Best Banoffee Pie Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
A traditional English dessert made with bananas, dulce de leche, and whipped cream atop a crunchy graham cracker crust.
Easy Banoffee Pie Recipe
Banoffee pie is a traditional English dessert made of bananas, dulce de leche, and whipped cream. The word “banoffee” comes from banana + toffee, so if you like both or either of those flavors, you’re in for a real treat.
When you think about pie, do no bake pies come to mind? Or do you lean more toward the apple pie, coconut custard pie, or chocolate chess pie?
I promise that one bite of this banoffee pie and it will be top of mind whenever you find yourself wanting or needing a rich, flavorful, and textured pie.
It all starts with a simple and crunchy graham cracker crust base, gets layered with fresh banana slices that are topped with silky smooth dulce de leche, and it all sits pretty under homemade whipped cream.
While I love making my banoffee pie components from scratch, rest assured that you can use a pre-made graham cracker crust, pre-made dulce de leche, and pre-made whipped cream if you so desire, which makes this dessert even easier than it already is.
WHAT IS BANOFFEE PIE?
Banoffee pie is a classic English dessert that is made from just a few simple components: a graham cracker crust, banana slices, decadent dulce de leche, and a generous amount of light and fluffy whipped cream.
The word banoffee comes from a combination of the words “banana” and “toffee” which of course, are two of the most important elements of the pie!
You’re probably thinking, “hold up. You just said dulce de leche. What is this toffee business?” And (I promise) I’m not trying to throw you for a loop here.
In the UK, toffee refers to a wide variety of desserts involving caramelized sugar. And so, since dulce de leche is a cooked and caramelized sweetened milk, we have an end product that falls into the “toffee” category in the UK.
You learn something new every day, huh?
Banoffee Pie Ingredients
When it comes to the ingredients for this easy banoffee pie, they are pretty basic. With the exception of dulce de leche (we’ll get to that in a minute), you should have all the ingredients you need for banoffee pie in your pantry and fridge.
For the base of the pie:
- graham cracker crumbs
- butter
- sugar
For the filling:
- bananas
- a can of dulce de leche
For the whipped cream topping:
- heavy cream
- sugar (powdered if possible)
- a touch of vanilla extract
I know. Soooo simple, right?
How to Make Banana Toffee Pie
Now that we’ve got our ingredients straightened away, let’s talk a little more about the various components of the classic banoffee pie.
There are essentially 4 layers of the pie: graham cracker crust, banana slices, dulce de leche, and whipped cream.
Layer 1: Graham Cracker Crust
First, we’ve got our graham cracker crust.
Who doesn’t love a thick, buttery graham cracker crust? I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think I could just eat the crust all by itself!
If you’re looking for a complete how-to, I go into detail in my graham cracker crust recipe, giving you ALL my tips and tricks for getting the perfect graham cracker crust.
But the basic rundown is this:
- Combine your graham cracker crumbs with butter and sugar, either by hand or in a food processor.
2. Then, press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your pie dish. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs in tightly, ensuring that the crust doesn’t crumble when I go to cut a slice of this decadent banoffee pie.
3. Then, you’re going to bake the crust, which binds it together and gives the crust some added structure.
As a side note, if you can’t find graham crackers, you can make your own, OR use 1 and ½ cups of crushed digestive biscuits in place of the graham cracker crumbs in the recipe. So simple!
Layer 2: Bananas
If you LOVE banana desserts, you’re going to be obsessed with banoffee pie. It features an entire layer of sliced fresh banana, drizzled with a thick layer of dulce de leche.
Since we’re using fresh banana, there are some things we need to consider when purchasing and selecting the bananas used in the recipe.
- Firstly, make sure your bananas are newly ripe. That means your bananas should have little (if any) green, but absolutely no black spotting.
This can be a delicate balance to strike, but there is some wiggle room. It’s better to buy your bananas a little under ripe, and allow them to ripen on the counter, than to buy them just ripe enough, since bananas can go downhill quickly.
Bananas that have spotting will release liquid into the pie much more rapidly than just-ripe bananas, meaning that the quality and storage time of your banoffee pie will go down considerably.
For the best results, make sure to use bananas that are still firm, mostly yellow, and free from spots.
Save any spotted bananas for recipes like my Bananas Foster cake, banana bread pudding, salted caramel banana bread, and banana nut muffins. And of course, the classic banana bread, which is perfect for making and stashing in the freezer if you have too many bananas to contend with.
2. Once you’ve selected the best quality bananas from your bunch, slice them and arrange them in overlapping layers on top of your baked and cooled graham cracker crust.
