Recipes Desserts Pies Banana Pudding Pie Be the first to rate & review! 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 Anna Theoktisto Instagram Anna Theoktisto is a recipe tester and developer. Anna has been working in Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2017, and her recipes and writing have appeared in over 10 nationally distributed print publications, as well as on various digital platforms. When not in the kitchen, Anna enjoys hiking with her son, husband, and 2 dogs, and fostering puppies for a local animal rescue group. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines 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