Custard Queen
If I had to list my top favorite pies, you’d probably notice a pattern. Most, if not all, would be in the cream or custard category. Even outside of pies, I’m a custard queen. I love custard filled donuts, tarts, and buns. There’s just something about the creaminess and subtle sweetness that hits the spot! One of my favorite pies of all time is banana cream pie. Everything from the graham cracker crust to the airy cream is perfection! I thought the only thing that could make it better would be to combine it with another classic, iconic dessert — crème brûlée. So… we’re making a Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie!
I think the best part about this Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie is that it’s actually simpler than you think it is. The crème brûlée component sounds so fancy and like it would add another 4 steps to the process. But in reality, making the banana cream pie is 95% of the battle. Because when you think about it, a crème brûlée is a custard with caramelized sugar on top. A banana cream pie already consists of a custard filling. So all we need to do to is sprinkle sugar on top, torch it, and then we have a Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie!
Time to Temper
Starting with the pastry cream, pour 1½ cups of the milk into a sauce pot. Heat it over medium high heat until it just starts to bubble. In the meantime, combine the cornstarch, granulated sugar, egg yolks, salt, and remaining milk into a bowl.
While quickly whisking the egg mixture, slowly stream in the hot milk. This process is known as tempering. By slowly adding in the hot milk, it will bring the mixture up to temperature without scrambling the eggs. Once most of the hot milk has been incorporated, pour all of the liquid back into the sauce pot. Cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. The mixture will begin to bubble and thicken. Remove the thickened pastry cream from the heat and mix in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract.
If your pastry cream is lumpy, you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Transfer the pastry cream into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Make sure that the plastic wrap makes direct contact with the surface of the pastry cream. Place it in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours until it has completely cooled.
Building the Base
The first time I had a banana cream pie it was made with a graham cracker crust. From that point on, it’s been the only crust I make with banana cream pie. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Place the graham cracker sheets into a food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs. Add 1½ cups of the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl along with the granulated sugar and melted butter. Mix the ingredients together until you get a mixture that resembles wet sand. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie dish. Press the graham cracker crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish until compact. Bake it in the oven for 10 minutes then allow it to cool completely.
Light and Airy
Whenever I make a dessert with a pastry cream filling, I always like to mix it with a little whipped cream. While I love pastry cream, sometimes it can be a too heavy or thick. By folding in a portion of whipped cream into the pastry cream, it make makes the custard lighter, more airy, and gives it a silkier mouth feel.
Pour the heavy into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium high speed until you get soft peaks. Add in the powdered sugar and mix on high speed until you get stiff peaks.
Clean out the stand mixer bowl then add in the chilled pastry cream. Whip the chilled pastry cream with the whisk attachment until smooth and loosened. Gently fold in ⅔ of the whipped cream until well combined.
Bananas n’ Cream
To assemble the Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie, layer the sliced bananas onto the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Fill the rest of the pie up with the pastry cream. Smooth out the top and refrigerate the pie for at least 30 minutes to set.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the granulated sugar all over top. Use a blowtorch to brûlée the sugar until it has melted and turned golden brown. Let the pie sit for 2-3 minutes to allow the sugar to harden. Serve with the remaining whipped cream and more banana slices. Enjoy!
If you love banana cream pie, crème brûlée, or banana pudding you’re about to be in heaven because this is essentially a combination of all three. What I love most is that it’s not too sweet or heavy. Because it’s chilled and airy, it almost tastes “refreshing” while also still being indulgent. The graham cracker crust and brûléed sugar topping add the perfect bite of crunch to contrast the soft, creamy filling and bananas. It’s never too late to experient and play with your food, so try out this Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie and let me know what you think!
Looking for more summer desserts? Check out these recipes:
Mango Creamsicle Ice Cream Sandwiches
Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Egg Yolks
- Pinch of Salt
- ½ Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 ½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 10-12 full sheets crushed into fine crumbs)
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- 7 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted)
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp Powdered sugar
For the Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie:
- 2 Bananas sliced
- 2-3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
Instructions
For the Pastry Cream:
- Pour 1½ cups of the milk into a sauce pot. Heat it over medium high heat until it just starts to bubble. In the meantime, add the cornstarch, granulated sugar, egg yolks, salt, and remaining milk into a bowl. Mix until combined.
- While quickly whisking the egg mixture, slowly stream in the hot milk. This will bring the egg mixture up to temperature without scrambling the eggs. Once most of the hot milk has been incorporated, pour all of the liquid back into the sauce pot. Cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. The mixture will begin to bubble and thicken. Remove the thickened pastry cream from the heat and mix in the unsalted butter and vanilla extract.
- If your pastry cream is lumpy, you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Place the pastry cream in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Make sure that the plastic makes direct contact with the surface of the pastry cream. Place it in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours until it has completely cooled.
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Place the graham cracker sheets into a food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs. Add 1½ cups of the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl along with the granulated sugar and melted butter. Mix the ingredients together until you get a mixture that resembles wet sand.
- Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie dish. Press the graham cracker crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish until compact. Bake it in the oven for 10 minutes then allow it to cool completely.
For the Whipped Cream:
- Pour the whipped cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium high speed until you get soft peaks. Add in the powdered sugar and mix on high speed until you get stiff peaks.
For the Crème Brûlée Banana Cream Pie:
- Whip the chilled pastry cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to loosen it. Gently fold in ⅔ of the whipped cream until well combined.
- Layer the sliced bananas onto the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Fill the rest of the pie up with the pastry cream. Smooth out the top. Refrigerate the pie for at least 30 minutes to set
- Sprinkle the granulated sugar all over top. Use a blowtorch to brûlée the sugar until it has melted and turned golden brown. Let the pie sit for 2-3 minutes to allow the sugar to harden. Serve with the remaining whipped cream and more banana slices. Enjoy!
