Banoffee Pie (English)

Banoffee pie is a British dessert pie made from bananas, whipped cream and a thick caramel sauce, combined either on a buttery biscuit base or one made from crumbled biscuits and butter. Some versions of the recipe include chocolate, coffee, or both. With its appealing combination of just-ripe-enough bananas, toffee, and heaps of fluffy whipped cream, this classic British dessert deserves a place at your table. Many recipes call for canned dulce de leche, but our filling relies on a chewy homemade caramel sauce, which adds a smoky allure and intensity that you won’t get otherwise. Combining burnt sugar with butter, then stirring in store-bought sweetened condensed milk, creates an eye-rolling-good pie filling that cuts cleanly into beautiful slices. We also tossed in a layer of salted nuts (peanuts or cashews), which gives the toffee a PayDay candy bar vibe; feel free to leave them out if you prefer.

Crust:
9 sheets graham cracker (140 g)
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Filling and Assembly:
½ cup honey-roasted peanuts or salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided (150 g)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided
4-5 large ripe but firm bananas
1¼ cups heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla instant pudding mix
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Place a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Crust:
Crumble 9 graham cracker sheets (140 g) into food processor; add 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and process until crackers are very finely ground. Add 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, and 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and pulse until the texture of wet sand.

Remove lid and blade from processor and mix crumbs with your hand or a rubber spatula to ensure there are no unevenly mixed crumbs.

Transfer crumb mixture to a standard 9" diameter metal or glass pie plate and press firmly and evenly up sides and across bottom with a flat-bottomed measuring cup (building the sides first, then smoothing the bottom will make for a more even crust). Chill crust in the refrigerator 20 minutes (or, if you are short on time, in the freezer 10 minutes).

Place pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet if desired; bake crust until a deeper golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Let cool.

Make-Ahead: Crust can be baked 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Filling and Assembly:
Scatter ½ cup coarsely chopped honey-roasted peanuts or salted roasted cashews in an even layer over crust and set aside.

Combine ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar and ¼ cup water in a medium saucepan, cover, and heat over medium (no need to stir) until sugar is dissolved and syrup is boiling, 407 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook syrup, stirring or swirling occasionally, until a deep brown color (you want caramel to be similar in color to the baked graham cracker crust), 10-15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; immediately add 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature, to caramel (be careful as mixture will foam vigorously). Using a heatproof rubber spatula, preferably one with a long handle if you’ve got it, stir vigorously until butter is melted (caramel may look broken or curdled at this point). Add ½ cup sweetened condensed milk and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir until combined and smooth. Pour warm caramel over reserved nuts in crust, pushing carefully into an even layer with spatula as needed.

Peel and slice 4–5 large ripe but firm bananas into ½"-thick rounds. Starting at the crust’s edges and working your way in, arrange over caramel (it’s okay if it is still slightly warm) in concentric, slightly overlapping rings. Chill pie while you make the topping.

Using an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 1¼ cups heavy cream, ½ cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp. vanilla instant pudding mix, 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, remaining ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl until firm peaks form, about 5 minutes.

Using a small offset spatula, spread whipped cream mixture over pie, making sure to cover bananas completely and swirling to create dramatic peaks and swoops. Chill, uncovered, until caramel is set and pie is very cold, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.

Cook's Notes:

• Sturdy digestive biscuits make the traditional cookie crust for this cream pie, but plain old graham crackers are a ready substitute. Use a food processor to ensure the crackers are crushed to fine crumbs, then pulse in melted butter and a bit of sugar. The sugar melts during the pie crust’s quick bake, helping hold the graham cracker crumbs together. (If you must use a rolling pin to crush the grahams, know that doing so will result in larger, more irregular pieces that are more likely to crumble when sliced - not a deal breaker, but not the best experience.)
• Choose ripe bananas that are fully yellow with maybe a spot or two of brown speckles. Steer clear of fruit with hints of green (too starchy) or one with too many spots (too mushy). As for the crowning glory, the addition of sour cream and instant vanilla pudding mix easily transforms a puddle of cold heavy cream into a flavourful cloud, its texture almost like whipped cheesecake. Aim for firm peaks (just shy of stiff peaks). The homemade whipped cream provides enough drama in this banoffee pie recipe, but, should you want a few dark chocolate shavings (made with a Y-peeler and a bar of chocolate), a dusting of cocoa powder, or more sliced bananas perched atop the cream, all make for a fine garnish.