Table of Contents
*Post contain Affiliate Links.
I’m not one for pies but sure I do love a good parfait. I wanted to try may hand at making a pie yet explored a much simpler route. Plus simple and cooking is always kept in mind with my hectic schedule. This decadent layered dessert will have you craving more banana cream pie. And you will be desiring the summer breeze to set in. Share it at home with the family and friends.
Ingredient Choice
Almond milk: Looking for the addition of the nutty flavors. It actually enhances the banana flavor without overpowering it.
Bananas– Choose ripe (not mushy) ones as they are much sweeter. Peeled and thin slice.
Butter– Unsalted is used as it allow for better adjustment if salt where needed.
Cornstarch: It is used as a thicker for the cream filling.
Wafers: Vanilla goes great as a crust and wanted to keep this recipe gluten-free. The brand I chose is actually free of diary, eggs, fish, mustard, nuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, and wheat.
Heavy whipping cream– Good for creating a heavier whipped cream.
Sugar– Granulated allows for a much quicker dissolve into the pudding . Powdered helps stabilize the whipped cream. It also bring a light sweetness.
Vanilla extract– Subtle sweetness blends with the whipped cream bringing a balance.
Banana Cream Pie Parfait
Ingredients
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 325° F. Add vanilla wafer sand sugar into a food processor for 30 seconds. Add the melted butter and pulse for another 1 minutes making sure to stop and scrape down crumb. This allow for wafer mix and butter to be incorporated better. The vanilla wafers will have a wet damp look. Transfer mixture from food processor and spread out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake the crumbled crust for about 10 minutes. Then turn pan to opposite side to bake 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven, set aside and cool for 15 minutes.
- Lightly crumble the crust while still leaving chunks.
- Place medium non-reactive saucepan add almond milk, cornstarch, and heavy cream, then whisk till cornstarch dissolves. Add ¼ sugar into saucepan and whisk. Place saucepan on low heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, occasionally whisking. Then remove saucepan from heat.
- In a small bowl add egg, remaining sugar, and whisk. Really slowly add 1/3 of the hot milk mixture to eggs while mixing. This allow for the egg mixture to be tempered (bring cold eggs up to temperature of hot mixture) and not scrambled. Add egg mixture in bowl back to saucepan along with butter and vanilla extract. Place on low heat and whisk until butter completely dissolves approximately 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and cool for 5 minutes. The cover with top of filling with plastic wrap lightly pressing. The plastic wrap avoid a skin being form on the top of the filling.
- In a large bowl add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use a handheld electric mixer with whisk attachment connected. Then beat mixture for about 2 minutes as stiff peaks will form.
- Evenly distribute starting with crumbled piecrust, cream filling sliced bananas, followed by whipped cream, alternating layers, into dessert cups.
- Top off dessert with crumbled pie crust and sliced bananas. Serve and enjoy!
Purchase
You can locate the Partake crunchy vanilla wafers at local grocery markets such as Giant or Target. They should be often times in the gluten free section. You can purchase from their website Partakes.com as well. The chosen black-owned brand indicates on the box that product is made in a gluten free, peanut free, allergy-friendly faculty. (Side Note: A portion of their profits goes to charities that support approximately 12 million food insecure children throughout the United States.) There 7-ounce box can be purchased for about $5.50. In the baking isle you can usually find cornstarch ($2.99/16 ounce container), granulated sugar ($2.79/16oz container), powdered sugar ($2.19/16 ounce bag), and vanilla extract ($4.89/ 1 ounce bottle). Almond milk ($3.79/1/2 gallon), heavy whipping cream ($3.79/ 1 pint), and unsalted butter ($5.99/ 16 ounce) can be located usually in the diary isle. And ripe bananas ($1.22/ 4 count) is the fruit section.
Storing
This dessert can be made about 6 hours ahead of time. It is best to assemble it right before serving. If assembled prior and left to sit the crumbling crust loses it structure.
How can you pass up a dessert that has a subtle sweetness. Plus gain you fiber (promote digestion), potassium (blood pressure regulator), vitamin B6 (metabolism), and Vitamin C (immunity boost) from those bananas. This dessert is great for any occasion, simple or festive. Don’t miss out.
