Chocolate-Marbled Banana Cream Pie

This Chocolate Marbled Banana Cream Pie is an easy-peasy version of a much more challenging one I made years ago. Finding a stash of puddings in my pantry inspired me to substitute the more difficult made-from-scratch vanilla pastry cream for simple banana cream pie filling in a package.

This makes the whole thing so much more approachable. So like me, if you’ve got quickly ripening bananas staring at you and some pudding and chocolate cookie crumbs in the pantry, go ahead and give this fun dessert a whirl. The recipe follows.

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Chocolate Marbled Banana Cream Pie

Time: 45 minutes plus 3 hours chilling time

Yield: 8 slices

Equipment: 9-inch pie plate, piping bag, saucepans x 2, whisk, spoons

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For the crust:

• ½ cup unsalted butter plus extra for buttering the pie plate
• 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I used Chipits)
• 1½ cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs

For the chocolate ganache:

• ½ cup whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the banana cream filling:

• 1 package of banana cream pie filling
• 3 cups milk
• 3 ripe bananas (2 for bottom, 1 for top)

For the vanilla whipped cream:

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust:

1. Butter the pie plate and set aside.
2. Place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low-medium heat and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the chocolate crumbs and then scrape this mixture into the pie plate, pressing it on the bottom and up the sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the ganache:

1. Place the cream and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat until hot (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Save about 2 Tablespoons of the chocolate and pour the rest into the bottom of the chocolate pie crust. Return the pie crust to the refrigerator to continue chilling. 

For the banana cream filling:

1. Place the pie filling mix and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat, whisking continuously. Stir for 5 minutes.
2. Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the vanilla whipped cream:

1. Place the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high until soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat until firm peaks form. 

Assembly:

1. Remove the crust and slice 2 of the bananas onto the chocolate ganache.
2. Remove the banana pie filling from the refrigerator and and give it a whisk until smooth then pour it over the banana layer.
3. Spoon several “puddles” of the reserved chocolate ganache over the top of the pie filling and pull a toothpick through them to create a marble effect.
4. Refrigerate until set – about 3 hours.
5. Pipe whipped cream around the edges of the pie. Slice the remaining banana and use it to garnish the edges of the pie just before serving.