Easy Banana Cream Pudding Pie
The ultimate comfort dessert, the Easy Banana Cream Pudding Pie combines a rich cream cheese crust with layers of creamy pudding and fresh bananas. This easy recipe is perfect for gatherings, and you can make it ahead of time. Treat yourself and your loved ones to a slice of this heavenly pie tonight!
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Chef's Knife
- Whisk
- Baking Sheet
- Oven
Ingredients
- ½ cup Crisco Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening
- 4 ounces Brick-style cream cheese softened; do not use lite or fat free
- 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 box Instant vanilla pudding mix 5.1-ounce; not cook-and-serve, not sugar-free or lite, not the 3-ounce size
- 1 ½ cups Cold milk I used fat-free skim; I recommend cow’s milk and not soy, almond, etc. because filling may not set up properly
- 1 tub Cool Whip 8-ounce tub or similar whipped topping, thawed to room temp, divided (lite or fat-free okay; real whipped cream deflates easily and isn’t recommended)
- 2 medium/large Bananas sliced into thin rounds (should be ripe but not overly ripe or they become mushy)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
- about 2 ½ to 3 cups Nilla Wafers coarsely chopped, divided (most of an 11-ounce box, reduced fat okay)
- to taste Caramel or salted caramel sauce for drizzling, store-bought or homemade
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and spray a 9 or 10-inch pie dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and handheld electric mixer), add the Crisco Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening and cream cheese, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the all-purpose flour and salt, and beat on low speed until a sandy, crumbly dough forms.
- Turn crumbly mixture out into prepared pie dish and using your fingertips, hard-pack the mixture to form an even, smooth crust making sure to press the mixture up around sides of pie dish.
- Pierce crust in about a dozen places with a fork so steam can escape while baking.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until set and very lightly golden brown. Watch the crust closely in final moments of baking as it will be prone to burning around the top edge.
- Set aside on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
- To a large bowl, add the pudding mix, milk, and whisk to combine.
- Add half the whipped topping and whisk to incorporate.
- Slice the bananas, add to a medium bowl, drizzle with lemon juice, and use your fingers to gently toss to disperse the lemon juice which helps to prevent the bananas from turning brown.
- Add the bananas to the pudding mixture and fold gently to combine.
- Add about 1 ½ heaping cups of Nilla Wafers and fold to combine.
- Turn mixture out into pie crust.
- Add and gently spread remaining half of the whipped topping.
- Sprinkle remaining Nilla Wafers, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until set.
- Prior to serving, drizzle with caramel sauce to taste.
Notes
- Storage: Pie will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, noting that as time passes the Nilla Wafers will soften and bananas could turn a bit brown.