Marie Callender's Banana Cream Pie

You will love this super easy and delicious copycat Marie Callender’s banana cream pie recipe. This old-fashioned banana cream pie is made with fresh whipped cream, ripe bananas, and homemade vanilla custard.

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The Best Banana Cream Pie Recipe

This recipe is simple, yet delicious and full of that creamy banana flavor. You will be using fresh bananas and making your own cream filling.

It also has a homemade whipped cream topping to finish off this Marie Callender’s banana cream pie. Which in my opinion is the best banana cream pie recipe to copy!

It is just like the old-fashioned banana cream pie that your grandma would have made for your family get-togethers. Now with this recipe, you can make your own homemade banana cream pie.

What makes this recipe unique?

Unlike some pies, this recipe does not start with instant pudding, but you will prepare a homemade vanilla pudding to make this cream pie. Fresh ripe bananas make for a much richer and more in-depth flavor. Instead of using a graham cracker crust or a nilla wafer crust, the base of the pie is a homemade pie crust. I know this recipe will soon become one of your favorite pies. Homemade pudding makes a huge difference in flavor.

Homemade Banana Cream Pie Ingredients

One thing I love about this recipe is that you can make this recipe from everything you may already have in your kitchen!

Here’s a list of what you need for the pie:

Baked pie crust (use store-bought or homemade pie crust)
Fresh bananas
Cream cheese
Sugar
Cornstarch
Salt
Evaporated milk
Whole milk
Large Egg yolks
Butter
Sliced Almonds
Vanilla extract

For the whipped cream topping:

Heavy whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract

Marie Callender's banana cream pie ingredients

Healthier Variation

To switch up the cream cheese with a little bit healthier option, you can use Neufchatel. It is similar in texture to cream cheese but lower in fat and higher in calcium.

Also, if you want to lower the sugar content, you can swap out the sugar for stevia or organic cane sugar.

If you do not want to use a pastry pie crust, you may want to use a graham cracker crust or a Nilla wafer crust.

How to Make Banana Cream Pie

Heat the sugar, cornstarch, salt, evaporated milk, and milk until it thickens and boils for a minute.

Then you will carefully mix together the hot milk mixture with the egg yolks.

After the egg yolk mixture is incorporated you will heat everything again until it begins to boil. Then you need to add in the cream cheese and mix it all together.

banana cream pie filling ingredients in a saucepan

Take the pan off the heat and add in the vanilla and butter and mix it until it is combined. Let it stand for 15 minutes.

banana cream pie filling in a mixing bowl

Then just pour it into the baked pie shell in a pie pan, putting an even layer of bananas halfway through.

sliced bananas on top of banana cream pie filling

Mix up all of the whipped cream ingredients and top the banana cream layer with the freshly made homemade whipped cream and garnish it with sliced almonds.

a slice of homemade Marie Callender's banana cream pie

When you bake pie pastry, it can balloon up. So in order to avoid this, you need to use a fork to poke holes into the bottom of the pan.

After you have done that, line the crust with parchment paper and pour in some dried beans. The beans will help weigh down the pie crust while it bakes and forms into the pan. Instead of beans you could use pie weights.

Should frozen pie crust be thawed before baking?

For the best results, yes the frozen pie crust should be thawed before baking it. When you use a frozen crust you cannot form the crust the way you need it and can also add more moisture to the pie and could result in a soggy pie.

How do I keep my bottom pie crust from getting soggy?

In order to avoid getting a soggy crust, you need to make sure that the crust was thawed before baking the pie. Also, make sure the crust is completely baked through before adding in the creamy banana custard.

How do you keep bananas from turning brown in a banana cream pie?

This is a fun trick. By treating the banana slices with a form of citrus, like lemon juice or orange juice (just a little) before you put them in the pie, you can slow down the oxidation reaction which is what turns the fruit brown.

Why is my banana cream pie so runny?

The reason for this normally is because the filling was not boiled for long enough. There are a lot of complicated chemical reactions that take place during that time, and if the filling was not able to get thick enough during that time, then it might not have had time to set up enough.

Does banana cream pie need to be refrigerated?

Yes, Marie Callender’s banana cream pie does need to be refrigerated. The pie contains both eggs and dairy so it requires being chilled. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator when not serving it.

How long does banana cream pie last?

When you keep the pie in the fridge it will last up to 4 days.

Can you freeze banana cream pie?

Yes, and it is so good! It almost turns into a banana ice cream pie. Just let it sit out for about 10 minutes to let it soften to make it easier to cut and serve it. When frozen, the pie can last 4-5 months if stored properly.

How far ahead can you make banana cream pie?

Since this pie does have fresh fruit in it, I would not suggest making it more than a day in advance. Otherwise, the fruit can potentially get too soggy and begin to turn color before it is eaten.

overhead view of homemade Marie Callender's banana cream pie

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