Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
Classic banana cream pie just got an upgrade! With layers of chocolate ganache, fresh bananas, vanilla pudding and whipped cream, this chocolate banana cream pie is one you’re sure to love.
If you love cream pies, then this is the pie for you! It has everything— a flaky buttery pie crust, the creamiest homemade vanilla pudding, fluffy whipped cream, sliced bananas and rich chocolate ganache.
You can stop your search for the best banana cream pie recipe, because this is it.
You’ll love this Chocolate Banana Cream Pie!
This is not your run-of-the-mill boring banana cream pie. It’s so delicious, and has all the right things going on. The creamy filling with the flaky crust, and the combination of chocolate and banana make this chocolate banana cream pie such a delight!
There are 5 pieces to this pie:
- Pie crust
- Chocolate ganache
- Sliced bananas
- Vanilla pudding
- Whipped cream
I know that’s a lot! But the fact that everything is made from-scratch— from the crust to the filling— makes this one amazing pie. And I promise it’s not too difficult, anyone can make it! And it’s definitely worth the effort.
So let’s get started, shall we?
Ingredients you’ll need
How to make Chocolate-Bottom Banana Cream Pie
1. Prepare pie crust. Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until the size of peas. Then, add cold water until dough comes together and you can shape it into a disk. Chill for 2 hours.
2. Bake crust. Because the cream filling isn’t baked in the oven, the crust must be baked completely on its own. This is called a blind bake, and I have a full tutorial post on how to do it right.
3. Make vanilla pudding. While the crust is baking, prepare the pudding over the stove. Heat milk and sugar until steaming, then slowly whisk it into the egg yolks and cornstarch. Cook it over medium heat until thickened, then remove and stir in vanilla and butter. Let cool to room temperature.
4. Make chocolate ganache. Heat heavy cream and pour over chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Assemble pie. Once the crust, vanilla pudding and chocolate ganache have cooled to room temperature you can assemble the pie! Spread chocolate into the bottom of the pie crust, add a layer of sliced bananas on top, and then spread the pudding evenly over the bananas. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings (optional).
6. Chill and serve. The pie should be chilled completely before serving so that everything firms up for slicing. Store in the fridge for at least a few hours, and up to a few days, though pie is best 1-2 days after assembly.
Tips for this recipe
- If you need help making the crust, check out my foolproof flaky pie crust method. You’re guaranteed flaky layers and great flavor.
- To ensure it doesn’t shrink during baking, be sure to follow all of my tips for how to blind bake a pie crust.
- Straining the vanilla pudding is an optional step, but it removes any possible cornstarch or egg lumps and leaves the filling silky smooth.
- While it may be tempting to cut into the pie immediately, it needs to be chilled to finish setting up. Cutting the pie too soon will make for soft sloppy slices.
- Feel free to garnish or decorate this pie however you like! I used rough chopped chocolate, but you could also add sliced bananas to the top right before serving.
- Parts of this pie can be made ahead for easy assembly later— The pudding can be stored in the fridge for several days. The pie dough can be stored in the fridge for 5 days and in the freezer for a month or more. The baked pie crust can also be stored at room temperature for several days. However, I recommend making the chocolate ganache and whipped cream when you are ready to assemble the pie.
More cream pies to try
If you love this chocolate-bottom banana cream pie, you should try these other pies:
- Easy No-Bake Coconut Cream Pie
- Creamy Caramel Pie with Gingersnap Pecan Crust
- Bourbon Banana Cream Pie
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This recipe was originally published April 2021 and was sponsored by Challenge Dairy. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I believe in, which make Completely Delicious possible.
Chocolate Banana Cream Tart
Ingredients
For the pie crust:
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Challenge Unsalted Butter , cold and cut into cubes
- ¼ cup cold water
For the vanilla pudding:
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Challenge Unsalted Butter
For the chocolate ganache:
- 4 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate , chopped or use chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
For assembly:
- 1 banana , sliced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Additional chopped chocolate or sliced bananas , for topping (optional)
Instructions
To make the pie crust:
- Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until butter is the size of peas. Add cold water and use a spatula and then your hands to stir the mixture until it comes together into a ball. If mixture is too dry, add additional water a teaspoon at a time.
- Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 5 days. Dough can also be frozen (double-wrapped) for up to 2 months.
- When ready to roll out, let the dough rest at room temperature for five minutes. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rough 13-inch circle. Dough should be about ¼-inch thick. Transfer dough to 9-inch pie dish and fold and crimp edges as desired.
- Freeze pie crust for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line frozen pie crust with greased foil or parchment paper, then fill all the way to the top with pie weights to hold crust in place during baking. You can also use dry beans or rice.
- Bake pie crust for 20-25 minutes until edges are golden brown. Lift liner and pie weights out of crust and set aside to cool. Bake pie crust for an additional 5-10 minutes until all of pie crust is baked and lightly browned.
To make the vanilla pudding:
- Heat the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch in a separate bowl. When the milk starts to bubble at the edges and steam, remove from heat and add in a slow steady stream to the egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. When the custard is thick, remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter. Stir until smooth.
- (Optional) Pass pudding through a mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
- Set pudding aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
To make the ganache:
- Heat the heavy whipping cream in microwave until steaming. Pour over the chocolate in a medium bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
To assemble the pie:
- Beat heavy whipping cream till it starts to thicken, then add vanilla and sugar. Beat to medium peaks.
- Spread chocolate ganache over the bottom of the pie crust. Slice the bananas and arrange in a layer over the chocolate. Dollop the vanilla pudding over the bananas and spread to cover in an even layer. Top with sweetened whipped cream.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Add toppings like chopped chocolate or bananas, if desired, before slicing.
3 Comments on “Chocolate Banana Cream Pie”
Can i make pudding ahead a few hrs?
Should i NOT chill it till I’m ready to put in the pie?
Hi Judith! The chocolate will set as it cools, so if you want to make it ahead of time you’ll need to heat it again so it’s spreadable. But other than that issue it should be just fine to make ahead.
heh