This is one of the best pies I’ve ever eaten. I’m not kidding. Banoffee pie, a pie layered with a sticky toffee filling, bananas, and cream, was first developed in 1971 at The Hungry Monk Pub in East Sussex, England. It is a common dessert in England, but not so prevalent in the States, which is a shame because it’s DELICIOUS.

While studying abroad in England, there was a Belgian waffle stand in the outdoor market right down the street from our flat. A waffle topped with speculoos butter and bananas was my go-to weekend treat. Instead of doing a pastry crust or a crust made of crushed digestive biscuits which Banoffee pie recipes generally call for, I decided to make the crust out of crushed speculoos cookies as an homage to the weekly waffle I looked forward to.

The toffee filling in a banoffee pie is typically made by boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water for four or more hours. Since this is an exorbitant amount of time, in addition to the possibility of the can exploding, this recipe’s method of cooking the sweetened condensed milk with melted butter and brown sugar is much easier. The pie does not involve the oven at all and is super easy to put together. Cheers!

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Banoffee Pie

For the crust:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 8.8-oz package of speculoos cookies

For the filling:

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

4 bananas

1 pint heavy cream

 

For the crust:

Crush the cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter until combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

For the filling:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir until combined and the sugar is melted. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and bring to a boil for a few minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture should darken slightly. Pour into the crust and chill until firm, about one hour.

Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the tart to a serving platter. Slice the bananas and place them in a single layer over the toffee filling. Whip the cream in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Spoon the cream over the toffee and bananas and spread it evenly over the tart. If desired, garnish with more slices of bananas.

Makes: one 9-inch tart