Banana Cream Pie with Salty Bourbon Caramel

Vegetarian
Health score
4%
Banana Cream Pie with Salty Bourbon Caramel
45 min.
8
472kcal

Suggestions

If you’re craving an extraordinary dessert that hits all the right notes—creamy, salty, sweet, and boozy—this Banana Cream Pie with Salty Bourbon Caramel will have you falling in love from the very first bite. Imagine the classic comfort of banana pudding, but elevated for true dessert fans: luscious pastry cream layered between ripe, buttery bananas and cradled in a crunchy, peanut-studded crust. The sprinkle of dry-roasted peanuts takes the place of a traditional crumble, bringing a rich, nutty depth that can stand up to the decadence of the filling.

The real showstopper here is the generous drizzle of homemade salty bourbon caramel, a golden syrup with just enough of a grown-up kick. With each forkful, you’ll catch the creamy softness of the bananas, the plushness of whipped cream, and a finish that’s unmistakably smooth bourbon and toasty nuts. This pie is a textural tour—crisp, silky, cool, and warm all at once—and honestly, it’s a blast to make. It comes together in under an hour (plus some chill time), and everything, from the crust to the caramel, can be made ahead for stress-free entertaining. Whether you’re out to wow dinner guests or simply craving something extra with your afternoon coffee, this banana cream pie is a total crowd-pleaser, ready to turn any meal into an event.

Ingredients

  • 0.3 teaspoon baking soda 
  •  banana ripe
  • 1.5 tablespoons bourbon divided
  • 0.5 teaspoon plus 
  • tablespoons cornstarch 
  • 1.3 cups roasted peanuts unsalted
  • large egg yolk 
  • large egg yolk 
  • tablespoons flour all-purpose
  • 0.8 cup cup heavy whipping cream divided
  • 0.3 teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 0.3 cup brown sugar light packed ()
  • tablespoons powdered sugar 
  • 0.5 cup sugar 
  • tablespoons butter unsalted cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 0.8 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • cups milk whole

Equipment

  • food processor
  • bowl
  • frying pan
  • sauce pan
  • oven
  • whisk
  • mixing bowl
  • wire rack
  • blender
  • hand mixer
  • pastry brush
  • pie form

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulsepeanuts in a food processor until coarselyground.
  2. Transfer 1/4 cup ground nuts to asmall bowl; cover and set aside for garnish.Pulse remaining peanuts until peanut butterforms, about 2 minutes.
  3. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in amedium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beatboth sugars, peanut butter, and butter untilwell combined and mixture resembles wetsand, 2–3 minutes. Beat in egg yolk andvanilla, occasionally scraping down sides ofbowl, until well blended, about 3 minutes(mixture will be clumpy). Gradually adddry ingredients; beat just to combine(mixture will be crumbly; do not overmix orcrust will be tough). Gather dough with yourhands, place in pie dish, and press evenlyonto bottom and up sides of dish.
  4. Bakeuntil edges are deep golden brown, 15–17minutes.
  5. Let cool on a wire rack. DO AHEAD:Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover tightly.
  6. Bring milk and cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan.Meanwhile, whisk sugar, cornstarch, flour,and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  7. Add eggyolks; whisk until smooth (mixture will bevery thick).
  8. Whisking constantly, graduallyadd milk mixture to yolk mixture. Returnto saucepan and cook over medium-lowheat, whisking constantly, until thick, 2–3minutes.
  9. Transfer to a blender with butterand vanilla. Purée until smooth, 1–2 minutes.
  10. Transfer to a medium bowl; press plasticwrap directly onto surface of pastry cream.Chill until set, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD:Can be made 2 days ahead.
  11. Using an electric mixer or whisk,beat 1/2 cup cream and powdered sugar untilmedium-stiff peaks form. Cover and chill.
  12. Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon bourbon, corn syrup,and 1 tablespoon water in a medium deepsaucepan over medium-low heat until sugardissolves. Increase heat, bring to a boilwithout stirring, and cook, occasionallyswirling pan and brushing down sideswith a wet pastry brush, until sugar is deepamber in color, 6–8 minutes.
  13. Removecaramel from heat; whisk in remaining 1/4 cupcream, butter, and salt (mixture will bubblevigorously).
  14. Let cool for 5 minutes; whisk inremaining 1/2 tablespoon bourbon and vanilla.
  15. Letbourbon caramel cool slightly. DO AHEAD:Whipped cream and bourbon caramel canbe made 2 hours ahead. Rewhisk whippedcream before serving.
  16. Let bourbon caramelstand at room temperature.
  17. Spread 1/4 cup vanilla pastry creamevenly over bottom of peanut crust. Slicebananas into 1/4"-thick rounds.
  18. Layer halfof the bananas over pastry cream. Top with1 1/2 cups pastry cream. Arrange remainingbananas over; top bananas with remainingpastry cream.
  19. Garnish with whippedcream and reserved ground peanuts.
  20. Servewith bourbon caramel.

Nutrition Facts

Calories472kcal
Protein9.74%
Fat53.99%
Carbs36.27%

Properties

Glycemic Index
33.98
Glycemic Load
15.83
Inflammation Score
-6
Nutrition Score
12.678695709809%

Flavonoids

Catechin
2.7mg
Epicatechin
0.01mg
Kaempferol
0.05mg
Quercetin
0.03mg

Nutrients percent of daily need

Calories:472.26kcal
23.61%
Fat:29.04g
44.67%
Saturated Fat:11.96g
74.73%
Carbohydrates:43.9g
14.63%
Net Carbohydrates:40.64g
14.78%
Sugar:30.69g
34.1%
Cholesterol:181.52mg
60.51%
Sodium:244.84mg
10.65%
Alcohol:1.07g
100%
Alcohol %:0.68%
100%
Protein:11.79g
23.58%
Manganese:0.69mg
34.38%
Phosphorus:226.38mg
22.64%
Vitamin B3:3.9mg
19.52%
Selenium:12.07µg
17.24%
Vitamin B6:0.31mg
15.72%
Vitamin A:770.19IU
15.4%
Magnesium:61.07mg
15.27%
Vitamin B2:0.26mg
15.26%
Folate:60.76µg
15.19%
Calcium:138.85mg
13.88%
Potassium:475.46mg
13.58%
Fiber:3.26g
13.03%
Vitamin D:1.8µg
11.97%
Vitamin B5:1.15mg
11.54%
Vitamin B1:0.16mg
10.84%
Copper:0.21mg
10.42%
Vitamin B12:0.62µg
10.38%
Zinc:1.15mg
7.65%
Iron:1.17mg
6.48%
Vitamin E:0.73mg
4.88%
Vitamin C:3.98mg
4.83%
Vitamin K:1.58µg
1.51%
Source:Epicurious