Banana Pudding Pie
By Jessica RudolphPublished on February 14, 2020
Time
1¼ hours, plus 4 hours chilling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Crust
4 cups (8⅓ ounces/236 grams) Nilla Wafer cookies 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon table salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedFilling
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 1 ¾ cups half-and-half, divided¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar 5 large egg yolks 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon table salt Pinch ground cinnamon Pinch ground allspice 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick (1½ cups)Meringue
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar ⅓ cup packed (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) light brown sugar 4 large egg whites ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar ⅛ teaspoon table saltBefore You Begin
For the best results, use either fully yellow or lightly spotted bananas here (avoid bananas that are green on top or all brown). Peel and slice the bananas just before using to help prevent browning. Plan ahead: The pie needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours before it's topped. Chilling the topped pie for longer than 4 hours may cause the top to deflate. Don't worry; it will still be delicious.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 8 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse cookies, sugar, flour, and salt in food processor until finely ground, about 10 pulses. Add melted butter and pulse until combined, about 8 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to 9-inch pie plate (it will seem like a lot of crumbs).
- Using your hands, press crumbs firmly up sides of plate, building walls about ¼ inch thick and leveling top edge. Press remaining crumbs into even layer on bottom of plate, firmly pressing crumbs into corners of plate. Bake until fragrant and beginning to darken at edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer plate to wire rack.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup half-and-half in small bowl and let mixture sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Whisk sugar, egg yolks, flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and remaining 1¼ cups half-and-half in large saucepan until fully combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping corners of saucepan, until mixture thickens, bubbles burst across entire surface, and mixture registers 180 degrees in several places, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter, vanilla, and gelatin mixture until combined.
- Stir bananas into hot filling. Pour filling into crust (crust needn't be completely cooled). Press parchment paper directly onto surface of filling and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Whisk all ingredients together in bowl of stand mixer. Place bowl over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, making sure water does not touch bottom of bowl. Whisking gently but constantly, cook until mixture registers 160 to 165 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Fit mixer with whisk attachment and whip on high speed until meringue forms stiff peaks and is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Gently peel off parchment from filling (if any filling sticks to parchment, scrape off and smooth back over surface of pie). Spread meringue over filling, making sure meringue touches edges of crust. Working gently, use spatula or spoon to create swirls over surface.
- FOR A BROILER: Heat broiler. Broil until meringue is well browned, 1 to 2 minutes, rotating plate as needed for even browning.FOR A TORCH: Ignite torch; continuously sweep flame about 2 inches above meringue until well browned.
- Slice pie into wedges with wet knife, wiping knife clean between slices. Serve immediately. (Topped pie can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.)
for the crust
for the filling
for the meringue
Time
1¼ hours, plus 4 hours chillingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Crust
4 cups (8⅓ ounces/236 grams) Nilla Wafer cookies
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 ¾ cups half-and-half, divided
¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick (1½ cups)
Meringue
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) light brown sugar
4 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Crust
4 cups (8⅓ ounces/236 grams) Nilla Wafer cookies
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 ¾ cups half-and-half, divided
¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick (1½ cups)
Meringue
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) light brown sugar
4 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Crust
4 cups (8⅓ ounces/236 grams) Nilla Wafer cookies
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 ¾ cups half-and-half, divided
¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick (1½ cups)
Meringue
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) light brown sugar
4 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This pie—our take on the signature dessert at Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, North Carolina (read about our visit here)—is a reimagining of the classic layered dessert of vanilla pudding, Nilla Wafers, and sliced bananas. For a sturdy crust, we used a combination of ground Nilla Wafers, melted butter, flour, salt, and sugar and pressed it firmly up the sides and into the corners of the pie plate. We relied on both flour and gelatin to set the pudding layer: Flour thickened the pudding while keeping it supple, and gelatin firmed it just enough to get clean slices. A pinch each of ground cinnamon and allspice rounded out the pudding's sweet, creamy vanilla flavor, which was the perfect backdrop for sliced fresh bananas. We topped it all off with a cooked meringue, swapping in some brown sugar for added caramel undertones. Browning the meringue topping added a slight toasty bitterness that perfectly offset the sweet pudding underneath.
Before You Begin
For the best results, use either fully yellow or lightly spotted bananas here (avoid bananas that are green on top or all brown). Peel and slice the bananas just before using to help prevent browning. Plan ahead: The pie needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours before it's topped. Chilling the topped pie for longer than 4 hours may cause the top to deflate. Don't worry; it will still be delicious.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 8 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse cookies, sugar, flour, and salt in food processor until finely ground, about 10 pulses. Add melted butter and pulse until combined, about 8 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to 9-inch pie plate (it will seem like a lot of crumbs).
- Using your hands, press crumbs firmly up sides of plate, building walls about ¼ inch thick and leveling top edge. Press remaining crumbs into even layer on bottom of plate, firmly pressing crumbs into corners of plate. Bake until fragrant and beginning to darken at edges, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer plate to wire rack.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup half-and-half in small bowl and let mixture sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Whisk sugar, egg yolks, flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and remaining 1¼ cups half-and-half in large saucepan until fully combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping corners of saucepan, until mixture thickens, bubbles burst across entire surface, and mixture registers 180 degrees in several places, 5 to 7 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter, vanilla, and gelatin mixture until combined.
- Stir bananas into hot filling. Pour filling into crust (crust needn't be completely cooled). Press parchment paper directly onto surface of filling and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Whisk all ingredients together in bowl of stand mixer. Place bowl over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, making sure water does not touch bottom of bowl. Whisking gently but constantly, cook until mixture registers 160 to 165 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Fit mixer with whisk attachment and whip on high speed until meringue forms stiff peaks and is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Gently peel off parchment from filling (if any filling sticks to parchment, scrape off and smooth back over surface of pie). Spread meringue over filling, making sure meringue touches edges of crust. Working gently, use spatula or spoon to create swirls over surface.
- FOR A BROILER: Heat broiler. Broil until meringue is well browned, 1 to 2 minutes, rotating plate as needed for even browning.FOR A TORCH: Ignite torch; continuously sweep flame about 2 inches above meringue until well browned.
- Slice pie into wedges with wet knife, wiping knife clean between slices. Serve immediately. (Topped pie can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.)
for the crust
for the filling
for the meringue
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