A healthier dessert option, this vegan and gluten-free banana cream pie needs a bit more prep time but the results are worth the effort! You will taste where that extra time went.
Today’s recipe comes thanks to a bit of inspiration from Pinterest, and as decadent as it might taste, this dessert has some great potential health benefits which is NOT something you can claim about many desserts. What are the secret healthy ingredients for this pie? Dates, bananas, and…believe it or not, tofu.
That might not sound like a great idea to some…at first. But wait until you try it! Dates are said to be good for digestive health, muscle development, and iron deficiency. Tofu is thought to be a great source for protein, calcium, and iron. And you cut the sugar in this recipe down by using maple syrup instead of processed sugar.
Banana Cream Pie Ingredients
Crust
- Graham crackers
- Dates
- Dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- Agave or maple syrup
Banana Cream Filling
- Bananas
- Firm tofu
- Vanilla
- Maple syrup
Chocolate Coconut Cream Frosting
- Coconut cream
- Cocoa powder
- Coconut powdered sugar
- Vanilla
(Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions.)
How To Make Banana Cream Pie
This recipe takes about 90 minutes to prep and is a great option for the weekend. The food processor is your best friend for this dessert as you will need to use it to make both the crust and the filling. Blending the ingredients is NOT the time-consuming part, it’s the hour you need for the completed crust and filling to get cold enough in the freezer first (see below). At this point in the recipe we typically talk about substitutions to make a dish vegan or vegetarian-friendly. Since this pie is already vegan-friendly, you can dive right into the prep!
Make Ahead
Banana Cream Pie can be made one day ahead of time and stored in the fridge. The pie can also be made up to 2-3 days ahead of time as long as the fresh bananas are not added until right before serving.
Storing
Banana cream pie should be loosely covered with foil or a cloche and refrigerated for up to 3 days.. The pie should not be left out longer than an hour.
- Crust:
- 1 package organic graham crackers
- 3 dates (pitted)
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ¼ cup agave (sub in maple syrup if needed)
- Banana Cream Filling
- 3 bananas
- 1 package firm tofu (drained and patted dry)
- 1 heaping tbs. vanilla
- 2 tbs. maple syrup
- Chocolate Coconut Cream Frosting
- 1 can coconut cream refrigerated overnight
- 1 tbs. cocoa powder
- 1 heaping tbs. coconut powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- Crust
- In a food processor, pulse together the ingredients for the crust. If too dry, add a touch more agave.
- Lightly grease a pie dish with coconut oil and pour-in the pie crust mixture. Use your hands to pat the crust evenly over the dish.
- Preheat the oven to 375 and bake the crust for about 10 minutes.
- Filling
- In a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the pie filling and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour over the cooled pie crust and place in the freezer for about an hour.
- Coconut Cream
- Place a glass bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Open the refrigerated can of coconut cream and separate the heavy cream from the liquid at the bottom.
- Place the cream in the pre-refrigerated bowl and use a hand mixer to whisk until it forms soft peaks. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and whip until combined.
- To serve, add freshly sliced bananas then top with the chocolate whipping cream.
Don’t miss my classic twists on Pumpkin Cream Pie and Mixed Berry Pie.
