Sometimes the greatest creations in life start as a happy accident. There's a story behind this Gluten Free and Dairy Free Banana Coconut Cream Pie. This creamy and cloudlike confection actually began as an experiment in creating a dairy free German chocolate cake frosting.
Accidental Perfection
There's so much behind the scenes work that goes into each and every recipe. Shooting, editing, remaking to ensure the measurements are right, writing.
Sometimes when the artistic creativity is flowing, you get the best possible ideas. I had the ah-ha moment of using coconut cream instead of evaporated milk in the frosting for a German chocolate cake.
However the first time I tasted it the familiar flavor was instant nostalgia. Coconut cream pie!
What started as plans for frosting instead became this luscious Banana Coconut Cream Pie your friends and family will love.
I love using Gluten Free gingersnaps as the basis of this crust. The warm spices pair perfectly with the sweet bananas and bring out the flavors in the coconut.
However, you don't have to make this in a pie dish. This dessert is equally perfect prepared in a casserole dish and scooped out like a layered dessert. You can also prepare it as individual layered treats for a party.
How to Measure Bananas
We’ve all made banana bread or seen recipes that call for half a cup or a cup of bananas. But how much do you actually need when it comes to measuring bananas themselves? When it comes to measuring bananas, a recipe can state whether it’s chopped, or mashed, as in most banana bread recipes. However, they both measure slightly differently! Keep in mind that when adding bananas to a recipe more banana doesn’t equal more flavor. Instead, it could leave you with a dense or mushy finished product. Instead, you want to use the ripest bananas possible for the most intense banana flavor.
Here is an easy guide to use the next time you need to measure out fresh banana for a recipe.
- ½ banana: ⅓ cup chopped | ¼ cup mashed
- 1 banana: ⅔ cup chopped | ½ cup mashed
- 1-½ bananas: 1 cup chopped | ¾ cup mashed
- 2 bananas: 1-⅓ cups chopped | 1 cup mashed
- 3 bananas: 2 cups chopped | 1-½ cups mashed
- 4 bananas: 2-⅔ cups chopped | 2 cups mashed
Banana Coconut Cream Pie, Cook and Chill
The only difficulty in preparing this pie, and a main ingredient not listed, is patience. This is a custard based dessert like my Ultimate Coconut Cream Pie.
Because this is a custard base, you're going to cook the filling on the stove and then allow it to chill so it can fully thicken. Patience might be a virtue, but it pays off in decadent luxurious pie.
Besides patience the only other tips are first how you chill your custard. To ensure that delectable creamy texture, you can place plastic wrap over the top of it making sure it touches the custard completely. This will keep a skin from forming.
Other than that the only other tip is to chill the completed pie for at least a couple hours before slicing. Again, patience!
Bake, chill, chill, dig in and enjoy! It's that easy! Now that you have pie on the mind, let's make a Banana Coconut Cream Pie!
Dairy Free Banana Coconut Cream Pie
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Sauce pan
- Pie pan/casserole dish
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- 8 oz Gluten Free gingersnap cookies
- 5 tbsp Dairy Free butter, melted unsalted
Pie Filling
- 6 egg yolk
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 can coconut cream
- ¾ cup Dairy Free butter unsalted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut
- 2 bananas, sliced
- Whipped topping, dairy free
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust
- In a blender or food processor, pulse gingersnaps until they're fine crumbs.
- In a boxing bowl, combine gingersnaps and melted but. Mix until it resembles wet sand.
- Pour into your pie pan or casserole dish. Using the back of a measuring cup firmly press the gingersnap mixture into the pan until firm and even.
- Chill pie crust until ready to use.
Pie Filling
- Thoroughly combine egg yolks, sugar, coconut cream, and butter in a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat.
- Continuously stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture begins to thicken, approximately 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour filling into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to chill and thicken in the refrigerator. At least an hour.
- Once completely cool, fold in the shredded coconut.
- To assemble, layer the sliced bananas on the pie crust. Top with the coconut cream pie filling, and then the whipped topping. Allow to chill if possible.
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