Easy Banoffee Pie with Coffee Whipped Cream
Featuring a from-scratch, no-bake graham cracker crust, sliced bananas, dulce de leche, and coffee whipped cream, each bite of banoffee pie is the perfect balance of sweet and salty. This creamy pie is quick and simple to make (no oven required!) – and always steals the show!
If you are a fellow pie-lover, check out some of my favorite creamy pies for holidays, special occasions, or a “just because” weeknight dessert:
- French Silk Pie
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Homemade Coconut Cream Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie and Pumpkin Pie
- Creamy Peanut Butter Pie
What is Banoffee Pie?
If you aren’t familiar with banoffee pie, you’re in for a treat. Banoffee pie is a traditional English dessert made with a digestive biscuit base, bananas, cream, toffee (or dulce de leche), and occasionally coffee or chocolate.
The name “banoffee” comes from the combination of ingredients: bananas + toffee = banoffee! Banoffee can be used to refer to any dessert with that flavor combination – in today’s instance, we’re making pie.
This particular recipe for banoffee pie comes from the legendary pie served at Jim Lahey’s now-closed Co Pane restaurant in New York City. The only difference is that the restaurant’s version is topped with chopped hazelnuts instead of peanuts.
Three Main Components
Unlike most traditional baked pie recipes, banoffee pie is a no-bake recipe that comes together quickly and easily.
There are three layers to love:
- Graham Cracker Crust: A thick, buttery graham cracker crust is the pie base. Instead of classic graham crackers in the crust, try chocolate graham crackers, use other types of crackers/biscuits, or make an Oreo cookie crust.
- Filling: Top sliced bananas with a jar of dulce de leche for the creamy pie filling. For best results, use ripe but not too ripe bananas (yellow with just a couple of brown spots).
- Whipped Cream: I like adding espresso powder to homemade whipped cream for something extra. If you’re not a fan of coffee, omit the espresso powder for classic whipped cream.
Dulce de leche vs. sweetened condensed milk
It’s important to note that the original English version of banoffee pie calls for homemade dulce de leche (often referred to as “toffee”), but I took a shortcut. If you’d like to make your own dulce de leche, boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk.
For detailed instructions, see this post from Serious Eats.
Topping and serving options
No banoffee pie is complete without a fun garnish! Try any or all of these pie toppings:
- Your favorite kind of chopped nut
- A sprinkle of mini chocolate chips
- Chocolate shavings or curls
- A drizzle of chocolate sauce or salted caramel
Make-ahead tips
Banoffee pie is a great make-ahead recipe and can be assembled in advance (a wonderful dinner party dessert). There are two options for making banoffee pie ahead of time:
- Crust: Make the crust, tightly cover the crust-lined pie plate, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to assemble, let the crust come to room temperature and continue with step 2.
- Fully Assembled Pie: Make the pie and refrigerate it uncovered, up to 1 day in advance. I do not recommend freezing the entire pie as the bananas become soggy and wet when thawed.
If you love bananas, try these recipes:
If you make this banoffee pie and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you! ❤️️
Banoffee Pie Recipe
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups (198 g) graham cracker crumbs, (approximately 14 whole graham crackers)
- ⅓ cup (71 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch salt
For the Filling:
- 3 bananas, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 14 ounces dulce de leche
For the Coffee Whipped Cream:
- 1½ cups (340 ml) heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Garnish:
- Chopped hazelnuts or peanuts
- Shaved chocolate
Instructions
- Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt, ensuring no lumps of brown sugar remain. Drizzle the melted butter over the graham cracker mixture and toss to combine with a fork, ensuring that the mixture is evenly moistened. Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, and pack tightly using the back of a measuring cup. Place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
- Assemble the Filling: Arrange the sliced bananas on the crust, then spread the dulce de leche over top of the bananas using an offset spatula or back of a spoon.
- Make the Coffee Whipped Cream: In a large bowl, whisk the espresso powder into the heavy cream until dissolved. Add the sugar and vanilla and, using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip on medium speed until frothy and beginning to thicken (2 to 3 minutes). Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until still peaks form (the cream should look billowy and there should be distinct trails left by the whisk in the whipped cream).
