Easy Banoffee Pie

A game changing Banoffee Pie Tip - put the bananas UNDER the caramel layer.

Listen closely because this is very important. Most banoffee pie recipes do things in the wrong (to me) order and have you put the bananas over the top of the Dulce de Leche layer. WRONG. They belong under the caramel, and this is very important.

Bananas go brown super easily, and leaving them exposed even just a tiny bit if you don't cover them in cream fully is a very sad time. Not to mention I prefer to add whipped cream to pie as close to serving as possible if I can, and if you have the bananas on top of the caramel there is no way to protect them from brown town.

The solution? Bananas under the Dulce de Leche layer. It feels a bit wrong, but I promise it's a game changer.

Easy Chocolate Curls

There are lots of fussy ways to make chocolate curls - all you need is a sharp vegetable peeler and a block of chocolate. If you aren't confident, practice over a plate, but I add the chocolate straight to the top of the banoffee pie. The key is to get yourself a nice flat surface on the chocolate, and then run the peeler against it. It should curl up nicely for you. I think the kind of chocolate you use also will affect this - I used a milk chocolate.

You really can't beat a homemade banoffee pie. My banoffee pie recipe has a brown butter graham cracker base, a layer of banana, thick Dulce de Leche, and then loads of whipped cream to finish. Banoffee pie is the perfect make ahead dessert and will always be a crowd pleaser! My recipe uses a game changing tip of putting the bananas under the caramel layer so that they stay super fresh.

Graham Cracker Crust

• One Graham Cracker Crust, made with quantities for a 10" tart pan, fully baked and cooled

Filling

• One Batch homemade Dulce de Leche, cooled and ready to use
• About 300g banana, sliced into coins about 1cm thick (if you like more or less bananas, change the amount. This gave me one layer and came from about 3 medium bananas 

Topping

• One batch of homemade whipped cream (Unsweetened) OR one batch of homemade chantilly cream (lightly sweetened)
• Block of chocolate for shaving into curls (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Graham Cracker Crust using the quantities for a 25cm (10") tart pan. The quantities are in the recipe notes for a 25cm pan. Cool completely. If you are making this to serve straight away, I like to throw the baked graham cracker base into the freezer for 15 minutes or so just to make sure that it is nice and cold and set up. If you are assembling ahead of time you do not need to do this - it will firm up in the fridge.
2. Arrange the chopped bananas over the base of the cooled graham cracker crust. If you like lots of banana, do two layers, if you don't like much, chop them thinner. 
3. Whisk the cooled Dulce de Leche to remove any lumps. Blob on top of the bananas, then spread out using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. 
4. If serving straight away, top with whipped cream or chantilly cream and top with chocolate curls made by peeling over a block of chocolate with a vegetable peeler. 
5. If you are making ahead, you can either store it with just the banana and caramel layer and add the whipped cream just before you serve, or if you want to have it all done, you can top with the whipped cream and store for up to overnight before serving. If you can, I like to add fresh whipped cream just before serving, but it will also be just fine if you need to do it ahead. 
6. To serve, remove the edge of the tart pan by placing the pan on an upside down bowl - the edge piece of the pan should drop off. 
7. Cut into slices using a sharp knife dipped into hot water and dried before cutting. Wipe the knife between each cut.
8. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. 

I make this in a 10" / 25cm Fluted Tart Pan. I prefer to use a pan with a removable bottom as it makes serving much easier. You can make this in whatever you like, however the size of the pan will change how deep the crust and layers are. If you cannot find graham crackers there are notes in the graham cracker crust post on alternatives that I have tested. 

You want to use nice yellow ripe bananas for this Banoffee Pie - this is not the time to use the yellow spotty ones you save for banana bread. Ripe bananas are nice and firm and slice well and won't make things go too soggy.