Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cream Pie

This Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cream Pie is super easy to make, luxuriously creamy and packed with sweet bananas! A healthier take on a well-loved classic dessert. 

This Banana Cream Pie is made in a similar way to my Coconut Cream Pie and Lemon Pie, and consists of a crispy, buttery, flaky pastry crust filled with slices of sweet bananas and rich custard, then topped with fluffy clouds of coconut whipped cream and even more bananas.

How to make this Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cream Pie

A pastry crust might seem like a lot of hassle, but this one is super easy to make because:

• it’s made with 3 simple ingredients
• it doesn’t require chilling
• you can press it into the pie crust with your fingertips so there’s no rolling pins and no floured surfaces required

Once you’ve pressed the pastry into your pie dish, you can use your fingers or a fork to create a pretty pattern around the sides.

Tip: As we’re going to be baking this crust by itself, you’ll also need to use a fork to pierce the surface of the pastry (don’t forget the sides!) so that it doesn’t rise in the oven. You can alternatively use baking beans for this.

Once it’s been baked until crispy and golden brown, you can add a layer of sliced bananas to the bottom, so that you get a sweet, creamy, fragrant banana surprise with every bite.

To make the custard, I use this shop-bought custard powder.

I love this one because it’s:

• naturally vegan, gluten-free + sugar-free
• it’s made with just 4 ingredients
• it works well with plant-based milk – I recommend unsweetened cashew milk, almond milk or oat milk

Once you’ve left the custard to cool completely, you can load up your pie with coconut whipped cream (see recipe for detailed instructions), then top it with even more sliced bananas for extra banana flavour.

Equipment you’ll need to make this Banana Cream Pie:

• glass mixing bowl – for mixing together the ingredients for the pastry dough
• pie dish – I used a 20.5 cm/8 inch pie dish
• measuring jug – for measuring out the milk for the custard
• electric whisk – for whipping up the coconut milk to make coconut whipped cream

How long does this Banana Cream Pie keep for?

This Banana Cream Pie tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days so it’s a perfect make-ahead dessert for entertaining!

More similar desserts:

• Lemon Pie
• Coconut Cream Pie
• Boston Cream Pie
• Peanut Butter Pie
• Strawberry Trifle

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cream Pie

This Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cream Pie is super easy to make, luxuriously creamy and packed with sweet bananas!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten-free banana cream pie, gluten-free vegan pie, vegan banana cream pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 8

Calories: 329kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 30 g (1/8 cup) coconut oil
• 75 g (2/3 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub rice flour, or plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 75 g (2/3 cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
• 7 tablespoons water

For the custard:

• 530 ml (2 1/4 cup) unsweetened cashew milk (or sub unsweetened almond milk, or unsweetened oat milk for nut-free)
• 4 tablespoons custard powder **(ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)

For the coconut whipped cream:

• 400 g (14 oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To assemble:

• 2 medium-sized bananas , sliced

Instructions

For the pastry:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until it forms a firm dough - add the water a few tablespoons at a time so that you don’t add too much!
• You can keep this pastry dough in the fridge for up to a day if you like, but there is no need to chill it before using
• Place the pastry dough into a greased pie dish and use your fingers to carefully press it across the bottom and up the sides of the dish - I used a 20.5 cm/8 inch pie dish
• Use a fork to pierce the surface (remember the sides too!) of the pastry, so that it doesn’t puff up in the oven. Alternatively, you can use baking beans
• Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until the pastry crust is firm to the touch and golden brown
• Leave to cool slightly before pouring in the filling

For the custard:

• Measure out the milk in a jug or measuring container
• Pour the milk into a pan, leaving behind a few tablespoons of milk in the jug
• Heat up the milk in the pan
• Add the custard powder to the remaining milk in the jug and mix well, ensuring it has dissolved completely
• Once the milk in the pan is steaming, add approximately half of the hot milk to the bowl with the dissolved custard powder, mix well and transfer the custard powder mixture to the saucepan
• Mix well and keep stirring on a low heat for around 5 minutes, until thickened
• Add the maple syrup, taste and add extra if desired
• Once the pastry crust and the custard have both cooled a little, lay out half of the banana slices across the bottom of the pastry crust
• Carefully pour the custard over the top
• Leave the pie in the fridge for up to a few hours to set completely before topping with the cream

For the coconut whipped cream:

• You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
• Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
• Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
• Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract
• Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy

To assemble:

• Take the pie out of the fridge, and ensuring that the custard has completely set, carefully cover it with the coconut whipped cream
• Lay the remaining half of the banana slices across the top
• Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour

**If you can't get hold of a shop-bought custard powder, you can substitute it with the same amount cornflour (cornstarch), which will result in the same texture and flavour, though the colour will be considerably less yellow.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Cream Pie

Amount Per Serving

Calories 329 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 13g 65%

Cholesterol 19mg 6%

Sodium 74mg 3%

Potassium 300mg 9%

Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 16g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 0.7%

Vitamin C 3.7%

Calcium 7.4%

Iron 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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