Banana Meringue Pie
Submitted by AndrewMitchell
Banana Meringue Pie with buttery homemade shortcrust, sliced bananas layered over a mashed-banana cream filling, and golden meringue. Made from scratch with 6 bananas for genuine fruit depth.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
50 minCOOK
40 minREADY
90 minSix bananas go into this pie, and they work in two different ways. Five get thinly sliced and arranged directly on the blind-baked crust. The sixth gets mashed and stirred into warm cream with cornstarch, thickening into a set custard as it bakes. That double-banana approach gives the filling real depth rather than the one-note sweetness of pudding-based versions.
The pastry is a buttery shortcrust built in a food processor, which keeps the process manageable. The dough is genuinely sticky - the recipe is upfront about this. Working cold butter and chilling twice (once before rolling, again in the pan) are what keep it from falling apart. Patch any cracks in the shell before blind-baking, not after.
The meringue goes on while the filling is still warm. This matters. A warm filling helps the meringue seal against the surface and prevents the watery gap between filling and topping that forms when cold meets cold.
Chef Tips
- Work the pastry as little as possible after the egg goes in. Overworking builds gluten and toughens the crust.
- Spread the meringue all the way to the crust edge so it seals completely. Any gap is where the meringue will shrink and pull away during baking.
- Egg whites must be at room temperature before whipping. They reach full volume faster and hold it more reliably than cold whites.
- Refrigerate the finished pie until you’re ready to serve. It needs to be thoroughly chilled to slice cleanly.
Ingredients
Directions
To make pastry, combine flour, sugar and butter in a food processor. Process until the consistency of fine meal. Add beaten egg; continue to process just until dough starts to come together. Gather into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for one hour or place in freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Roll out dough on a floured surface or roll out between two sheets of plastic wrap to an 11-inch circle. Dough is sticky and falls apart easily; just patch together and fit into a nine-inch flan pan with removable bottom; trim edges. (If you don’t have a flan pan, a pie plate can be used.) Chill for 30 minutes. Bake pastry at 375℉ (190℃) for 12 minutes until light golden in color.
Thinly slice five of the bananas and arrange on bottom of pastry shell. Mash the remaining banana and combine with warm cream, ½ cup sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Pour over banana layer. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set. Let pie cool slightly.
To make meringue, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in ⅓ cup sugar until meringue is stiff and glossy. Spread meringue over warm pie; bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned. Let cool; refrigerate until serving time. Serves 6.
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