Banoffee Pie Anyone? An Easy Banoffee Pie Recipe Learnt while Travelling!

An integral part of any travel experience is, undoubtedly, trying the local cuisines & delicious desserts. Food & the way people cook it and then relish it is an integral part of shaping the culture of a community. While there are variations in the habits and behaviour of people from different countries, one thing is common- the love for food! Food brings people together and is the greatest unifier across cultures irrespective of language and cultural barriers. When travelling most exciting part for me is tasting the local food. I love to dive deep into the sweet treats. Around Europe, there are so many sweet confectionaries to drool over, but Classic Banoffee Pie won my heart over others (slurp). And I will share the easiest banoffee pie recipe that I learned while travelling abroad. 

So, while holidaying in Paris during the New Year last year, tasting the best desserts in Paris was definitely at the top of my wish list. In Paris, there is no shortage of delicious desserts, of course. There is a plethora of patisseries and boulangerie that offer the finest bakery experience. To me, Paris was always a city of Macrons and Baguettes until I gorged on the heavenly Banoffee Pie. 

What is Banoffee Pie?

The word ‘banoffee’ comes from the divine combination of ‘banana’ and ‘toffee’. Banoffee Pie is a traditional dessert of English origin. It is a rich and layered pie made of buttery biscuit crumbs, soft toffee, fresh whipped cream and sliced bananas. 

To my amusement, I discovered that England’s most famous no-bake dessert is actually simple to make. The beauty of this dessert is that everyone can make this dessert at home in 10 minutes with easily available ingredients. No fancy equipment is required. Once done right, you will be proud to present a heavenly melt-in-the-mouth creation that everyone will love. 

So here is my recipe for the English Classic Banoffee Pie.

Banoffee pie recipe

The taste of banoffee Pie

There is something unique about the combination of salty digestive biscuits, thick sweet caramel, flavourful bananas, and soft cream in Banoffee Pie. You cannot just stop eating it! 

The Ingredients

The recipe combines some really simple ingredients-

1. Digestive biscuits (I use Britannia Digestive Biscuits) – 300 gm 
2. Whipping Cream ( I use Amul Whipping Cream) – 300 ml
3. Condensed Milk ( I use Nestle Condensed Milk ) – 400 gm
4. Melted Butter (I use Lurpak unsalted butter)-100 gm
5. Normal Butter-50 gm
6. Bananas – 4 bananas
7. Brown Sugar (I use organic brown sugar)- 50 gm
8. Lemon juice – 1tsp 
9. Optional Dark Chocolate (I use Lindt Dark Chocolate 85 % Cocoa)- 25 gms or Cocoa Powder for dusting ( I use Hershey’s Cocoa Powder)

The Layers 

1. First Layer: A buttery and crumbly base, made with crushed biscuits mixed with melted butter.
2. Second Layer: Caramel/Toffee made with condensed Milk, Butter & Sugar
3. Third Layer: Fresh Whipped Cream
4. Fourth Layer: Slices of Fresh Bananas
5. Fifth Layer (optional); Chocolate or Cocoa Powder garnishing 

The Process of Making Banoffee Pie

For the Crumb Base

1. In a food processor, crush the biscuits to crumbs, then add the melted butter and mix again. You could also put the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them with a roller, and then mix it with melted butter in a bowl.
2. Put the buttery crumbs into the flat tin or flat bowl and evenly press into the bottom and sides. Put the tin into the refrigerator for at least one hour.

For The Caramel / Toffee Filling

1. To make the caramel, pour the condensed milk into a thick-bottomed pan along with the normal butter and brown sugar. Gently heat until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a gentle boil and let it boil for 2-3 minutes before taking off the heat. Leave it to cool off.
2. When you are ready to assemble the pie, spread the caramel over the biscuit base.

For the Topping 

1. Slice the bananas lengthwise, toss them in the lemon juice to stop them from going brown, and then arrange the pieces over the caramel.
2. Whip the cream until stiff, then place it over the bananas (Read Amul Whipping Cream Instructions on the packaging to make the cream or click here to see the video on how to make the cream)
3. Grate the dark chocolate over the cream or dust with some cocoa powder as per your preference.
4. Chill until ready to serve. 

Sinfully indulge in England’s more popular dessert in the comfort of your home and make your family go gaga over your lockdown culinary experiments! 

Share your comments on how did you like the recipe and the taste of the pie.

Happy Eating!