Gluten Free Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Last week I had a “Nilla Wafer” craving. You know me, so of course I satisfied that craving by whipping up a batch, but rather than eating the entire batch, I decided the wiser choice was to make a gluten free Banana Cream Pie to polish off my cookie jar full of yummy wafers.

Re-purposing the wafers to make a delicious crust for my gluten free banana cream pie, I thought, would keep me from noshing on them all myself. (Here’s my recipe if you’d like to make your own gluten free vanilla wafers!)

It worked out perfectly, both in that the gluten free banana cream pie turned out fantastically, and that I had just enough wafers left for my cookie crust. But since I ate my share of wafers in the crust, that part might have been a wash ….

This is truly a divine recipe – light, creamy, not-too-sweet. The crust topped with chocolate is a perfect complement (think chocolate-dipped frozen bananas!), but feel free to leave the chocolate out for a more “pure” banana experience.

If you’d like to use the chocolate, here’s how the process goes — it’s remarkably easy and guarantees a non-soggy cookie crust.

making gluten free banana cream pie — Steps to make this delicious gluten free banana cream pie. To forego the chocolate, simply skip that step.

I really love using homemade gluten free Vanilla Wafers in this crust — and of course, the leftovers are great for munching!

These cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so they make an equally delicious pie crust! When made with my gfJules Flour, there’s no grittiness, and they’re fine and light just like they ought to be. So good!

But … as with anything when you’re the baker, you get to choose what kind of crust you want, so if you’d rather have a gluten free graham cracker crust with this pie, go for it! Or a homemade gluten free pastry crust, I’d gladly share a slice!

You’ll get no complaints with this gluten free Banana Cream Pie no matter which delicious crust you choose. I shared this pie at a dinner party and it received universal acclaim (and requests for seconds), except from the one pie-eater who doesn’t like chocolate, but he apparently loved the rest of the pie so much that he also asked for seconds (see note above, about skipping the chocolate if you like).

The coconut shavings on top also add a delicious textural element, but aren’t essential, as you can see from the luscious version below.

The true testament to the amazingness of this pie actually came later from my son, “The Banana Hater.” (In fact, he claims to “hate” almost all fruits, which I believe to be physically impossible, but that’s another story.)

After begging to eat the one slice left after the photo shoot, and after nearly licking the plate dry, he said that he might like bananas now!

Small victories through pie.

Gluten Free Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Yield: serves 10

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 5 hours

Gluten Free Banana Cream Pie -- with or without the coconut, with or without the chocolate -- so many delicious options for such a delicious treat!

Ingredients

filling

2 large or 3 medium ripe bananas (~325 gr.)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 can full fat coconut milk, shaken (13.66 oz or ~1 3/4 cup)
6 large egg yolks OR vegan substitute***
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup (34 grams) gfJules® All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup (4 Tbs.) butter or non-dairy alternative, cut into small pieces (I used Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)

crust

2 cups crushed (40 small) gluten free vanilla wafers (~260gr.)
4-6 Tbs. melted butter or non-dairy alternative, cut into small pieces (I used Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Foods® Dark Chocolate Chips – dairy- and soy-free) (optional)
1 large ripe banana

meringue (optional)

4 large egg whites (or aquafaba)
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup toasted, sweetened coconut flakes (optional)*

Instructions

FILLING

Slice bananas thinly and brush both sides with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Using a blender or large food processor, add bananas, coconut milk, egg yolks, sugar, gfJules Flour, vanilla and salt and process until smooth.

Pour blended mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until it thickens and begins to bubble, about 12-14 minutes.

Once boiling, stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to continue to thicken, then remove from heat. The mixture should be thick enough that as you stir it, the spoon leaves a wake behind it.

Remove from heat and stir in cut pieces of butter, until melted. Set aside to cool slightly, then transfer to a glass or metal bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, laying the wrap directly on top of the mixture so that it will not form a “skin.” Refrigerate while preparing the crust.

CRUST

Preheat oven to 375° F (static) or 350° F (convection).

Using a food processor,** grind vanilla wafers until fine, pulsing as necessary to remove any larger chunks. Measure crumbs to be sure you have 2 cups or 260 grams of crumbs.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in melted butter, starting with only 4 tablespoons or approximately 70 grams. Stir with a fork until all the crumbs are wet with butter and they begin to hold together. Add more melted butter as necessary, until the crumbs can be pressed against the side of the bowl and retain their shape, as would a crust.

Press crumb mixture firmly onto the bottom and up the sides of a deep 8-inch or 9-inch pie plate.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. The crust will looks slightly bubbly but should not be browning yet.

PUTTING PIE TOGETHER

If adding chocolate layer, melt chocolate chips in a double-boiler or in the microwave in a glass bowl, stirring often to prevent it from burning. Once melted, spoon onto the top of the baked crust and smooth with a rubber spatula. Set aside to cool.

When the pie plate is cool to the touch, slice one large banana horizontally and arrange on top of the chocolate. Pour filling on top and smooth with a rubber spatula.

If not serving the same day, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until at least 4 hours before finishing and serving. Otherwise, proceed to making the meringue.

MERINGUE

Preheat oven to 375° F (static) or 350° F (convection).

Prepare the meringue by beating the egg whites with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer at high speed until foamy, at least 5 minutes. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.

Turn mixer on again to medium speed and add sugar while beating, one tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form and the sugar has been fully integrated. Spread meringue evenly over banana filling, spreading all the way to the edge of the pie plate and sealing the edges.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meringue peaks are lightly browned. Remove to cool on a wire rack until completely cool to the touch.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours, until very cold. The pie may still be a bit runny when sliced, until it has set overnight.

Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if desired.

Notes

*Note: To sweeten unsweetened coconut flakes, measure flakes and put into a sandwich-sized zip-top bag along with 1 tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar. Toss with sugar and sprinkle out onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 325° F for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges.

**Note: If not using a food processor, place vanilla wafers in a gallon-sized, sealed zip-top bag and crush by rolling with a rolling pin.

***Note: Using vegan egg substitutes may make this filling more runny when sliced, but it will still taste good!