My no-fuss chocolate banana cream pie built from reliable components. This recipe is proof that some of the best desserts are the ones you never planned to make!
I didn’t intend on sharing this recipe. This dessert came about because I happen to have the right ingredient components at the perfect moment. (As such, this post won’t have a ton of instructional images or fancy staged photos.)
This is exactly the kind of recipes I love sharing. It’s not complicated nor flashy, instead, it’s very freeing. It is meant to make you take inventory of what you have on hand and trust yourself to make something delicious out of it.
The more time you spend creating in the kitchen, the more you start to see connections and possibilities instead of limitation. That’s the goal. I want you to feel empowered in the kitchen with whatever you have available.
SO, if you have pie dough in the freezer, some ripe bananas, and the staples to make pastry cream, you’re about to enjoy an easy yet seriously impressive variation of banana cream pie!
Trust the Process
This chocolate banana cream pie has five components:
- Butter Pie Dough
- Melted Chocolate Shield
- Fresh Sliced Bananas
- Chocolate Pastry Cream
- Whipped Cream
Banana cream pie is a classic for good reason. It’s a timeless combination of familiar, comforting flavors. However, when you add chocolate to the mix… the entire dessert suddenly get more sophisticated and elegant.
I’m confident this recipe works because it uses components that I’ve used time and time again in other desserts. These aren’t untested recipes thrown together; they are reliable building blocks! Once you trust the components, the combinations become endless.
Swap in a different flavored pastry cream like classic vanilla bean, earthy matcha, or tropical pandan. Try fresh strawberries or peaches in place of banana.
The Secret Chocolate Shield
This small step separates my banana cream pie from other recipes! You’ve seen me do this in my banana cream tarts, strawberry tart, and peanut butter mousse tarts.
Line the instead of the baked pie shell with a thin layer of melted chocolate. This creates a barrier between the crust and the filling. This little step prevent sogginess and keeps your crust crispy and crunchy! Plus, a hidden layer of chocolate is a delicious surprise.
Helpful Tips and Notes
- Slice the bananas just before assembling to keep them from browning.
- Finish assembled pie with your choice of: 1) dusting of cocoa powder, 2) chocolate shavings, 3) chocolate curls, or 4) drizzle of melted chocolate or caramel.
- Use a sharp serrated knife to slicing pieces in a gentle sawing motion.
- No need to make everything the same day. Pace yourself and make the components over several days.
- Day 1: Mix together pie dough.
- Day 2: Make pastry cream. (You could also bake pie shell and hold at room temperature overnight.)
- Day 3: Bake pie dough and assemble.
Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
Pie Dough:
- 300 g all-purpose flour (2¼ cup)
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 227 g unsalted butter (1 cup), cut into tablespoons, very cold
- 2 large egg yolks, cold
- 5 Tablespoons ice water
Chocolate Pastry Cream:
- 30 g cornstarch (¼ cup)
- 150 g granulated sugar (¾ cup), divided
- 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder (2 Tablespoons), sift if clumpy
- 4 large egg yolks
- 454 g whole milk (2 cups or 475 ml), divided
- 28 g unsalted butter (2 Tablespoons)
- 58 g chocolate chip (2 oz or about ⅓ cup), *
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Assembly Components:
- 42 g chocolate chips (about ¼ cup), melted*
- 2 medium bananas, sliced, or more if desired
- 227 g heavy cream (1 cup), whipped cream to medium peaks*
- chocolate shavings, chocolate curls, or sifted cocoa powder, as desired
Instructions
Pie Dough:
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add in cold butter. Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut butter into flour mixture. Continue until mixture looks like coarse, pebbled sand.
- Add egg yolks and ice water. Mix together with a spatula until mixture looks like a "shaggy mess" or scrambled eggs.
- Dump onto a clean work surface (or work inside the large mixing bowl). Gently and quickly knead mixture together to form a cohesive dough. Knead JUST UNTIL the dough comes together.
- Divide dough into two equal parts. Flatten into disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Chocolate Pastry Cream Filling:
- Line a half-sheet baking pan with plastic wrap, ensuring the sides of the pan are also covered. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cornstarch, about ½ cup of sugar, and cocoa powder. Add in egg yolks and about ½ cup of milk. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Pour remaining milk into a heavy bottomed sauce pot. Add remaining sugar. Set over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to ensure the milk does not burn along the sides or bottom of the pan.
- When the milk has boiled, slowly add about ¼ cup of hot milk into the egg mixture. Whisk constantly to distribute the heat. Continue to pour more milk until a couple tablespoons are left in the saucepan. Then pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan.
- Reduce to medium heat. Switch to a spatula. Stir constantly until the custard has thickened. To cook the cornstarch out, heat the custard until it boils for about 10-15 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Stir in butter, chocolate chips, and salt until smooth.
- Pour pastry cream into a plastic wrapped sheet pan. Spread evenly. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes* until pastry cream has cooled to room temperature.
- Remove from freezer. Transfer to another container. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use
Pie Dough Baking:
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Remove one portion of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter and ¼-inch thick.
- Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, gently pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim excess dough, leaving about ½-inch overhang all around the rim.
- Crimp, flute, or decorate the edges as desired. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Remove chilled pie crust from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Return pie crust to oven and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the curst is firm, golden, and cooked throughout. Set aside to cool.
Pie Assembly:
- Heat chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 second intervals at half power until melted. Stir as needed to ensure even melting. Pour melted chocolate into cooled pie shell. Spread into an even layer.
- Arrange sliced bananas over chocolate layer. Spoon chocolate pastry cream over bananas. Spread into an even layer.
- Dollop or spread whipped cream over pastry cream. Finish with chocolate shavings. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or keep in covered container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- I recommend semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- 2 medium bananas is enough for one layer. Use more bananas if you prefer more layers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Pastry cream uses four egg yolks. Here are some recipes to use up the four large egg whites:
- Rainbow Cake with Swiss Buttercream
- Chocolate Yellow Cake
- Sans Rival Cake (cashew meringue cake)
