Here with a sweet pie option for your Thanksgiving table- this time it’s a Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie! Basically this is a fluffy banana cream pie with a layer of dark chocolate ganache at the bottom and it’s probably the best banana cream pie you’ll ever have!
There’s a few steps to this pie, but it comes together easily and the results are a super silky, really amazing pie that will work perfectly on any holiday table. Let’s get to it!
How to Make Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
This recipe uses a classic pie crust, but it needs to be blind baked. This means you’ll need to bake the crust fully beforehand. I have a wonderful homemade pie crust recipe here, but you can absolutely use something store-bought and it will be just as lovely!
After that, it’s time to make a simple vanilla custard. This one is a bit of a fool-proof option because it uses both cornstarch and egg yolks to thicken the mixture. As long as you are sure to whisk constantly and keep the heat down to medium, you’ll end up with a very thick, silky custard to work with here.
Next up is the ganache. This is a pretty simple mixture of dark chocolate, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. You will end up with a really creamy, smooth chocolate sauce that firms up into a layer of chocolate over the crust. I usually use dark chocolate here to balance out the sweetness of the pie, and I’d go for something around 65-70% here.
Finally, once the custard has chilled it’s time to fold in a ton of whipped cream, along with lots of sliced bananas before piling everything into your crust. You’ll up with a fluffy, creamy banana pie with a layer of chocolate on the bottom, and the combination is kind of insane.
Optionally, you can top the pie with more whipped cream, but after trying it both ways I actually prefer it without. Plus it’s a super tall pie, and it doesn’t need the extra topping!
Hope you guys enjoy this one- it’s definitely a keeper for our family!
Tips & Tricks for Banana Cream Pie
This is a pretty straight-forward recipe, and I’ve tried to make it super easy. I have a few tips to help you along the way:
- What does it mean to blind bake a crust? This means that your crust is fully baked before it gets filled. You can do this by filling your pie crust with a layer of foil, and then pie weights before baking it until completely cooked through. I have full instructions for doing so on my pie crust recipe, or you can follow instructions from a store-bought package.
- How do I know when my custard is fully cooked? This particular custard should become very thick, almost paste-like. Remember that it’s going to be folded into tons of whipped cream, and the added structure is needed here!
- Do I have to use dark chocolate for the ganache? No, you can use any chocolate you like here. I like dark chocolate to balance out the sweetness of this pie, but use a chocolate that you like to eat!
- Don’t skip the chilling steps! You want the ganache to be fully set so it doesn’t spread too much when you add the filling, and the custard needs to be completely chilled in order to avoid melting the whipped cream. Don’t skip any chilling steps here!
- How long will this pie stay good before serving? I recommend making this pie the day before you serve it. While it’s still perfectly good to eat for about 4-6 days, the bananas will naturally start to brown over time.
- I’m at about 5,000 ft above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level do not need to adjust my recipes. That said, this particular recipe works well at most altitudes including sea level.
Enjoy!
Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 blind-baked pie crust
For the custard:
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbs. granulated sugar separated
- 3 tbs cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla paste
- 2 large egg yolks
For the chocolate layer:
- 4 oz chopped dark chocolate
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the pie:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 large bananas
Instructions
For the custard:
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In a small saucepan, whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking until well combined. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it’s steaming, but not yet boiling.
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While the milk mixture heats, whisk together the egg yolks and additional 2 tbs. sugar in a small bowl. When the milk mixture is steaming, slowly pour about half of the mixture into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. pour the entire mixture back into the pan, and whisk over medium heat until it becomes very thick. This should take about 5 minutes. The custard will be very thick at this stage, and that’s ok! Pour the custard into a heat safe bowl, and cover it by placing plastic wrap directly onto the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let the custard chill fully, about 2 hours in the fridge.
For the chocolate layer:
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In a small bowl add the chopped chocolate. Pour the heavy cream over the top, and place the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and whisk until everything is smooth and combined, and then stir in the salt and vanilla extract.
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Pour the mixture onto your blind-baked pie crust and smooth it into an even layer. Optionally, you can spread the mixture up the sides of the pie crust as well. Put the entire crust in the fridge to let the mixture harden for about 30 minutes.
For the pie:
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In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add in the sugar, and continue whipping until you have stiff peaks that hold their shape when you remove the whisk from the bowl. Stir about 1/3 of the whipped cream into your chilled custard mixture to lighten the thick custard, and then fold the remaining whipped cream into the mixture gently.
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Slice your bananas into thin slices, and gently fold them into the whipped cream filling mixture until well coated and distributed throughout. Pour the entire mixture into your prepared pie crust and use the back of a spoon to make little swirls all over the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour before serving!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
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