5 from 18 votes

Homemade Banana Pudding Pie is made with a Nilla wafer crust, fresh sliced bananas, homemade pudding and topped with fresh whipped cream.

HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING PIE

Name: HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING PIE
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 65 vanilla wafers, (divided use); 5 1/3 tbsp unsalted butter, (melted); 2 ripe bananas, (sliced); ½ cup sugar; 1/3 cup flour; ¼ tsp salt; 2 cups milk; 4 large egg yolks, (lightly beaten); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract

There aren’t many desserts that I don’t like – but Banana Pudding just does something to me. Especially this Homemade Banana Pudding Pie! Is it the Nilla Wafers? Is it the pudding? The bananas? I’m thinking it is just a combination of all those flavors that sends me to the moon. Now, I realize there is some bit of contention among food folks as to whether a true southern banana pudding should be topped with meringue or whipped cream.

MERINGUE OR WHIPPED CREAM?

Many of the original recipes made it with meringue because when you make the pudding, you use egg yolks, and that left you with some egg whites left over. So, cooks would use those to make a meringue topping. But honestly, who really cares? If ya like it with meringue – go for it. If you like whipped cream – then whip away baby. I’m in the whipped cream camp so that’s what I’m going with. And if you like Banana Puddin’, then you are gonna love this pie!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
For the crust (use store-bought or make homemade):
vanilla wafers
salted butter
ripe bananas

For the pudding:
sugar
flour
kosher salt
milk
egg yolks
vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:
heavy cream
confectioner’s sugar
vanilla extract

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BANANA PUDDING PIE:

For the crust: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray. Place 45 of your vanilla wafers into food processor and pulse until cookies are finely crushed (reserve ¼ cup of the crumbs to use to top your pie). Mix remaining crumbs with melted butter. Firmly press into the pie plate. Bake for 10-12 minutes and then remove to cool.

Nilla wafer crust - Nilla wafers combined with butter

For the pudding: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in the milk and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a low boil and becomes thick (about 7-10 minutes). Reduce the heat to very low. In the bowl that you have your egg yolks in, add a couple of tablespoons of the hot milk mixture (this will keep your eggs from cooking). Add egg mixture to pot and stir constantly until mixture is thickened to the consistency of pudding (about 3-4 minutes). You may need to turn your heat up slightly to achieve this. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Now you’re ready to assemble. Arrange half the banana slices over the crust. Spread half of the pudding mixture over the bananas. Top the pudding with the remaining 20 vanilla wafers you set aside. Top the wafers with the rest of the bananas, then finish it off with the remaining of the pudding. Place in the fridge to cool completely.

Nilla wafer crust, layered with sliced bananas and homemade pudding mixture

For the whipped cream: Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer (or hand mixer), beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. It helps if your bowl and your whisk are VERY cold. Spread the whipped cream over pie and sprinkle with the reserved crumbs.

Homemade Banana Cream Pie with whipped cream rosettes

Pie keeps for about a day in the fridge.

Banana Pudding Pie, homemade, slice on a grey plate with a fork

Enjoy!

Originally published: June 2011
Updated & Republished: May 2019