Banana Cream Pie
Banana cream pie was always one of my favorite desserts as a child, and now it’s a favorite of my son Lennon, too. The yellow food coloring is optional, but it mimics the lovely creamy hue imparted by traditional egg yolks in custard. Coconut milk makes a great vegan custard, and pairs beautifully with the bananas. If you prefer, you may use rice milk instead for a much lighter pie.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 9-inch pie
Ingredients
Single Flaky Pie Crust
Banana Cream Pie Filling
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 2
To make the pie crust, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flours, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt.
Step 3
Add the shortening and mix on medium speed until you have a coarse meal, about 1 minute.
Step 4
Add the egg replacer and lemon juice and mix until combined (it should start to ball in the center of the bowl), about 1 minute.
Step 5
Turn out the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper, mold into a ball, flatten into a disk, pinching together the edges, and top with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and about 2 inches wider than your pie dish. Grease a 9-inch pie dish with a little vegetable shortening. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper, flip the crust into the pie dish, pressing down with the palm of your hand and using your fingers to press into the dish around the edges, then peel off the other sheet of parchment paper. Trim and flute the edges, patching as necessary. Prick the bottom 8 times with a fork.
Step 6
Bake the crust in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove and let cool completely on a cooling rack before filling.
Step 7
To make the filling, set aside 1/4 cup of the coconut milk. Combine the remaining coconut milk and Karo syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring, until it begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from the heat.
Step 8
In a separate bowl, whisk together the reserved 1/4 cup coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, salt, yellow food coloring, and vanilla.
Step 9
Add the egg replacer to the coconut milk/Karo mixture, stir, then add the cornstarch mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it comes to a simmer. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 4 minutes, or until thickened.
Step 10
Spread a small amount of the custard in the bottom of the pie shell. Place a layer of sliced banana on top of the custard. Spread half of the remaining custard over the bananas, add another layer of bananas, and then top with the remaining custard. Smooth the top and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
tip
Step 11
For a lighter, lower-fat pie, use 2 cups rice milk in place of the coconut milk and add 1 tablespoon shortening to the saucepan with the rice milk and Karo syrup.
