Gluten-Free Banana Cream Pie Recipe — Light, Silky & Delicious

Our Gluten-Free Banana Cream Pie recipe is made from scratch and uses a simple trick to boost banana flavor—no pudding mix required.

Now that you know how to make a great gluten-free graham cracker crust, it’s time to fill it with something memorable. For holiday tables I like a mix of warm pies (apple, cherry) and chilled pies (chocolate cream, lemon meringue). A graham cracker crust is ideal for a cool, creamy dessert—so here’s an all-out favorite: an amazing gluten-free banana cream pie.

This is one of the best gluten-free banana cream pie recipes I’ve made—no pudding mix required. Many banana cream pies lack true banana flavor in the custard; this version fixes that with a straightforward banana-infused milk technique so the filling tastes bright and unmistakably banana without extra fuss.

Here’s what you’ll need to make the best gluten-free banana cream pie from scratch and how to assemble it into a show-stopping dessert.

Start With Simple Ingredients

• Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust. A graham cracker crust is my favorite base for banana cream pie. Use gluten-free graham crackers. You can substitute a cookie crust or a traditional gluten-free pie crust if preferred.
• Whole Milk. The flavor trick here is banana milk: heat whole milk and steep it with sliced ripe bananas for several hours or overnight to extract banana flavor. Whole milk is important for a firm filling; lower-fat milks may produce a softer result.
• Ripe Bananas. Ripe bananas yield sweet, concentrated flavor for steeping. The soaked bananas themselves are discarded after steeping.
• Heavy Cream. Heavy cream helps thicken the filling and the remaining cream is whipped for the topping.
• Egg Yolks. Egg yolks give the custard body and silkiness. Save the whites for another use.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar sweetens the filling.
• Cornstarch. Cornstarch acts as an additional thickener for a stable pudding-like filling.
• Kosher Salt. A pinch of salt brightens and balances the sweetness—don’t skip it.
• Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste. Stirred in after cooking, vanilla rounds out the flavor; paste adds small flecks if you like that look.
• Optional Bananas. The banana-infused milk usually gives plenty of banana flavor, but you may add a layer of fresh banana slices between crust and filling if you like.
• Optional Toppings. Whipped cream, chocolate curls, toffee bits, caramel or chocolate sauce, and chopped nuts are all great finishing touches.

How To Make Gluten-Free Banana Cream Pie, Step By Step

The full printable recipe with quantities and tips is in the recipe card below.

In Advance, Make The Banana Milk

1. Heat the milk to steaming. At least 8 hours ahead (12–24 hours preferred), heat whole milk until steaming—do not boil.
2. Cover the bananas. Place sliced ripe bananas in a heatproof container and pour the steaming milk over them.
3. Steep 8–24 hours. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours; longer steeping yields deeper banana flavor—12–24 hours is ideal.
4. Strain. When ready, strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup, discarding the bananas and keeping as much banana-infused milk as possible.

Make Your Graham Cracker Crust

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and have a 9-inch pie plate ready.
2. Crush and measure. Crush gluten-free graham crackers in a food processor or a sealed bag with a rolling pin. Measure the crumbs into a bowl.
3. Mix with sugar and butter. Stir in sugar and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated.
4. Form the crust. Press the crumb mixture into the pie plate, gently molding it up the sides without packing too tightly.
5. Bake and cool. Bake about 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool to room temperature before adding filling.

Make The Pie Filling & Assemble

1. Combine milk, cream and yolks. Add strained banana milk to a measuring cup and stir in about 1/4 cup heavy cream so you have roughly 1 3/4 cups liquid. Whisk in egg yolks.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and kosher salt until combined.
3. Cook the custard. Pour the milk/cream/yolk mixture into the saucepan and whisk smooth. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, whisking constantly for 8–10 minutes, until very thick and the whisk leaves a clear trail—think jello-like movement, not loose liquid.
4. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla or vanilla bean paste. If lumps appear, strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
5. Cool and fill crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding and cool to room temperature (20–30 minutes). When cooled, pour into the baked crust and smooth.
6. Cover and chill. Cover the surface to prevent a skin and chill at least 4 hours (longer is fine) until set. Top with whipped cream and garnishes before serving.

Pretty Ways To Decorate A Banana Cream Pie

• Pipe the whipped cream. For a polished look, pipe stabilized whipped cream using a star tip. Stabilizing with a bit of powdered sugar helps the cream hold its shape.
• Drizzle sauces. Finish slices with a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce for contrast and extra flavor.
• Chocolate curls. Add chocolate curls atop the whipped cream for an elegant touch.
• Toffee or nuts. Sprinkle toffee bits, chopped salted peanuts, or toasted almonds for texture.
• Fresh banana slices. Garnish with banana slices just before serving to avoid browning.