Homemade Banoffee Pie
This Banoffee Pie is a British classic for good reason. From the Biscoff crust, to the perfectly-thick homemade caramel, topped with freshly sliced bananas, and finished with a fluffy cloud of vanilla-scented whipped cream. This recipe is simple, made entirely from scratch, and the perfect addition to any Easter, Thanksgiving, or Friendsgiving table.
Servings: 1 9-inch pie
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 175 grams Biscoff cookies approximately 22 cookies
- 57 grams (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter melted
For the Filling:
- 100 grams (about 7 Tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
- 2 cans (792 grams total) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
To Finish:
- 3-4 medium bananas
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice approximately - bottled is fine
- 360 grams (1 ½ cups) heavy cream
- 12 grams (3 Tablespoons) powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- more Biscoff crumbs or whole cookies to decorate, if desired
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. In the bowl of a food processor, place the Biscoff cookies. Pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake for 12 minutes, or until set. Set aside to cool completely.
Make the Filling:
- In a large skillet, place the butter and light brown sugar. Heat over medium heat until melted, stirring with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to combine. Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine. Continue to stir occasionally until the mixture reaches a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Stirring almost constantly (to prevent scorching), continue to heat until the mixture is thickened, deeper in color, and reaches soft-ball stage. An instant-read digital thermometer should read 240°F / 116°C when the caramel is done. It's best to heat gently here, to avoid making the caramel grainy, but it does take some time - about 15-20 minutes.
- Once the caramel reaches the correct temperature, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Carefully pour the caramel into the cooled pie pan, smoothing out the top. Place plastic wrap directly across the surface of the caramel and place in the fridge to cool completely, about 1 hour (or overnight is fine).
Finish the Pie:
- Slice the bananas evenly. Place the lemon juice in a shallow bowl. Dip each slice of banana in the lemon juice, coating both sides, gently shaking of any excess. Place the slices in a neat, even layer on top of the caramel.
- In a large, deep bowl (or the tall jug that comes with an immersion blender), place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip the heavy cream to medium peaks (a little firmer than soft peaks but not as firm as stiff peaks).
- Use a spatula to smooth the whipped cream across the top of the pie, stopping about an inch from the edge for prettiest appearance. Finish with more Biscoff crumbs or whole cookies, or whatever you prefer, to decorate, if desired. Serve.
Notes
Heating the Caramel: Be sure to go low and slow here. Heating aggressively can burn the caramel, cause unpleasant graininess, and ruin the whole pie.
Caramel-Making Tools: I like to use my large 12-inch skillet. A large saucepan will work too, but be careful not to burn yourself! Be sure to use a wooden spoon or a spatula that's made to withstand very high temperatures when making your caramel. I prefer to use a digital instant-read thermometer to take out the guesswork - but you can probably make this caramel without a one. Watch for a really thick consistency and a deep, rich toffee color, to prevent your caramel being too thin and runny.