Banana Coconut Cream Pie

When it comes to pies, my family prefers the cream-based kind. There is something about a decadent, luscious, velvety, creamy pie which feels like a comforting hug. Although, this Gluten-Free hug can put pounds on your hips, so take care.

Banana Coconut Cream Pie

INGREDIENTS:

1 pre-cooked pie crust (completely cooled) – See the Post on “Pie Crust Pastry” recipe

2-3 bananas

125 mL fine coconut (toasted)

80 mL cornstarch

125 mL sugar

1 mL salt

750 mL milk

2 organic egg yolks

5 mL vanilla

15 mL butter

300-400 mL whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

To toast the coconut, spread out the coconut on a cookie sheet (I use a rectangle baking stone lined with aluminum foil). Place in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes. When finished toasting, remove from oven and allow to cool.

Toasted coconut fresh out of the oven.

Place the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in n a medium saucepan. Use a small whisk to mix all the dry ingredients together.

Cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.

Slowly, add the cold milk to the saucepan. Stir.

Cold milk is added to the cornstarch mixture.

Over medium heat and whisking constantly, bring mixture to a soft boil. This may take about 5-7 minutes. Do not leave stop whisking the entire time. Your pudding mixture will burn. Tears on my part have been known to shed because I did not listen to my advise.

Turn down the heat and cook for another 5 more minutes. Once again, whisk constantly. Remove saucepan from stove.

Thickened pudding mixture is added to egg yolks.

In a small bowl add a little amount of the pudding mixture to 2 egg yolks. This is not the time to dilly dally. Whisk immediately so that the eggs do not scramble.

Once the eggs have been tempered with the pudding mixture, return the egg-pudding mixture back to the saucepan.

Turn up the heat to medium-low and cook the egg-pudding mixture for an additional 3 minutes to cook the egg yolks thoroughly.  When the time is up remove saucepan from the stove and turn off element.

The toasted coconut is added to the pudding mixture.

Add the toasted coconut to the pudding mixture. Then add vanilla and butter. Stir thoroughly. Allow the pudding to cool completely before putting on the pie. If you miss this step, your bananas will turn brown from the heat.

Sliced bananas over the cooked pie crust.

Slice bananas and place all around the cooked pie crust.

I added a little bit of toasted coconut and some bananas to the top of the piped whipped cream.

Poor cooled banana coconut pudding into the cooked pie crust.

Top with whipped cream and garnish with bananas and toasted coconut.

A very easy and tasty pie.