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This Banoffee Pie recipe is classic British pie made with a graham cracker crust, homemade toffee filling, banana slices, and homemade whipped cream. This irresistible dessert is easy to make and full of amazing flavor.
What Is Banoffee Pie?
Banoffee = bananas + toffee. This popular British dessert was invented at the Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex by Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding. Banoffee pie is a combination of bananas and toffee made with butter, brown sugar, and milk/cream. You often find the toffee made with mostly sweetened condensed milk, but mine uses a combination of sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream, which I think gives a stronger caramel/toffee flavor.
Banoffee pie has been around for quite a while, but has come to have many variations. Some use a canned dulce de leche filling, while more traditional recipes make a homemade toffee filling. I have been asked several times for my take on the classic pie, so I’m finally sharing it today. After lots of testing and comparing, I truly think this is the best!
3 Things That Make This Pie Recipe So Good
I’m SO in love with the flavor of this banoffee pie! I love the combination of bananas, whipped cream, and smooth caramel filling. It’s hard to resist!
- Toffee filling. American versions of banoffee pie are often made with canned dulce de leche, and while that tastes fine, it’s not really true to the toffee part of the name. I really wanted a filling that was homemade and toffee-style. I’m so glad I went that way because when you compare the two side-by-side, the toffee is the way to go. So good!
- Extra bananas. Some banoffee pie recipes only have one layer of banana slices but I added two to my recipe. I didn’t want the banana flavor to get lost between the toffee and the whipped cream. Definitely the right call.
- Minimal baking. One of the reasons I love banoffee pie is because it’s easy to make. The only part of this pie that needs to be baked in the crust, which takes less than 10 minutes. The only other thing to keep in mind is the cooling time for the toffee layer before adding the toppings.
Ingredient Notes
Each layer of this banoffee pie recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients. Here are some things to keep in mind. The exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Graham cracker crumbs – It takes about 13 full graham crackers to make the crumbs needed for the crust.
- Unsalted butter – You could also use salted butter, if that’s what you have on hand. The flavor of the toffee would just be a little less sweet.
- Dark brown sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar here as it has more of a rich molasses flavor, which really adds to the flavor of the toffee.
- Sweetened condensed milk & heavy cream – While some recipes use just the sweetened condensed milk, I find that using equal parts of both results in a stronger toffee flavor and little softer texture.
- Bananas – Look for bananas that are ripe but not yet turning brown.
- Heavy whipping cream – Keep it cold until using. Warm cream does not whip up properly.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the whipped cream a bit and keeps it stable, so that it won’t ever wilt.
- Chocolate bar and Toffee bits – Optional but I think a bit of chocolate shavings adds a nice final touch. I used a Baker’s chocolate bar, which is thicker and easier to work with. I also added a sprinkle of toffee bits.
How To Make Banoffee Pie
This pie is surprisingly easy to make and the only part that requires baking is the crust. Just be sure to have a food thermometer handy and plan time for the toffee filling to chill. The printable version of the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Make the crust
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease the pie pan with nonstick spray.
- Make the crust. Add the crumbs, sugar, and salt to a bowl. Stir in the melted butter until crumbly. Pour evenly into the pie crust then press into the bottoms and up the sides.
- Bake. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the filling
- Dissolve the sugar. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar and heat over medium-low, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Do not let it boil.
- Make the toffee. Add the sweetened condensed milk and heavy whipping cream. Increase the heat to medium. Boil for 5-10 minutes, until it reaches 220°F. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and pour into the crust.
- Chill. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, until firm.
Add the topping
- Add the bananas. Arrange the banana slices in two layers on top of the cooled toffee filling.
- Add the whipping cream. Whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly on top of the bananas, making sure to cover the bananas completely.
- Add the chocolate. To add the optional chocolate shavings, run a vegetable peeler down the thin side of the chocolate bar over the pie.
Tips for Success
As I experimented with the creation of this recipe, I found a few key things that really make a difference in the end result.
