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Banoffee Pie

By Annie Petito

Published on August 7, 2023

Time

1½ hours plus 7½ hours cooling and chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Banoffee Pie

Ingredients

Crust

1⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons (2¼ ounces/64 grams) granulated sugar ½ teaspoon table salt 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 (14 ounces/397 grams) can sweetened condensed milk ½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon table salt

Bananas and Whipped Cream

3-4 ripe but firm bananas 1½ cups heavy cream, chilled1½ teaspoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Shaved bittersweet chocolate

Before You Begin

Bananas that have just turned yellow and/or have a few brown speckles are best here; fruit that is too ripe will be too soft and taste overly sweet. For the best flavor and texture, bake the crust until it is deep golden brown. For a filling with the right texture, monitor the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.

Instructions

    for the crust

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl. Add melted butter and stir until dough forms. Using your hands, press two-thirds of dough into bottom of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press remaining dough into fluted sides of pan. Press and smooth dough with your hands to even thickness.
  2.  Place pan on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is deep golden brown and firm to touch, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let crust cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cooled crust can be wrapped loosely and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)
  3. for the filling

  4. Stir all ingredients together in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping edges of saucepan constantly, until mixture registers between 221 and 224 degrees, 9 to 13 minutes (temperature will fluctuate; to take temperature, remove pot from heat and check in several places). Pour over crust (mixture will be very hot). Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then refrigerate until filling is completely chilled, at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove outer metal ring of tart pan, slide thin metal spatula between tart and pan bottom, and carefully slide tart onto serving platter.
  5. for the bananas and whipped cream

  6. Peel bananas and slice into ½-inch-thick rounds. Arrange bananas on filling in single layer to cover entire surface.
  7.  Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream attractively over bananas. Garnish with shaved chocolate. To slice, dip sharp knife in very hot water and wipe dry between cuts. Serve immediately.

Banoffee Pie

Save

Time

1½ hours plus 7½ hours cooling and chilling

Yield

Serves 8

Ingredients

Crust

1⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons (2¼ ounces/64 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 (14 ounces/397 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt

Bananas and Whipped Cream

3-4 ripe but firm bananas
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Shaved bittersweet chocolate

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Crust

1⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons (2¼ ounces/64 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 (14 ounces/397 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt

Bananas and Whipped Cream

3-4 ripe but firm bananas
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Shaved bittersweet chocolate

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Crust

1⅓ cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons (2¼ ounces/64 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 (14 ounces/397 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup packed (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt

Bananas and Whipped Cream

3-4 ripe but firm bananas
1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Shaved bittersweet chocolate

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

For our take on this beloved British dessert, we traded in the traditional rolled pastry and slow-boiled sweetened condensed milk filling for easier, faster alternatives. Stirring melted butter into flour, sugar, and salt yielded a malleable pat-in-the-pan dough that baked up crisp and cookie-like. For the filling, we cooked sweetened condensed milk on the stove with dark brown sugar, butter, salt, and baking soda. After just 9 to 13 minutes, it browned, creating a butterscotch-y mixture that was soft and sliceable when cool. After the filling was completely chilled, we topped it with thick rounds of just-ripe bananas, which had a firm texture and weren't too sweet. Heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks with a bit of sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder made a creamy, stable topping that was well rounded with just a hint of bitterness.

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Before You Begin

Bananas that have just turned yellow and/or have a few brown speckles are best here; fruit that is too ripe will be too soft and taste overly sweet. For the best flavor and texture, bake the crust until it is deep golden brown. For a filling with the right texture, monitor the temperature with an instant-read thermometer.

Instructions

    for the crust

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl. Add melted butter and stir until dough forms. Using your hands, press two-thirds of dough into bottom of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press remaining dough into fluted sides of pan. Press and smooth dough with your hands to even thickness.
  2.  Place pan on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is deep golden brown and firm to touch, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let crust cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cooled crust can be wrapped loosely and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)
  3. for the filling

  4. Stir all ingredients together in large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping edges of saucepan constantly, until mixture registers between 221 and 224 degrees, 9 to 13 minutes (temperature will fluctuate; to take temperature, remove pot from heat and check in several places). Pour over crust (mixture will be very hot). Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then refrigerate until filling is completely chilled, at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove outer metal ring of tart pan, slide thin metal spatula between tart and pan bottom, and carefully slide tart onto serving platter.
  5. for the bananas and whipped cream

  6. Peel bananas and slice into ½-inch-thick rounds. Arrange bananas on filling in single layer to cover entire surface.
  7.  Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream attractively over bananas. Garnish with shaved chocolate. To slice, dip sharp knife in very hot water and wipe dry between cuts. Serve immediately.

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