Can you believe that before March 21, 2019, I had never ever laid my mouth on a piece of banana cream pie? Me either! Which is why, when I realized in early March that I had never before had banana cream pie, I set out to make my own! An Easy No-Bake Vegan Banana Cream Pie to be exact.

I made this Easy No-Bake Vegan Banana Cream Pie to celebrate a belated Pi Day with my pals Kari and Lauren. We gathered over spring break for pie, conversation, and a cute baby. It was so enjoyable to connect over scrumptious food. That’s what life’s about after all, isn’t it?

Now, I know this recipe is delayed. I honestly forgot I drafted it last month. I meant to re-take photos, but have been overwhelmed with school, and haven’t gotten around to re-shooting the recipe. I didn’t make this pie the prettiest the first time as I had no intention of snapping photos. However, it ended up turning out positively scrummy and several people asked me for the recipe after I included it in this round-up. So here we are.

You’ll notice the recipe calls for a pre-made vegan whipped topping (my favorite is So Delicious CocoWhip). I used to be all about the DIY coconut whipped cream, but then Trader Joe’s changed their formula for coconut cream, and ever since I find it hard to achieve a rich delicious whipped topping without spending a lot on a bougie brand and prepping a day or so ahead freezing whatever brand coconut fat I can find.

I’ve since discovered So Delicious CocoWhip, which is honestly so incredible and easy that I feel little urge to make it myself, since this is cheaper, easier, and more delicious. However, if the idea of packaged or pre-made coconut whip doesn’t agree with you, or you can’t find CocoWhip or vegan TruWhip, I left instructions below the recipe to make your own coconut whipped topping for the pie.

Another note…I add several layers of banana to this pie. When I was researching banana cream pie recipes to base a vegan version off of, I noticed many pies used only 1-2 bananas. I was like ahem, excuse me? Isn’t banana supposed to be the star of the show here? Hence, my No Bake Vegan Banana Cream Pie has not one, but two layers of sliced bananas. Yum.

The banana layers play so nicely with the creamy vanilla pudding and crunchy graham cracker crust, you will be finding yourself wondering how something so simply can deliver such joy.

This recipe is perfect when you have extra bananas hanging around, and/or when you want a simple, classic old-school nostalgic dessert to finish a meal. I can see this pie tasting great after a nice evening of grilling out and chilling on the porch in your Birkenstocks. It’s refreshing and satisfying and sweet but not overly heavy all at once. Go bananas. I dare you.

Yay pie, indeed!

Anyways, I hope you make this Easy No-Bake Vegan Banana Cream Pie and I hope you love it! If you do, holler at me on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

More recipes and fun stuff coming to you this summer! Thanks, as always, for sticking around.

Easy No-Bake Vegan Banana Cream Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Chill Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup graham cracker or other cookie crumbs; use gluten-free, if desired (made from roughly 12 graham crackers)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

6 tablespoons non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)

2 1/2 cups vanilla soy, oat, or pea milk *

3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon corn starch

1/3 cup coconut or cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-4 medium-ripe bananas

1 tub non-dairy vegan whipped topping (So Delicious or TruWhip), thawed or 1 1/2 cups coconut whipped cream made from 1 can full-fat coconut milk chilled in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours + 1/4 cup powder sugar (see method, below)

*Try to select a non-dairy milk that has some fat and protein; it will result in a richer, thicker texture. Fat-free almond or other fat-free milks will work, but may turn out a little bit runnier.

Method:

1. Generously oil or grease a 9 inch round pie dish. Prepare crust by pulsing graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor or by placing in a sealable bag and crushing with a rolling pin or spoon and transfer to a bowl.

2. Melt butter in the microwave (30-60 seconds) and pour into bowl with graham crumbs and add cinnamon. Mix well. Transfer to prepared dish and press evenly into dish, covering the entire bottom as well as the sides of the dish.

3. Prepare pudding by placing vanilla soy milk, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Whisk well to combine, ensuring there are no cornstarch chunks in the mixture. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened then remove from heat and continue to whisk for an additional 3-4 minutes. Thickening will happen quickly; it will likely feel as if nothing is happening for a while, but continue to stir and trust that it will quickly thicken.

4. Transfer pudding to a heat-safe bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool, about 20-30 minutes.

5. Slice bananas into thin coins, roughly 1/8th inch thick. Arrange a single layer of bananas along the bottom of the pie dish, directly on top of the graham crust.

6. Remove pudding from the refrigerator and whisk well to remove any lumps. You may need several minutes to whisk, and/or the help of an electric mixer.

7. Pour half of pudding mixture into pie dish over the banana layer. Add a second layer of bananas on top. Cover second banana layer with additional pudding.

8. Cover second pudding layer with whipped topping**(if making from scratch, see method, below). Garnish top with additional bananas and and other desired toppings.

9. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Method: Coconut Whipped Cream

Remove chilled coconut milk from refrigerator. Open can and remove fat (solid, white portion) and place in a bowl. Whip with an electric beater until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy, an addition 1-3 minutes.

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