! The mixture will have just begun to bubble and will turn thick.} Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
6. Immediately spread half of hot pudding mixture over bananas. Top with 22 vanilla wafers. Spread 3/4 cup hot pudding mixture over vanilla wafers and top with remaining banana slices. Spread remaining hot pudding mixture {about a cup} over banana slices.
7. PREPARE MERINGUE TOPPING: Beat egg whites with an electric mixer at high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
8. With the mixer running, add sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread meringue evenly over hot pudding filling, sealing the edges.
9. Bake at 350℉ for 10 to 12 minutes until meringue is golden brown. 
10. Let cool on a wire rack until pie is completely cooled {about 1 hour}.
11. Coarsely crush remaining 6 vanilla wafers and sprinkle on top of the meringue. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

TRACEY'S NOTES

1. Note that when it comes to making the pudding, low and slow is key. Since the pudding is a simple custard mixture of sugar, milk, and eggs, heating these slowly over medium-low heat, stirring the entire time with a whisk, is important to create a smooth and creamy pudding. Turning up the heat to make the process go more quickly can easily lead to lumps or bits are scrambled egg floating around in the finished pudding. Only turn up the heat to medium (and no higher!) if after about 15 minutes your pudding is just not thickening at all.
2. The pie's chilling time is very important. If cut before fully chilled, the pie will not be set and the pieces will be too soft and squishy.
3. It's best to make this pie in the morning of the day it will be served ... that's when it's "prettiest." While it can indeed be stored in the refrigerator for a couple days and is quite tasty, the bananas do start to brown a tad and the meringue will begin to "weep" over time.

https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2014/05/banana-pudding-pie-pops-day-popcorn.html

Source: Adapted from Classic Southern Desserts, from the editors of Southern Living

Created using The Recipes Generator

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