Banoffee Pie is a classic English dessert that gets its name from the ingredients used banana and toffee! It’s absolutely delicious and totally addicting made with a Graham cracker crust and filled with bananas, dulce de leche (toffee), and a generous helping of whipped cream. I love to add a layer of toffee bits which adds texture and flavor, I mean who could say no to extra toffee? Garnish it with slices of banana and chocolate shavings for the ultimate dessert.
If you’ve never tried banoffee pie before you are seriously missing out, check out my step by step recipe tutorial below including important notes on ingredients and all my top tips. Also, don’t forget to check out my recipe video where I walk you through the whole recipe! Love the sound of this dessert? You’ll also love my Dulce De Leche Cake, and Sticky Toffee Pudding!
What you need to make this recipe
Graham crackers – I use graham cracker crumbs for the base of the pie you could also use digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, biscoff cookies, or shortbread.
Butter – I use unsalted butter to bind the graham crackers together. If you use salted butter make sure to omit the additional salt in the recipe.
Brown sugar – I find that brown sugar is best for the base because it not only adds moisture to help pack everything together but it adds a caramelized flavor too.
Dulce de leche – traditionally, condensed milk is heated to make toffee or dulce de leche but for convenience, it’s easier to buy a jar of it. You should be able to find it in the international foods aisle. Can’t find it? don’t worry follow my recipe for making homemade dulce de leche.
Bananas – you want an even layer of sliced bananas in this pie, make sure they are ripe but not overly bruised or they will be too sweet.
Whipping cream – banoffee pie is topped with a pillow of whipped cream, don’t be shy just layer it all on!
Granulated sugar – I mix this in with the whipped cream to add sweetness.
Vanilla – make sure to use real vanilla extract and not essence as it doesn’t have a nice flavor.
Toffee bits – a layer of toffee bits really takes this dessert up a notch if you can’t find them though don’t worry you can leave them out.
How to make Banoffee Pie
1. Mix the Graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Pour in the melted butter then mix with a spatula until well distributed.
3. Spread the mixture in your pie dish and use a measuring cup or flat-bottomed glass to press down. Bake until slightly darkened and fragrant.
4. Pour about one and a half cups of dulce de leche into the baked pie shell and spread to cover the bottom.
5. Fill the pie with sliced bananas.
6. Sprinkle with toffee chips and drizzle over more dulce de leche, you can add about 1/4 cup or more if desired. Please note that you can add more toffee chips on top if that’s a flavor you enjoy! Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
7. Add the cold cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla to a bowl and whip until soft peaks form.
8. Pile the whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle over any desired toppings, serve.
Top tips for making this recipe
- You’ll need a 9-inch pie dish or cake pan to make this recipe.
- You can blitz the cookies in a food processor to get fine crumbs, or pop them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- The crust should be just lightly browned, don’t overtake it or it’ll be too hard.
- Make sure to let the crust cool completely before filling.
- You must use dulce de leche or make your own by heating up sweetened condensed milk. Don’t be tempted to use caramel sauce because it won’t set properly in the fridge and will be too runny.
- let the pie chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before topping with cream.
- You don’t need to be neat when adding the whipped cream on top it’s best to just dollop it on and make sure it’s covering the filling underneath. It should be pillowy and rustic looking.
- Make sure the bananas are completely covered in the filling to stop them from turning brown.
- If your bananas are already browning too quickly you can squeeze a very small amount of lemon juice on top to stop it but don’t go crazy we don’t want to taste the lemon flavor.
- Let the banoffee pie chill in the fridge to firm up slightly otherwise, it’ll be a little tricky to cut into slices.
- I like to garnish this pie with shaved chocolate. If you haven’t made chocolate shavings before it’s quite easy. Use a sharp knife to scrape thin pieces from a bar or block of chocolate then sprinkle them over the pie.
- Looking for more garnish ideas? why not try sprinkling over some nuts such as hazelnuts or peanuts, slices of banana, or more toffee bits.
- When cutting into the pie you won’t get a perfect cut like regular pies since the filling is soft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does banoffee pie come from?
Banoffee pie was invented at the Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex by Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding. They were improving upon another pie recipe which used dulce de leche and toffee. The addition of bananas was a game-changer, which created this delicious dessert.
How do I turn condensed milk into dulce de leche?
If you can’t find dulce de leche you can make it easily with sweetened condensed milk and nothing else. It’s super easy to make and my recipe gives you two options, boiling or baking. Check out my tutorial that shows you how to make homemade dulce de leche.
Can I prepare this in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the crust in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you prepare the whole banoffee pie with filling I only recommend doing so 1-2 days in advance.
Why is my banoffee pie runny?
If the cream on top of your banoffee pie is runny it means you haven’t whipped it for long enough. Make sure the cream is whipped enough to semi-stiff peaks.
You also need to use a thick caramel toffee and not a runny caramel sauce or it won’t set in the fridge. Always chill the pie before cutting and serving.
How long does it last, can it be frozen?
Banoffee pie will last up to 2-3 days in the fridge. If you’re cutting into the pie and saving the rest for later expect some movement from the filling. It might look a bit messy but will still be delicious.
You can freeze the crust with no issues but I don’t recommend freezing the whole prepared pie as the bananas will turn soggy and the fillings will lose their creamy texture.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Banoffee Pie
Video
Equipment
- 9-inch deep pie dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 cups dulce de leche divided
- 3 bananas sliced, plus additional, for garnish
- ½ cup toffee bits plus additional, for garnish
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt.
- Firmly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
- Bake until lightly set, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Pour 1½ cups dulce de leche into bottom of crust.
- Top with bananas, arranging in concentric circles, overlapping slightly.
- Sprinkle with ½ cup toffee bits; drizzle with ¼ cup dulce de leche.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat cream and 3 Tbsp. sugar at medium high speed until soft peaks form. Stir in vanilla.
- Spoon whipped cream over banana layer.
- Drop teaspoons of dulce de leche over whipped cream layer; swirl using the back of a spoon.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- Garnish with toffee bits and banana slices.
Notes
- You'll need a 9-inch pie dish or cake pan to make this recipe.
- You can blitz the cookies in a food processor to get fine crumbs, or pop them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- The crust should be just lightly browned, don't overtake it or it'll be too hard.
- Make sure to let the crust cool completely before filling.
- You must use dulce de leche or make your own by heating up sweetened condensed milk. Don't be tempted to use caramel sauce because it won't set properly in the fridge and will be too runny.
- You don't need to be neat when adding the whipped cream on top it's best to just dollop it on and make sure it's covering the filling underneath. It should be pillowy and rustic looking.
- Make sure the bananas are completely covered in the filling to stop them from turning brown.
- If your bananas are already browning too quickly you can squeeze a very small amount of lemon juice on top to stop it but don't go crazy we don't want to taste the lemon flavor.
- Let the banoffee pie chill in the fridge to firm up slightly otherwise, it'll be a little tricky to cut into slices.
- I like to garnish this pie with shaved chocolate. If you haven't made chocolate shavings before it's quite easy. Use a sharp knife to scrape thin pieces from a bar or block of chocolate then sprinkle them over the pie.
- Looking for more garnish ideas? why not try sprinkling over some nuts such as hazelnuts or peanuts, slices of banana, or more toffee bits.
- When cutting into the pie you won't get a perfect cut like regular pies since the filling is soft.
- Storage - the pie will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freezing - the crust can be frozen for up to 3 months but I don't recommend freezing the prepared pie.
Nutrition