Layer 3: Dulce De Leche
Now we’re ready to move onto the good stuff. That’s right, it’s dulce de leche time!
As amazing as it is, it can actually be difficult to find in smaller grocery stores and rural areas. Even some bigger cities are lacking this sweet delicacy. But don’t despair! You can totally make your own dulce de leche with just ONE ingredient.
In fact, I have an entire post dedicated to showing you how to make your own homemade dulce de leche. So if you can’t find it, or want to try your hand at making it from scratch, that’s always an option.
- Once your bananas have been layered on top of the graham cracker crust, and there are no holes showing through to the bottom of the pie, it’s time to add your dulce de leche. Whether you’re using store bought or homemade, the process is the same.
2. Simply pour the dulce de leche on top of the banana layer, and spread it out evenly with a spatula. If you’re having trouble pouring your dulce de leche, simply warm it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up.
3. Once your dulce de leche is evenly spread, pop it into the fridge for at least an hour before proceeding to the whipped cream layer. This chilling step gives it a chance to firm up, meaning that the whipped cream has a solid foundation and won’t sink or blend into the banoffee pie filling.
Layer 4: Whipped Cream Topping
Once your pie has been chilling for at least an hour, you’re ready to finish it off with a generous mound of heavenly whipped cream.
Now, I like to make my whipped cream with powdered sugar. Not only does this make for an ultra smooth, silky result, but it also acts as a stabilizer. Whipped cream that has been stabilized stores better, and for longer periods of time without becoming runny.
- To make the whipped cream layer of the banoffee pie, add your heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer or medium bowl.
- Using the whisk attachment (for the stand mixer) or an electric hand mixer, whip until medium peaks form, or about 4-5 minutes. It couldn’t be easier!
If you’ve never made your own whipped cream before, be sure to check out my homemade whipped cream post detailing the step-by-step instructions to getting perfect whipped cream every single time. I promise, it’s so easy, and the results (and taste testing opportunities) are worth it!
Once your whipped cream is ready, you’re all set to finish up the final layer of your banoffee pie.
3. Using an offset spatula or knife, spread your whipped cream on top of the chilled dulce de leche.
4. Once the whipped cream is evenly distributed over the pie, place it back in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.
Once your pie has finished chilling, you’re ready to get to the BEST part of all: eating!
WHAT DOES BANOFFEE PIE TASTE LIKE?
When I went into this pie adventure, I was not quite sure what to expect the end product to taste like.
I knew I liked all the components separately, but I didn’t really know how it would all come together and whether or not it would impress me, wow me, or just “yeah, ok, yum” me.
I was actually completely blown away by just how good this pie was. It reminded me of a slightly sweeter (in a good way) banana cream pudding.
All those textures happening at one time, the smooth bananas and whipped cream, the crunchy and buttery graham cracker bits, and the creamy dulde de leche that got into every bite… It blew me away with how good it was. It may even be in my “top 10 desserts of all time” list now.
Banoffee Topping Ideas
While you can totally eat this pie as is, it’s not at all uncommon to add toppings for both presentation and flavor.
Some popular toppings I’ve seen are shaved chocolate, banana slices, toffee bits, peanuts, and even a warm drizzle of additional dulce de leche. If you want to get crazy, you can pick any combination of those toppings to enjoy with your banoffee pie.
If you’re serving this to company, you could even set up a topping station with bowls of crushed peanuts, toffee bits, banana, chocolate, or anything else your heart (and tastebuds) desires!
How to serve the Best Banoffee Pie Recipe
This banoffee pie is best served cold. The longer it sits, the runnier the dulce de leche will be, so be sure to eat up once it’s sliced and served (I don’t think you’ll have a problem making that happen).
How to Store Banoffee
Store banoffee pie covered tightly and in the refrigerator.
Banoffee Recipe FAQs
Dulche de leche translates to “candy made from milk.” It is is a thick and sugary caramel-like sauce that’s made by slowly heating sweetened milk and is often found on and in desserts like cookies, cakes, and cupcakes.
While it may seem this banoffee pie is ultra sweet, it’s not. The bananas offer a subtle, natural sweetness, and the graham cracker adds a lot of flavor without being too sweet. The sweetness of the creamy dulce de leche is just enough to balance out the smooth flavor of the whipped cream and every bite has every single component in it.
Banoffee pie originated in Britain in the 1970s.
If your banoffee pie is runny, you likely didn’t chill it long enough for the dulce de leche to set. While this pie is gooey, the filling should not spill out so quickly that it makes a mess.
