I give this recipe 5 stars for two reasons. One, this is by far the very best tasting pudding I have ever had! Two, it's easy to make - no difficult cooking techniques required. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Do NOT bake this pie. It will dry it out and put a tough skin on it. Just refrigerate it and top it with whipped topping when you serve it. The filling has such a wonderful vanilla flavor - yummy! The best crust for this pie, btw, is a vanilla wafer crust. Just mix 1-1/2 c crushed vanilla wafers w/6 T melted butter and bake for 5 mins at 350. Really sets off the banana pie!
Ok, this is a first for me I didn't adjust a thing. I used 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. I cooked the first 4 ingredients until thick. I than added some of the cooked mixture into the 3 yolks, than added the egg mixture into the sauce pan. I used the 3 egg whites, 1/4 tsp cream of tarter, 1 tsp of vanilla and 6 tablespoons of white sugar for a meringue( I hate to waste food) baked for 7 mins. Than cooled for 45 mins by a open window, popped it into the fridge for 3 hours and it was perfect.
Woah baby! This is one you won't soon forget. My family was IMPRESSED. This was only the second pie I've ever made, and it turned out GREAT! I used the "Basic Flaky Pie Crust" recipe from this site (a terrific recipe too). I followed other reviewer recommendations to, 1) use less sugar - 1/2 cup, 2) not to bake, 3) use corn starh instead of flour, and 4) CHILL extensively. These were all excellent suggestions. I topped this pie with heavy whipping cream (easy recipe available on this website) and it disappeared in nothing flat.
Probably would have been 5 without my changes. 1. Dip banana slices into either lemon juice or Sprite. The citric acid will keep them from turning brown quickly. Pat them dry. 2. Must use whole milk for pudding or it will be runny. Must cook over VERY low heat and stir constantly, until THICKENED. It will take a lot longer than 2 minutes. 3. Let the pudding cool slightly (you can stick your finger in it and leave it for a while without burning) before tempering eggs and adding all together. 4. Flour is terrible for pudding. Always use cornstarch. No lumps, no hassle. 3 Tablespoons of CS rather than 1/3 cup flour. Put sugar, CS, salt and milk in pan all together and start stirring over low heat. 5. I use a full Tablespoon of vanilla, but that's me! 6. Unless you WANT pudding skin, cover the surface of the pudding with saran wrap. 7. Use a pre-baked and COOLED graham cracker or vanilla wafer crust. CHILL the pudding for at least 2 hours before putting in crust. 8. DO NOT bake this pie after assembling! It will gum up your pudding and dry the whole pie out. Now, I realize if you follow my directions, it's not the same recipe. But it was a good basic start, and with these few tips, you can expect great results that avoid the other negative reviewers issues. P.S. Take a look at some of the Homemade Vanilla Pudding recipes & reviews for more tips on how to make great pudding. The secret is in the cooking and getting a feel for when it is thick enough, then chilling before use.
So, so good for a hot summer afternoon or picnic. I can't agree more with 'kate'- DEFINITELY DO NOT BAKE THIS PIE. I've baked DOZENS of pies in the last 7 years, and I've never come across a banana cream pie that was baked. Might be a typo in the recipe. I must add, a baked-from-scratch pie crust is unparelleled in flavor and texture, so those who are intimidated: PLEASE DO YOURSELVES A FAVOR AND TRY IT! YOU WILL SHUN STORE-BOUGHT BRANDS =) Some of us have claimed the filling was runny; I highly suspect that the custard was not cooked to its full thickness. Remember: the custard should be at a constant SIMMER; meaning, small bubbles should be forming around the edges for about 3-5 minutes. If the custard is at a constant simmer, keep stirring and dip a spoon into it. Lift it out. With your finger, mark a line down the back of the spoon. The line should stay distinct and not meld together so easily. That means its ready. BTW, I once made this pie without the bananas. All I did was stir in 2 TBS. banana liquer into the custard along with the butter and vanilla. I suppose if I added the bananas, it would that much better. To really wow your guests, consider whipping your own sweetened cream instead of the whipped topping. Oh yes, and do not substitute skim milk- it will also negatively affect the consistency of the custard.
This recipe was so easy to make, and was a huge hit for a birthday party! I highly recommend this. A quick swap of coconut (instead of banana), or any other fruit would make a wonderful alternate pie. For those users who ended up with a soupy mess: Be SURE to use at least 2% or preferably whole milk to make a perfectly thick custard. This recipe cannot be 'healthified' by cutting back to skim or fat free milk (sorry! :).
Mine is also so soupy. How can I make it so thicken???
This pie was the best ever, I made 2 and found out that it needed chilling for longer than 1 hour though. It was runny with the 1st pie and the 2nd I let set for 3 hours and it stayed together. I also found that mixing the banana into the pudding before putting it into the shell was easier to keep the pie together.
My father has been dying for a made from scratch banana cream pie. I choose this one and he loved it! I used a made from scratch pie crust, which makes a huge difference, in my opinion. After reading other reviews, I decided not to bake it, but made sure the shell and filling was cool before I chilled it, and it came out great.
