If you love Banana Pudding like my husband and really, what’s not to love about it, you will love Southern Banana Pudding Pie!
Banana Pudding is about as southern as you can get! According to Wikipedia “an early Banana Pudding recipe was published in “The Kentucky Receipt Book,” by Mary Harris Frazer, in 1903. There is even a Banana Pudding Festival in the small town of Irwinton, Georgia, which is held on the last Saturday in April, and a National Banana Pudding Festival which is held in Centerville, Tennessee.
Southern Banana Pudding Pie has everything that is good in Banana Pudding, but instead of vanilla wafers being layered between layers of bananas and vanilla custard, the vanilla wafers are crushed for a scrumptious, crunchy vanilla wafer pie crust. Next, there is a layer of soft ripe bananas which are topped with a yummy, decadent and dreamy vanilla custard, and finally a layer of sweet, light as a cloud meringue.
My husband loves Banana Pudding; it’s hands-down his favorite dessert. When he was growing up he always asked for it instead of a birthday cake and continues to do so even now. So it should come as no surprise that I’m always on the lookout for a good banana pudding recipe. I’ve tried dozens of them and was really excited when I saw this Banana Pudding Pie recipe in Southern Living. I knew then I had to make it and here is my version.
Southern Banana Pudding Pie would be a great dessert for Easter Dinner, or really anytime. If you like this recipe, you might also like these other delicious and easy to make desserts: Luscious Lemon Swirl Cheesecake, Frozen Lemonade Pie, or Meyer Lemon Tart with Gingersnap Crust. Need more ideas, check out all of my dessert recipes on my Dessert Recipe Index. All recipes include easy to follow step by step instructions, nutritional information, and plenty of photos.
The ingredients for Southern Banana Pudding Pie are pretty straight forward: a box of vanilla wafers, butter, bananas, eggs, sugar, flour, milk and vanilla extract.
When you are ready to make Southern Banana Pudding Pie, gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put all the vanilla wafers in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until the wafers are crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse to thoroughly combine the crumbs and butter.
Pour this crumb mixture into a nine-inch pie plate and firmly press the mixture down onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You can use the bottom of a glass with a smooth surface to help press everything down evenly.
Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until it has lightly browned. Remove and place on a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes.
Arrange the banana slices on the cooled pie crust and set aside.
To make the Vanilla Custard, combine the sugar, flour, egg yolks, eggs, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the custard thickens, this should take from 8-10 minutes. The mixture should be thick and hold soft peaks when the whisk is lifted. Blend in the vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
Pour this mixture over the vanilla wafer crust and bananas. Smooth the surface and set aside.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium until they are white and frothy. Increase the speed to high and begin slowly adding the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form and the sugar has dissolved.
Spread the meringue evenly over the pie and seal the edges.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Chill for 4 hours before serving.
Southern Banana Pudding Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 ripe bananas peeled and sliced
Pie Crust
- 1 11 oz box vanilla wafers
- 1/2 cup butter melted
Vanilla Custard
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Put all of the vanilla wafers in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until the wafers are crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse to thoroughly combine the crumbs and butter.
- Pour this crumb mixture into a nine-inch pie plate and firmly press the mixture down onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You can use the bottom of a glass with a smooth surface to help press everything down evenly.
- Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or until it has lightly browned. Remove and place on a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes.
- Arrange the banana slices on the cooled pie crust and set aside.
Vanilla Custard
- To make the Vanilla Custard, combine the sugar, flour, egg yolks, eggs, and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the custard thickens, this should take from 8-10 minutes. The mixture should be thick and hold soft peaks when the whisk is lifted. Blend in the vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Pour this mixture over the vanilla wafer crust and bananas. Smooth the surface and set aside.
Meringue
- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium until they are white and frothy. Increase the speed to high and begin slowly adding the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating the egg whites until stiff peaks form and the sugar has dissolved.
- Spread the meringue evenly over the pie and seal the edges.
- Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Chill for 4 hours before serving.
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