Black Bear Diner Banana Cream Pie Recipe
Black Bear Diner is known for its homestyle cooking and oversized portions, and one of their most popular desserts is their banana cream pie. If you're looking to recreate this classic dessert at home, you're in luck. We've got the recipe for you.
Ingredients
- 1 pre-made pie crust
- 3 ripe bananas
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Press the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish, trim the edges, and use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Peel the bananas, slice them into rounds, and arrange them in the bottom of the cooled pie crust.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. This should take about 7-10 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Pour the mixture over the bananas in the pie crust, spreading it out evenly. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie, slice, and serve.
This recipe makes one 9-inch pie, but you can easily double or triple it if you're feeding a crowd. The secret to this pie is the homemade custard filling, which is rich and creamy and perfectly balances the sweetness of the bananas.
Variations
If you want to switch things up, there are plenty of variations of banana cream pie for you to try. Here are a few ideas:
- Add a layer of caramel or chocolate sauce to the bottom of the pie crust before adding the bananas.
- Top the whipped cream with toasted coconut, chopped nuts, or chocolate shavings.
- Use vanilla wafer cookies instead of a traditional pie crust.
- Make individual servings in ramekins or mason jars for a cute and portable dessert.
No matter how you make it, banana cream pie is a classic dessert that never goes out of style. Whether you're serving it at a holiday dinner or just treating yourself to a slice after a long day, this recipe is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.