- Spread the whipped cream over the filling and garnish with chopped hazelnuts (or peanuts) and shaved chocolate, if desired, and serve. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Crust – You can substitute other types of crackers/biscuits or use other alternatives like Oreos, chocolate graham crackers, etc.
- Bananas – For best results, use ripe but not too ripe bananas (yellow with just a couple brown spots).
- Dulce de Leche – I use canned dulce de leche for this pie, but if you wish to make your own, you need to boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk. For detailed instructions, see this post from Serious Eats.
- Coffee Whipped Cream – You can substitute plain homemade whipped cream; see the post above for other topping options.
- Instant Espresso Powder – Some grocery stores carry it, but I usually buy the King Arthur Flour jar.
- Make-Ahead – You can make prepare the graham cracker crust, cover and freeze the pie plate for up to 3 months. The entire pie can be assembled 1 day in advance. I do not recommend freezing this pie.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Lauren Grant.
Hi Michelle, would Nescafé Gold Espresso Instant Coffee work for the espresso powder? I’m guessing the espresso powder you use is meant for baking, but that is all I can get locally and I’m not sure if it would work. Thanks!
This looks absolutely delicious!
This is fantastic and easy!!! I have yet to try a recipe of yours I don’t absolutely LOVE!!!
Hi! Any chance this recipe has changed since it was originally posted? I made this recipe a few years ago and loved it! When I made it this time around, I felt like it was a bit too sweet and am wondering if anything changed. Thanks! Also I love your blog and use it ALL the time!
When you say instant espresso powder,is it ok to use the ones who are made for moca pots?
Also 1½ cups
heavy cream
is about 400ml right?
Great recipe Michelle, thank you.
This looks super good! Thank you for the nice recipe! A must-try recipe for me!
Hey!
Your pie looks amazing. I made my first apple pie a couple weeks ago all from scratch, followed by a key lime pie for my wife’s birthday. I figured I’d make yours for guys at work. I have an iSi whip cream maker and the recipe they give is 2 cups cream, 2 tbsps powdered sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. I remember it wasn’t too sweet, but your recipe calls for 1/2 cup powdered sugar which is 8 tbsp for 1.5 cups cream. Does this come out really sweet, or is more sugar added to help balance the coffee flavor/increase the sweetness to a better level?
I always modify recipes so this is my plan:
-Graham cracker crust mixed with ginger snaps and ground almonds
-Sous Vide dulce de leche
-Espresso whip cream but I’m thinking I may skip the peanuts (still on the fence) and grate a frozen peanut butter cup over the top instead :)…..maybe even a dark chocolate one. Also, I think it may be good to add a small amount of gelatin to stabilize the whipped cream.
I actually can’t do dairy so I may also try making dulce de leche with a can of condensed coconut milk. I think it will still go good with the banana but I’m still thinking about the whip cream part. I may try a whip cream top made from fatty coconut milk.
Thanks for the great recipe! I’ll try and post a picture of mine.
Hi Craig, Would love to hear how your adapted pie turns out! As for the whipped cream, I personally just prefer a sweeter whipped cream; feel free to adjust to your own preferences!
If I make this the night before and refrigerate, do I have to worry about the bananas browning and taking away from the beauty of this pie?
Hi Lisa, As long as the layer of bananas is completely covered by the dulce de leche and whipped cream, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Hi Michelle,
Try few drops of Baileys with the whipped cream instead of the powder coffee and garnish with cinnamon and peanuts :)
This pie sounds amazing! I have one question though. My husband and I are stationed overseas in Japan and the items in our commissary is very limited, namely the dulce de leche. Is there a substitute for that ingredient in this recipe? Something like peanut butter or a salted caramel sauce?
Hi Nikole, You can make your own if you can find a can of sweetened condensed milk (that’s what dulce de leche is – cooked sweetened condensed milk). If you can’t, then anything else that you would like to layer in there would work – pb, caramel, etc. Caramel would probably be closest to dulce de leche.
It’s unreal how tasty this is. And super easy and fast. Wonderful!!!
This looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try this recipe! I bet my friends will love it.
Hello new to baking and i tried this recipe out and it was delish. When I went to cut it there was a pool of liquid at the bottom of the pie. What did I do wrong?
