A thick custard based banana cream pie with the tropical taste of coconut and roasted bananas!

Thank you to th e American Diary Association Mideast for allowing me to create this original recipe.

This banana cream pie has truly been a labor of love. For my first attempt at this banana cream pie, I roasted 5 bananas.  This  yielded a filling that was bursting with banana flavor, but after mixing the bananas into the custard, the filling was left looking gray and dull.  The color looked more like cement than pie to tell the truth.   If the pie doesn't LOOK good, then who cares about the flavor, right?

I reworked the recipe and made another attempt.  This time, I only used three bananas and I layered them in the pie instead of mixing them into the filling.  The color was perfect and the filling still tasted delicious but my crust totally fell apart.  My pie pieces came out looking more like cobbler than pie.  Once again, I was left with an ugly looking pie.

I reworked the recipe yet again and finally came up with THE perfect coconut banana cream pie. The custard was thick and rich with lots of coconut flavor, the roasted bananas were soft and sweet, the crust came out perfect and in tact, and the homemade whipped cream was light and fluffy.  Each component worked like they should and together they made something amazing.   I suppose the third time really is the charm.  And now let me share what I learned with you!

Notes about the recipe:

1. The graham cracker crust is one of the easiest crusts to make.  I used a combination of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, toasted coconut and melted butter.  I love the crunchy texture and nutty taste the toasted coconut gives the crust.  Sure you could leave it out if you prefer, but I highly recommend you try it.  It lends a little something extra that really unifies all the flavors of this pie.
2. To toast coconut, spread your coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Place baking sheet in a 325 degree oven.  Toast your coconut for about 15 minutes, taking care to stir coconut every 3-5 minutes.  Coconut burns very quickly, so be sure to keep an eye on it.  You want a golden brown color.  I often make extra to keep on hand.
3. After crust has been assembled and arranged in your pie plate, place the plate in the freezer for at least on hour.  This extra step will help ensure that your crust will stay together after you slice into your pie.
4. I've roasted bananas for smoothies and blueberries for tarts.  Roasting fruit makes for a truly memorable flavor experience. For this recipe: I placed my unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and placed them in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Roasted bananas (or any fruit) significantly sweetens and intensifies the flavor.   The bananas are soft and caramelized.  You do NOT have to do this to your bananas.  Firm, ripe bananas will work just fine in this recipe.  Again, I highly recommend trying roasted bananas,  they just deepen the flavor of your pie.   
5. I like the combination of heavy cream and whole milk in the custard.  This will create a rich, thick, pudding like consistency that is perfect for this type of pie.  When slice your pie, you want your pie pieces to stand on their own, not ooze onto the plate.
6. After assembling your pie, but before you top it with whipped cream, allow your pie to refrigerate for at least 24 hours.  This will ensure that your custard has had time to properly set.
7. When you make your whipped cream, always start with very cold ingredients and very cold equipment.  This will allow your cream to set up quickly.

There you have my tips on making the perfect, homemade banana cream pie. This pie tasted so light and delicate, it is the best way to end any summer meal.

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

 

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Prep time

24 hours 30 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

25 hours 10 mins

 

This pie is the best of both worlds It combines the tropical flavor of coconut and the sweet flavor of roasted bananas all in the same heavenly cream pie!

Author: Lemons for Lulu

Recipe type: pie, dessert, cream pie

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• â…“ cup sugar
• ¼ cup toasted coconut
• ½ cup butter, melted
• For the filling:
• ½ cup sugar
• â…“ cup cornstarch
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 bananas
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• For the topping:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. To prepare the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs and toasted coconut in a bowl. Add melted butter and stir until graham crackers crumbs have moistened. Press crust into a pie plate and place in the freezer for one hour. When ready, bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
2. To roast the bananas, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Arrange bananas on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until soft. Remove and let the bananas cool until they are easy to handle.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the custard. Combine sugar, cornstarch, heavy cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in eggs. Continue to cook until mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently. When mixture resembles pudding, remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut exact and butter.
4. Slice bananas and place half of the banana slices on the crust. Sprinkle ¼ cup coconut over the bananas and top with half of the custard. Top with remaining banana slices and coconut, followed by remaining custard. Place pie in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
5. For the whipped cream, whisk heavy cream and sugar together in a chilled bowl on a high speed. Add vanilla and continue to whisk until cream is thick and stiff peaks form.
6. When ready to serve, top pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

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I'm sharing this dreamy pie with you today in honor of June Dairy Month.  This is the time to celebrate America’s dairy farming families, who provide us with healthy, wholesome dairy foods.   This may be a little known fact, but Ohio's dairy cows on nearly 2,800 family-owned dairy farms in Ohio produce more than 630 million gallons of milk, ranking the state 11th in dairy farming.  I had the opportunity to meet a few of those passionate farmers.  I was touched by the dedication, the sacrifice and pride that each farm family puts forth every day.  You can read more about my experience here.

Milk is an important part of our diets.  Milk is the single greatest source of 3 of the 4 nutrients the Dietary Guidelines identified as lacking in the American diet: Calcium, vitamin D and potassium.  And just one serving of milk, cheese or yogurt provides us with 8 grams of high-quality protein and a powerful package of 9 essential nutrients.

For this June Dairy Month, help deliver milk to the fridges of all Americans! Milk is one of the most requested and nutrient-rich food items in our food banks, yet there’s a shortage because milk is rarely donated. Milk companies and dairy farm families have partnered with Feeding America for the Great American Milk Drive, an easy way for you to donate much-needed milk to hungry families in your community. Visit MilkLife.com/Give to donate and see how much milk has been donated so far in your state

I have some "diary good" friends who are joining in on the #BarnParty.  Please check out the recipes below to see more ways to celebrate June Dairy Month!

Inside BruCrew Life: Pina Colada Cake Trifle

Lemons for Lulu: Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Country Cleaver: Chocolate Chip Mini Greek Yogurt Pops

Climbing Grier Mountain: Chicken Shawarma Gratin with Jalapeno Mint Yogurt

Food Faith Fitness: Cauliflower Pizza with Greek Yogurt Pesto

Well-Plated: Berry Breakfast Yogurt Popsicles

Love Grows Wild: Smoothie Popsicles

Eat2Gather: Grilled Cheese Bar

In Katrina’s Kitchen: Milk and Cereal Breakfast Popsicles

Shugary Sweets: S’Mores Coffee Milkshake (recipe to come)

I may be linking this up to t hese parties and to The Weekend Potluck

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