Happy Friday, friends! March 2nd was supposedly National Banana Cream Pie Day (who knew there was such a thing?). I’m joining in on the festivities (better late than never!) with a vegan twist on this classic dessert!
This vegan banana cream pie is started off with a crunchy graham cracker crust (the best beginning to any chilled pie, in my opinion). The filling is made from a super-easy vanilla pudding, and fluffy coconut whipped topping. Add more coconut whipped topping and some fresh bananas on top, and *Woah*… I bet you’ll be coming back for another slice. 😉 Or, you could be like my husband, and eat 3 slices for breakfast. Win-win.
Banana cream pie is usually yellow (due to egg yolks), but I wanted to find a different way to give it the classic golden hue. After brainstorming for a few minutes, it hit me… Turmeric!!
Now – before you gag and tell me that turmeric should never be used in a dessert, let me clarify that I used just enough to give it a barely-yellow color, and you can’t taste it at all. And if you’d rather, you can even leave it out completely. 😉 But you should definitely try it… Just saying.
The hardest part about this pie is remembering to chill the coconut milk the night before you make it… And waiting for it to set up in the fridge right before eating it. 😉 But both steps are worth it, I assure you.*
This vegan banana cream pie is creamy, lightly sweet, studded with yummy bananas, and the crust adds the perfect amount of crunch to every bite. Really, it’s dreamy.
Make it for a special event, potluck, or just because! I’m sure it will be a hit, and most people will probably never guess that it’s vegan.
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to come back to rate it and leave a comment! We love hearing what you thought about each one.
- Pie Filling
- PUDDING
- 3 cups vanilla soy milk
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract or flavoring
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp turmeric (for color)
- COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk (chilled in fridge overnight)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 chopped/sliced bananas
- Crust:
- 1¾ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 1½ sleeves crackers)
- ½ cup melted vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- pinch salt
- Topping:
- coconut whipped cream
- sliced bananas (1 or 2)
- graham cracker crumbs
- The night before, place two cans of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight to chill. Be careful not to shake or jiggle them much, in order to encourage the separation of the cream from the coconut water.
- The next day, prepare the pie filling.
- Place all pudding ingredients into a medium sauce pan, and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring frequently with a whisk. Once thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool.
- While pudding is cooling, make your coconut whipped cream.
- Remove coconut milk from fridge, and gently turn over to open the bottom side of each can. Pour off the coconut water (save this for smoothies!), and scoop the cream into a mixing bowl (I like using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer).
- Whip the coconut cream on high until smooth, then add the powdered sugar and salt.
- Mix on high until very fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. I like to put the coconut cream back into the fridge at this point to set up a little more while I make my graham cracker crust.
- Place your graham crackers in a zip-lock bag, and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Next, place the crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt into a mixing bowl and stir until well-combined. You may need to use your hands for this step.
- Pour your crust into a pie plate (you can reserve a small amount for a topping, if you like), and using your fingers and the bottom of a cup, pack it into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
- After this, remove your coconut whipped cream from the fridge and give it a quick whip to make sure it is fluffy. Then, stir about ½ of it into the cooled pudding until just combined.
- Chop 2 bananas, and stir them into the filling.*
- Pour filling into prepared pie crust, and smooth the top with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to set up in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight (but take note that the longer it sits, the more oxidized the bananas will become).
- When ready to serve, top with remaining coconut whipped cream, and additional sliced bananas.
- Enjoy!! 🙂 This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, but it isn't very pretty after the first 24 hours due to the bananas oxidizing.
NOTES:
* And yes, it is necessary for it to set for at least 4 hours. I was impatient (and running out of sunshine for photos!), so cut into it after only 3 hours… And it definitely was not as firm as it should be.
*If you prefer to not have the browned bananas as visible, you could also place the slices of banana on the bottom of the crust, instead of mixing them into the filling.
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