Hi Karen, Either your bananas broke down (highly unlikely unless they were super, super ripe), or your whipped cream wasn’t stiff enough and started to weep. However, neither one would be likely unless it had been sitting in the refrigerator for a day or so.
Ok- this is a new family favorite! I made this for dessert last Friday night, and everyone loved it! What a great flavor combination! I got lazy, though, and just sprinkles the top with Goobers! Thanks for all the yummy recipes! I’ve yet to be disappointed!
Hey I am about to make this recipe, with regards to the heavy cream the recipe says 1 1/2 but doesn’t specify other than that. I assume its cups but would be grateful if you could clarify,
Thanks!
Hi Louise, My apologies for the error, yes, it is 1.5 cups.
Ha, apparently I wasn’t the only Brit heading over to Wiki to check because they can’t believe banoffee isn’t an American creation (now we know!). I guess it just looks so much like the cream pies you only really run across in the States that everyone assumed it was the same kind of thing? And I’ve eaten in my share of American diners over the years and somehow never noticed this never appeared on any of the menus!
It’s one of those things they serve everywhere over here, and yet I’ve never come across it having a coffee flavoured cream before (although that is in the original recipe apparently?).
today’s project
Michelle……This looks awesome ……what kind of dulce de leche to you buy …might be hard to find here in rural america!! Thanks for any help…
Look forward to your emails every morning!!
Hi Paule, I have bought the Nestle brand, as well as a local product here in Pittsburgh. You could always order it online from Amazon, as well!
You can also easily make your own, but it does take a little time. Just take a can of sweetened condensed milk, poke a few holes in the top and place it in a saucepan filled with enough water to come just a bit below the top edge of the can. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3-4 hours, adding water as needed. The longer it simmers, the thicker it gets. Open the can and pour the contents into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
I am a huge fan of cream pies and decided that this one couldn’t wait (it looked too good), so I decided to make it last night. It was very yummy! A little sweet (probably the dulce de leche) but the bananas definitely helped lessen that sweetness.
Well… it spent the night in the fridge, and when I took a bite today – WOW! Amazing, delicious, not too sweet, and the espresso whipped cream just exploded with great flavor. Must have settled in the fridge while the dulce de leche and bananas infused. A keeper to add into my recipe binder – thanks Michelle!
where do i get dulce de leche or do i make it
Hi Susan, I buy it at the store, either in the baking aisle or the Hispanic foods section.
I hadn’t realised that Banoffee Pie was an English dessert until I read the comments above. I live in England and its one of my all-time favourite desserts but I thought it was an American thing! Anyway your version looks delicious – I haven’t tried it with coffee flavour cream before but it looks and sounds great . In England we don’t have Graham Crackers – we use Digestive Biscuits which I believe are the same thing.
Hello. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. I made it today and it was so good! I’m sharing it in my blog.
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious!
I’ve been craving pie lately, this one is calling my name! Next time you come to New York, make sure to hit up Four and Twenty Blackbirds; the pie is so good!
What an incredible pie, love the dulce filling and that coffee whipped cream!
I seriously just want to shove my face through the screen right now..
http://www.tamsinamy.blogspot.co.uk
Wow, this looks sooo yummy! I’ve always been intrigued by this pie, never had it though. Thank you for sharing. : )
I made me own version of this at home except we call it freezer pie. All you do is take a grahm cracker crust and put it in a pie dish. Then you make chocolate mouse and spread it inside. you stick in the frezer and while it chills you make whipped cream! After you spread the wipped topping on, and presto, a freezer pie!
ahhhh, that coffee whipped cream looks incredible! the whole pie looks incredible!!
Where do you get your espresso powder, and/or what kind do you use? I have had a hard time finding real espresso powder.
Look at the the resources and tools of the trade and you will find the espresso powder.
Hi Rachel, I either buy it from a local Italian grocery store, or from King Arthur Flour (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/espresso-powder-3-oz).
Thanks!!
