This Caramel Banana Cream Pie is heavenly and simple to prepare. A layer of dulce de leche and fresh banana slices rests on a homemade graham cracker crust, topped with a rich, silky pudding and whipped-cream filling. It’s a comforting, crowd-pleasing dessert that’s easy enough for weeknights and special enough for gatherings.
When my friend Carrian asked me to review her and her husband’s cookbook Our Sweet Basil Kitchen, I eagerly dove in. The book is full of approachable recipes and beautiful photography, and this Caramel Banana Cream Pie immediately stood out. It combines familiar flavors—banana, caramel, cream—in a comforting, elegant way.
The cookbook inspired many recipes I want to try, but the dulce de leche banana cream pie won me over. The book includes a wide range of dishes, from breakfast to dinner and desserts, all easy to follow and well photographed. I lingered over the breakfast section, but desserts are my favorite, so I turned straight to this pie.
I nearly made the Raspberry Lemon Tart Bars, since raspberries and lemon are a dream pairing, but the combination of dulce de leche and bananas was irresistible. This pie felt unique for my collection, so I tested it right away. The cookbook contains many tempting dishes—Candied Pecan Brussels Sprouts, Steak Burritos with Grilled Zucchini, Sweet Potato Rolls, and Braised Dijon Chicken & Potatoes among them—so it’s a great resource for varied meals.
For this pie you can use a store-bought graham cracker crust, but I prefer making my own for freshness and texture. The dulce de leche comes ready-made in a can; it’s essentially sweetened condensed milk cooked until caramelized, yielding a thick, luscious caramel. If you prefer homemade, slow-cooked dulce de leche yields the same flavor and texture.
I used to avoid bananas, but over time I’ve come to love them in baked goods and paired with peanut butter or caramel. Now I enjoy featuring them in desserts; their sweetness and texture complement creamy fillings and buttery crusts.
This pie is rich and indulgent, so it’s perfect to share. I’m glad I brought portions to neighbors and friends—left alone, it would have been dangerously easy to finish the whole thing!
I hope you’ll try this pie and enjoy it as much as we did. It showcases how simple ingredients—graham crumbs, bananas, dulce de leche, pudding, and whipped cream—can come together into a memorable dessert.
Caramel Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 ½ cups (156 g) finely crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 9 whole graham crackers)
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar, gently packed
- ¼ tsp salt
- 7 Tbsp (99 g) unsalted butter, melted
Pie Filling:
- 3.4 oz (96 g) small box French vanilla instant pudding
- 1 cup (237 ml) milk
- 4 oz (113 g) block-style cream cheese, softened
- 7 oz (198 g) sweetened condensed milk (about half a can)
- 2 cups (240 g) freshly whipped cream (stiff peaks) or nondairy whipped topping (I used 1 cup heavy cream with 1/4 cup powdered sugar)
- 2–3 bananas, sliced
- 13.4 oz (380 g) can dulce de leche
Instructions
- For the Crust: Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C).
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt in a 9-inch pie dish.
- Pour melted butter over the crumbs and stir until evenly moistened. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish using a measuring cup or glass and your fingers.
- Bake the crust at 325°F for 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely.
- For the Filling: In a large bowl whisk the instant pudding mix with the milk for 2 minutes; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined, then beat in the prepared pudding until evenly mixed.
- Gently fold in half of the whipped cream, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until the filling is uniform and airy.
- Arrange sliced bananas in a single layer on the cooled crust. Spread enough dulce de leche to cover the bananas—about ¾ of the can. Tip: warm the dulce de leche in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds or more to make it easier to spread.
- Top with the cream filling, smoothing to the edges. Chill the pie until set, covered with plastic wrap. Before serving, garnish with extra whipped cream and banana slices if desired. Store refrigerated up to 5 days.
Notes
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