fluffy, creamy, and banana-ey good
Friday fridayyyyyy! Too happy to see Friday. I am exhausted this week, but luckily it's time to share of of my favorite dishes with you! VEGAN banana cream pie. Totally gluten free and guilt free! When I ate dairy, banana cream pie was my absolute favorite [guilty pleasure] pie, and I was so sad when I had to give it up. But when I stumbled upon this recipe from Minimalist Baker, I knew it was meant to be. And BETTER than the real thing - I kid you not!
How many of you have never had coconut whipped cream? If you have, then you and I both know how darn tasty it is. If you answered no, I'm about to change your world. For real. Thing of it as your fav creamiest homemade whipped topping, with just a hint of coconut.
And folded with a homemade dairy free custard, LOADED with bananas? My mouth is drooling just thinking about it! This dish is basically a 3 in 1! You get a recipe for a gluten free crust, a recipe for homemade whipped cream, and a recipe for the overall pie! Plus, a custard that can be used anywhere!
Can you tell this is my favorite? You'll never believe something this creamy & better than the real deal is actually vegan! ANDDD *bonus* gluten free for those with the allergy! Thanks for reading and have a happy & safe weekend! xx S.
| Vegan • Gluten Free |
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 3/4 cup of gluten free rolled oats
- 3/4 cup of almonds
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
- 2 Tbs of cane sugar
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted
FILLING - 2 Tbs of cornstarch
- 1/3 cup of cane sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas (+ more to top if ya want!)
COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM - 1 14oz can of coconut cream - or 2 cans of coconut milk - refrigerated
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbs of powdered sugar (depending on how sweet ya like it!)
CRUST!: Let’s start with the best gluten free crust! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss your oats, almonds, sea salt & sugar to your blender and blend until a crumbly texture is achieved. Now, add in the melted coconut oil and pulse again until combined. You can also do this in a bowl- just make sure it’s distributed evenly! Add to a pie dish and flatten out as much as you can. Pop it in the oven for 15 minutes, and then increase heat to 375 degrees to cook for another 5-10 minutes (or until edges are golden). Remove from oven and set to cool.
CUSTARD: Now for the pudding! In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Stream in the almond milk while whisking to break up clumps & combine. Whiskfrequently until it begins to bubble. Once it does, reduce to low and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. While its cooking, it’s important to use a rubber spatula to continuously scrape the sides and bottom while cooking so it doesn’t burn and it cooks evenly. Once it’s quite jiggly and thick, remove from heat. Don’t panic if it doesn’t look as thick as pudding! It will thicken more as it sets. Pour into a bowl and add plastic wrap over the top, but make sure the wrap is touching the surface so a film won’t form. Pop in the fridge to set & cool for about 3 hours. OH! And if you taste it and worry it’s too sweet, it will become more neutral once you add your coconut whip. Trust me :)
COCONUT WHIPPED CREAM!: Before beginning the whipped cream, place the bowl you’ll be using in the fridge or freezer so it gets cold – just for about 10 minutes! Once ready, take out the coconut cream and bowl. Scoop out ONLY the cream (no liquid!) and add it into the bowl. With an electic hand mixer, whip for just a minute until it starts to look more like a whipped cream. Now, add your powdered sugar + vanilla and continue to beat for about 5ish minutes, until it looks like an airy whipped cream. MMM. If your custard is chilled at this point, fold to combine with your fresh whipped cream and set in the fridge again for a bit. If not, just wait to do this until your custard is ready to use.
ASSEMBLE: Once your coconut whipped cream custard combo is chilled & your pie crust is cool, we can assemble! Slice up the balance and place at the bottom of the crust. Top with your coconut custard mixture and smooooooooth out. Cover it and set for about 4 hours, or overnight if you have the time. The longer it sets, the better the bananas mesh with the whip and all the flavors combine. YUM. When ready to eat, serve with some additional bananas, sliced almonds & more whipped cream if you’re feeling daring. ENJOY!