I became obsessed with banoffee pie after my trip to Ireland in 2005. I am loving your spin with peanuts & espresso cream! Next time you make this, definitely get your hands on some mcvitties digestive biscuits for the crust. More…. .. Muchness to them than grahams… nuttier and chewier and grahamier. In fact, I use them almost exclusively in place of grahams for crusts now.
Love your blog! Give loves to the furry kids!
Banoffee pie is one of my favorites. Love this!
WOW it looks so delicious and yummy! Love your pictures!
Coffee whipped cream?! Kill me now!
I have always wanted to try Banoffee Pie – this looks so light, sweet and fluffy! Can’t wait to try!!! How GOOD is the food in NYC – I ate my way through the city for 2 weeks!
The Macadame. xx
http://www.creamstop.com
Ahhh it looks amazing!!! do you have a dulce de leche recipe that I can use? thank you soooooo much
Hi Mina, I don’t, I just buy jars of dulce de leche at the store.
I just made my own Dulce de leche using a Donna Hay recipe. Just pop condensed milk into an oven proof container, put in a water bath at 220C, cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Came out perfectly!
Ahhhh I LOVED my 30th birthday trip!! NOW if I could only get you back to NYC more often ;)
This looks tasty – and so simple! Sounds like a great thing to whip together when expecting guests (as I am this weekend).
I’ve heard of banoffee pie but I’ve never had it — just the sound of coffee whipped cream alone would make me try it! This looks incredible, and I’m pinning to try.
Wow, this looks great. I have just sworn off making anymore sweets, and then you post this! I’ll have to make it and bring it to work so I don’t eat the whole thing.
Can I make this in advance and put it in the fridge like say a 6 hours before.?
Hi Mariam, Yes, definitely!
What is espresso powder and where would I buy it?
King Arthur makes a fine espresso powder. Also look on Amazon.
Hi Jennifer, I get mine from King Arthur Flour: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/espresso-powder-3-oz
This post makes me laugh because all too often, I find myself in the same position. Too much dinner, and not enough room for dessert. Such a predicament! Your recreation of the pie looks fantastic, though. Looks like the perfect sunny afternoon dessert – it reminds me of summer! :)
I live in Oz where we have no graham crumbs and I use Marie or Granita biscuits. The amt of butter you need to add varies as each type of biscuit is different.
Drooling over this! LOVE Banoffee pie!!
I love banoffee pie, and yours looks great! I always wondered if it stood for “banana-toffee” or “banana-coffee” haha…
This looks amazing! I love the banana and dulche de leche :-)
Oh gosh, I really can’t afford to even look at these yummy photos! I love Dulce de Leche anything and Banoffe pie is one of my favorites! We don’t have graham crackers in Greece; is it okay to replace them with digestives?
Hi Eleanna, Yes, you can use digestives. Enjoy!
I have never heard of this type of pie before either but it looks absolutely amazing! Dulce de Leche and bananas…with graham crackers looks absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing.
This sure looks good. I just have one question what can we substitute the graham crackers with as we don’t have these crackers where we live? Thanks
Do you have “Snap Jacks”? I’ve read that the honey flavor is a close substitute.
We use digestive biscuits in the UK.
Hi Chris, Digestives is a pretty common substitute, if you have them.
Your pie looks amazing! i love banoffee pie so much! I made a peanut butter-inspired version and put it in my first cookbook! I loved that pie :) Yours makes me crave it so badly! Pinneed
I’ve never heard of banoffee pie before today, either. Apparently (Wikipedia says), it’s an English dessert. Your peanut version looks delicious and I will definitely making this in the near future.
Looks divine!!
Looks fabulous! I’ve never put a coffee flavoured cream on my banoffee before – I’ll try it! Interesting to hear that it’s not a common dessert in the US (?). It’s pretty common, and on nearly every menu, in Ireland (where I’m from!). My aunt makes it every time she has an event!
You always write about such interesting places to eat, I was wondering if you have any recommendations for Washington, D.C.?
Hi Renee, I’ve visited DC a ton, as my husband used to live near there. Are there any specific areas you’re looking for? We didn’t eat downtown really, but I definitely recommend the Baked and Wired cupcake shop in Georgetown!
So happy I came across this recipe! Typically my family does a banana creme pie for Easter dessert but I think this just might take its place this year! Thanks you :)