- Use a food thermometer. It’s important that the toffee filling reaches 220°F. If it’s heated above that, the filling will be too firm but if it’s heated under that, it will be too soft. It’s hard to guesstimate the temperature so I highly recommend using a food thermometer to check it.
- Let the toffee cool. The toffee filling is quite thin when first added to the crust. It’s important to let it chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours to firm up before adding the toppings. Otherwise, the bananas will sink in and the whipped cream will melt.
- No store-bought caramel sauce. Store-bought caramel or toffee sauces will be too thin here. Stick with the homemade recipe. If you really must, you could go the route of canned dulce de leche, but the homemade filling is really worth the time.
- Cover the entire pie with whipped cream. It’s important to make sure that the whipped cream covers the entire pie from crust to crust. No banana should be visible from the top. This really helps keep the bananas from browning too quickly.
Why Is My Toffee Grainy?
This is mostly likely because you didn’t melt the brown sugar enough before adding the sweetened condensed milk and cream. I tested cooking the brown sugar with the milks added and without, and the sugar definitely melts better on it’s own (with the butter). When melted properly, the filling not have a grainy texture.
Why Is My Toffee Too Soft/Firm?
If your toffee ends up too firm, you likely cooked it to too high a heat, or boiled it when melting the sugar. If it’s too soft, then it didn’t cook long enough to a higher temperature. I highly recommend a food or candy thermometer.
Proper Storage
Banoffee pie should be kept tightly covered in the fridge. It is best eaten within 2-3 days. However, the leftovers can last longer depending on the bananas – the pie is basically good until the bananas turn brown. I’ve often found that they look brown on the outside where a slice was cut but if you remove the very end slice, the inside bananas are fine. I don’t recommend freezing this pie, as the bananas will turn bad.
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Recipe
Banoffee Pie
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Yield: 8-10 slices
Category: Dessert
Method: No Bake
Cuisine: British
Description
This Banoffee Pie recipe is classic British pie made with a graham cracker crust, homemade toffee filling, banana slices, and homemade whipped cream. This irresistible dessert is easy to make and full of amazing flavor.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups (201g) graham cracker crumbs (about 13 full sheet graham crackers)
- 3 tablespoons (39g) sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, melted
Toffee Filling
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (168g) packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bananas and Whipped Cream
- 5–6 medium bananas, sliced (or about 4 large ones)
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate bar, optional, for topping*
- Toffee bits, optional, for topping
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- To make the crust, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined and crumbly.
- Pour the mixture into the pie pan and spread the crumbs around so that they are evenly dispersed. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- Bake crust for 6-8 minutes, then set aside to cool completely.
Make the filling
- To make the filling, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the brown sugar and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Don’t boil yet.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and heavy whipping cream. Turn the heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes, or until it reaches 220 degrees F. Don’t over-cook or the filling will be too firm. It will also be too soft if not cooked enough. I recommend a food thermometer, to be sure. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and pour into the prepared crust. NOTE: Don’t let the mixture sit in the hot pan or it’ll continue to cook and end up firmer when cool.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until firm.
Add the topping
- Once cool and firm, arrange the banana slices in two layers on top of the filling.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly on top of the bananas, making sure the whipped cream touches the top of the crust all the way around so that the banana slices are fully covered. This will help keep them from browning for longer.
- To add the optional chocolate shavings, run a vegetable peeler down the thin side of a chocolate bar over the pie. I use a Baker’s chocolate bar, which is a little thicker and easier to work with.
- Serve pie immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Best if eaten within 1-2 days, but leftovers can last longer depending on the bananas. Often they can look brown on the outside where a slice was cut, but if you remove the end slice, the bananas on the inside are still ok.
Notes
I use a Baker’s chocolate bar, which is a little thicker and easier to work with.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 530
- Sugar: 42.8 g
- Sodium: 179.2 mg
- Fat: 32.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.2 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 86.9 mg
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