Banoffee Pie

This is the banoffee pie I brought to Thanksgiving which was requested to be put on the blog as well. So easy and yet so delicious. My friend Merissa shared the recipe with me, which she found at https://www.bakedbyanintrovert.com/epic-banoffee-pie/#mv-creation-364-jtr

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs 
• ⅓ cup sugar 
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

For the filling

• 2 (13.4-ounce) cans dulce de leche, - SEE NOTE 1 
• 4 large bananas, sliced 
• 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice, optional - SEE NOTE 2

For the whipped cream

• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream 
• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 
• 1 tablespoon clear piping gel, optional - SEE NOTE 3 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• ⅓ cup toffee bits, optional 

Instructions

Make the crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Tightly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely then refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Make the filling

1. Using a silicone spatula, carefully spread one can of dulce de leche into the bottom of the prepared crust. 
2. Toss the bananas in lemon or orange juice then arrange a single layer of banana slices over the dulce de leche. 
3. Repeat layering with the remaining can of dulce de leche and top with a single layer of bananas. (You may only need 3 bananas depending on how large they are.) 

Make the whipped cream

1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream, sugar, piping gel, and vanilla together with an electric mixer on medium speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is foamy. 
2. Turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until soft to medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Take care to not overbeat! 
3. Spread the whipped cream over the bananas and refrigerate uncovered for at least 3 hours. Garnish with toffee bits before serving. The pie will keep for up to 4 days stored uncovered in the refrigerator. 

Notes

1. You can find cans of dulce de leche in the Hispanic aisle of the grocery store. Or you can learn how to make it at home.
2. Lemon or orange juice is helpful if you plan to make the pie ahead of time. The juice will prevent the bananas from browning.
3. Piping gel is used to make stabilized whipped cream. The whipped cream will hold up longer without separating which is useful if the pie won't be fully consumed in 1 day.

Make ahead tip

1. The baked crust can be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. 
2. The fully assembled pie can be made up to 1 day in advance. Store in the refrigerator uncovered until ready to serve