Be sure that all of the bananas in your banoffee pie are covered with whipped cream so they aren’t exposed to air which can turn them brown. A little browning is fine, but too much brown can mean they will be mushy.
I’m anxious to share more of my pie recipes with you, so stay tuned to see what I’ll be sharing each month. I know one thing for sure: it’s going to be one delicious year!
If you love this banoffee pie, you’ll love these pies, too: cranberry curd tart, shoofly pie, apple pie, fresh peach pie, and Butterfinger pie.
Banoffee Pie
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- 1 and ½ cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs about 10 full graham cracker sheets
- 5 Tablespoons (72g) unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated or firmly packed brown sugar
BANOFFEE PIE FILLING
- 2 to 3 large bananas cut into approximately ¼" slices
- 1 jar/can (about 13oz/369g) dulce de leche1
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
- 1 and ½ cups (360mL) cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 and ½ Tablespoons powdered sugar or granulated sugar2
- 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- If you’re starting out with full-sheet graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them up. You can also crush them in a zipped top bag with a rolling pin. If you're starting with pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs, place them in a medium size bowl.
- Add the melted butter and sugar to the food processor or blender and pulse a few times until mixture is coarse and sandy. If you used a bowl, add the melted butter and sugar to the bowl and stir until everything is combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 or 10 inch pie dish, using the bottom of a flat measuring cup to insure the crust is tight and compact.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes (and up to 2 days, covered in the refrigerator) before adding the filling.
BANOFFEE PIE FILLING
- Arrange banana slices in 1-2 layers in the cooled graham cracker crust. Try to make it so that there are no holes and you can't see to the bottom of the crust.
- Pour the dulce de leche on top of the bananas, then use a spatula to spread it out evenly. If you're having trouble pouring your dulce de leche, simply warm it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up.
- Chill the pie for at least 1 hour before adding the whipped cream topping.
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
- When you are ready to top the pie, use a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to make the whipped cream.
- Pour the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla into the bowl. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip until medium peaks form (about 4-5 minutes). For more detailed instructions on this step, see my homemade whipped cream post.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the chilled dulce de leche layer, then chill for at least 1 more hour before serving.
- Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this pie.
Notes
- Dulce de leche: you can use store-bought dulce de leche, but it is so simple to make it yourself. See my homemade dulce de leche for instructions on how to do that.
- Sugar: I prefer powdered sugar for my homemade whipped cream as it dissolves more quickly, but granulated sugar works just fine, too. The weight for 1 and ½ Tablespoons of powdered sugar would be 12g and granulated sugar would be 19g.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
I couldn’t wait to make this and it did NOT disappoint! Easy instructions and it turned out perfectly. Thanks, Lynn!
I love this– thanks, Kathleen!
I have never made my own banoffee pie, just had it at restaurants. As soon as I saw this come up in my email I had to give it a try. SO YUMMY!!!
Thanks so much, Jayne!
This was incredibly delicious, Lynn! We are a Gluten-free household, so I used a gluten free graham cracker crust, store bought dulce de leche and followed your recipe for homemade whipped cream. The bananas with the dulce de leche was perfect 👌
Thanks so much, Stacey! I love that it was easily adaptable to be GF for you and the fam 🙂
Unreal good. Thanks for a simple recipe!
You’re so welcome, Patti!
I’ve never heard of a Banoffee pie before this recipe, but I’ll definitely be making it again! The recipe is so easy to follow and the pie is delicious!
Thank you so much, Liz! I’m glad you trusted me to give you a delish pie!
It looks yummy!!
Thank you, Barb!
So I’ve made banoffee pie before and decided to try this recipe to see how it compared. My goodness that graham cracker crust alone was worth it. The toffee filling was pretty standard but I like the pie plate method as you can leave it and do other things while it cooks. I added some shaved chocolate on top of my whipped cream and that made it just right. Great dessert if you want to try something new and if you love bananas!
Thanks so much, Mia! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 😃
Making this banoffee pie was sooo super simple with your easy to follow instructions. The pie was divine!!
Thank you, Tristin!
SO delicious! Made it for a party and there were no leftovers! Everyone was asking for the recipe. This is a keeper!
Thanks so much, Min! I love hearing that 🙂
The recipe is so detailed esp Dulce de leche and whipping cream making, It gave me the courage to try making a pie for the first time. Thank you for this recipe and everyone in my team gobbled it up in 5 mins.
I’m so glad you all loved it, Dwithica! 🙂