Recipes Desserts Pies Banana Pudding Pie 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews Cool, creamy, and nostalgic, banana pudding gets a gourmet upgrade thanks to buttery, roasted macadamia nuts in the classic vanilla wafer crust. This is no place for instant pudding—this pie gets a rich lift from an easy homemade pudding made from rich whole milk and egg yolks flecked with flavorful vanilla bean seeds. Two layers of sliced banana and a billowy crown of fresh whipped cream takes this make-ahead dessert over the top. By Anna Theoktisto Published on August 30, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Will Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey Active Time: 20 mins Refrigerate Time: 4 hrs Total Time: 4 hrs 50 mins Servings: 12 Ingredients Crust 60 vanilla wafers (about 3 cups) 1 cup roasted salted macadamia nuts 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Filling ½ cup packed light brown sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 4 large egg yolks 2 cups whole milk 1 vanilla bean pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed 4 medium bananas, divided 18 vanilla wafers, plus crushed wafers for garnish 1 cup heavy whipping cream ¼ cup powdered sugar Directions Make the Crust Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse wafers, macadamia nuts, melted butter, and salt in a food processor until fine crumbs form, about 15 pulses. Firmly press mixture onto bottom and up sides of a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. Make the Filling Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in egg yolks and milk. Halve vanilla bean pod lengthwise, and scrape seeds from pod into yolk mixture; add scraped pod. Cook mixture over medium, stirring constantly, until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove custard from heat. Remove and discard vanilla bean pod. Add cubed butter to custard; stir until melted and combined. Slice 2 bananas; arrange slices in a single layer in bottom of cooled crust. Spoon half of custard (1 1/4 cups) over bananas. Top with wafers, arranged in a single layer; top with remaining custard. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of custard. Refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Remove plastic wrap from pie. Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Slice remaining 2 bananas; arrange slices in a single layer on top of pie. Spread top evenly with whipped cream. Garnish with crushed wafers. Rate it Print