Trust us when we say that everything that makes this showstopping banana cream pie recipe infinitely impressive is actually what makes it so easy to pull off. From the salty-sweet graham cracker crust to the sky-high mountain of peanut-studded homemade whipped cream to the yolk-yellow filling bursting with natural banana flavor, you’d be fooling yourself—and your guests—if you thought it was hard to make.
A food processor helps with the pie crust, which requires just four ingredients, including peanuts for extra crunch and a hit of salt. Don’t fear the blind baking here: You need neither pie weights (there’s no leavener) nor perfection, because there’s time to nudge any drooping bits of the warm pie shell back up the sides of the pie plate after pulling it from the oven.
While some recipes call for a box of vanilla pudding mix in the pie filling, we build those flavors and textures from scratch to keep the final result from feeling overly sweetened. It takes at least two hours for the pudding—chock full of firm, fresh banana slices—to set in the crust, so if you’re making it a day ahead of time, cover the pie with plastic wrap while chilling.
Just before serving, beat heavy whipping cream to a soft, shapeable texture (no stiff peaks here!) and carefully pile it on top of the pie as high as it will go. The final shower of crunchy, chopped peanuts is more than just a garnish—it provides texture in a way that vanilla wafers never could.
