Banoffee pie
Banoffee is a famous no-bake British dessert whose name blends banana and toffee. A crisp buttery biscuit base, a chewy, milky toffee layer, fragrant ripe bananas and light whipped cream come together in one irresistibly sweet slice.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr 30 min
- Total time
- 2 hr 10 min
- Method
- No cooking
Ingredients
Biscuit base
Milk toffee layer
Banana and cream topping
Instructions
Step 1
Put 110 g unsalted butter in a small saucepan, melt it over low heat, then mix it well with 250 g finely ground digestive biscuit crumbs. Melted butter coats every crumb evenly and binds them into a sturdy base. The mixture is ready when a handful squeezed in your fist clumps together like wet sand.
Step 2
Tip the crumb mixture into a 23 cm springform pan and use the bottom of a glass to press it firmly over the base and about three centimeters up the sides. The more firmly you press, the less the base will crumble when you slice it. The base is ready when the surface is flat and solid with no loose spots.
Step 3
Put the pan in the fridge for about thirty minutes while you make the toffee. As the butter sets, it locks the crumbs into a firm layer. The base is ready when it feels hard and does not stick to your fingers.
Step 4
Put 100 g unsalted butter and 100 g brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Dissolving the sugar fully before it boils makes the toffee smooth instead of grainy. The mixture is ready when it no longer feels gritty when rubbed between two fingers.
Step 5
Add 400 g sweetened condensed milk and a pinch salt, raise the heat to medium and stir constantly for about two to three minutes until it bubbles vigorously. Constant stirring keeps the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pan and helps it color evenly. The toffee is ready when it is thick, a light caramel brown and leaves a clear trail when you drag a spoon across the bottom of the pan.
Step 6
Immediately pour the hot toffee over the chilled base and spread it into a flat layer with an offset spatula. Hot toffee is runny, so it spreads easily right to the edges of the pan. The filling is ready when it evenly covers the base with no crumbs showing through.
Step 7
Let the pie cool a little, then refrigerate it for about an hour so the toffee sets. The toffee must firm up on top so the bananas and cream do not sink into it. The filling is ready when it feels firm and chewy when lightly pressed and no longer runs.
Step 8
Peel 360 g ripe bananas and cut them on the diagonal into slices about one centimeter thick, tossing them gently with 10 g lemon juice if you are not covering them with cream right away. Lemon slows down browning. The bananas are ready when the slices are even, soft but still holding their shape.
Step 9
Whip 300 g well-chilled whipping cream with 20 g powdered sugar on medium speed for about four minutes. Cold cream holds air well, so it whips up quickly and smoothly. The cream is ready when lifting the beaters leaves soft peaks that droop slightly and it is not yet grainy.
Step 10
Arrange the bananas to cover the toffee completely, spoon the cream on top and swirl it into natural waves with the back of a spoon, then finish by grating 15 g dark chocolate evenly over it. The cream shields the bananas from the air and balances the sweetness of the toffee. The pie is finished when the cream covers it evenly with a speckling of chocolate; release the ring of the pan and slice with a knife dipped in hot water.
Equipment
- Springform pan
- Small saucepan
- Food processor
- Spatula
- Hand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale
- Refrigerator
Tips
- You can use digestive biscuits or any crisp butter cookie, as long as you grind them very finely so the base holds together.
- Choose yellow bananas with a few small brown spots for sweet, fragrant flavor that is still firm enough to slice.
- Add the bananas and cream only just before serving so the bananas do not brown and the cream does not weep.
Storage
Once topped with cream, the pie is best on the same day and keeps covered in the fridge for about one day. To make it ahead, prepare the base and toffee layer and refrigerate them for up to three days, then add the bananas and cream when you are ready to serve.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The toffee layer is too runny and oozes out when sliced.
- The toffee was not cooked long enough. Next time cook it for one or two more minutes until it is thick and light brown before pouring.
- The toffee separates, with a layer of butter on top.
- The heat was too high, which made the butter separate. Lower the heat and stir vigorously and constantly, adding a small spoonful of sweetened condensed milk to bring the mixture back together.
- The base crumbles when you lift out a slice.
- The base was short on butter or was not pressed firmly enough. Squeeze-test the crumbs before pressing them into the pan, and chill the base long enough before pouring in the filling.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
