Before I get to this recipe...I want to say a very big THANK YOU! As most of you know, our business runs primary from sales generated at festivals, events and farmers' markets, (most likely one of those is where you met us). With the cancellation of most of our planned events through June, we have had to rely on our online sales to keep our family business running. Besides Brad and I, our whole shop is run by ladies from our local Union Gospel Mission. We are blessed to be a part of their life recovery program and helping them become contributing members of our community again. They have all worked so hard to transform their lives and inspire Brad and I daily with their dedication, perseverance and humility. Thanks to you, and your continued online orders, we have been able to keep all of our ladies employed, which is huge for them as they get ready to transition out of UGM and into their own places. It helps take away some of the fear they have in a time full of uncertainty. So thank you, thank you...your business makes a huge difference in the lives of our families!
OK now this pie! Banana cream pie has always been my favorite. We used to pick one up from our local Marie Callender's every Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. When I went searching for a recipe I could make, I found this one from A Spicy Perspective and knew I had to try it. It's fluffy banana filling is just what I was looking for and the graham cracker crust is even better than the pies from my youth! I added a little drizzle of our cinnamon vanilla caramel sauce because we all know that caramel and bananas are an unmistakable match made in heaven. Whether we get to celebrate Easter with friends and family this year or not, this is a pie that should be on your table! I hope you enjoy and are staying well!
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 14 whole graham crackers, crushed
- 6 T butter, melted
- ¼ c sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1-2 tsp water
- Pinch of salt
Filling:
- 2 c heavy cream, whipped and divided (I like making stabilized whip cream)
- 3 T sugar1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3.4oz package instant vanilla pudding
- 1 c milk
- 8oz cream cheese, softened
- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2-3 large bananas sliced into rounds
- Caramel Kitchen Cinnamon Vanilla Caramel Sauce
Directions:
For Crust:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Place graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs.
- Add melted butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pulse to combine.
- Add 1-2 tsp of water and pulse a couple times more. After the crumbs pinch together, dump them into a deep pie dish.
- Using your hands, press crumbs firmly against the bottom and sides of pie pan.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
For Filling:
- In a medium bowl, whip the 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the instant pudding with 1 cup milk. Set aside.
- On medium speed, whip the cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy.
- Lower the speed and gently mix in the pudding and sweetened condensed milk.
- Fold in 1/2 of whip cream.
Assembly:
- Spread a small layer of filling on the bottom and sides of the crust.
- Layer the sliced bananas on top of the filling, making sure to put a layer around the sides. Drizzle cinnamon vanilla caramel sauce over the top of the bananas.
- Pour the remaining filling over the top of the bananas and caramel, smoothing into a dome shape.
- Top with remaining whip cream. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Drizzle each slice with additional cinnamon vanilla caramel sauce when serving.
