Banana Cream Pie

Most homemade banana cream pie recipes use fresh bananas in some capacity; this version takes it to the extreme. For the pie filling, you’ll stack sliced bananas with layers of vanilla custard, per usual. If you’re feeling extra, you may choose to scatter some freshly sliced bananas on top of the pie when you go to serve. But where this recipe really excels is in the pie shell: Regular old graham cracker crust (itself undeniable) gets an upgrade with a portion of mashed banana folded into the crumbs and melted butter. The result is a slightly chewy pie crust loaded with banana flavor. Indeed, this dessert screams “banana” from top to bottom. For a pie that mimics your favorite banana pudding, you could even swap out the graham crackers for vanilla wafers, no other adjustments necessary. (Pro tip: Blitz the crust ingredients in your food processor for maximum ease.)

Ethereal, light homemade whipped cream is the ideal garnish (much better than store-bought alternatives at contrasting the dense, rich custard). But if you want to change things up, drizzle on an easy caramel sauce, hot fudge, or nutty tahini magic shell.