This Easy and Healthy Banana Cream Pie Recipe is vegan, gluten-free friendly, and absolutely delicious! This recipe uses simple and more wholesome ingredients than traditional banana cream pie like : coconut whip instead of dairy-whipped cream, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, and bananas. You can make this recipe without added sugar by using purecane sugar-free substitute. Big thanks to purecane for sponsoring this Healthy Vegan Banana Cream Pie recipe!
Why This Recipe is Healthier
Traditional Banana Cream Pie is loaded with thick cream (dairy), high in saturated fats, sugar, and sometimes even uses store-bought banana or vanilla pudding mixes. Listen, I love an indulgence as much as the next person - but this lightened up Banana Cream Pie is way healthier, more filling thanks to the non-dairy yogurt, and contains a fraction of the calories and sugar!
Healthy Vegan Banana Cream Pie Ingredients
- Graham Crackers: This recipe has a graham cracker style pie crust (more like a crumble) and it is delicious! To keep this recipe both vegan and gluten-free, we used Mary's Gone Cinnamon Crackers for the graham cracker crust. If you are not gluten-free, regular cinnamon graham crackers will work.
- Butter: To keep this recipe vegan, we used melted vegan butter in the graham cracker crust (crumble). If you are not vegan or dairy-free, regular butter will also work. To make this even healthier, feel free to use coconut oil in the crust. You might want to add a pinch of salt if you use coconut oil because coconut oil is naturally sweeter than butter.
- Sugar: Regular cane sugar or purecane sugar-substitute are used in the graham cracker pie crust. For the filling, we use powdered sugar or purecane powdered sugar substitute.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is optional in this recipe but it helps to thicken the non-dairy yogurt for the filling of the vegan banana cream pie.
- Yogurt: To keep this recipe vegan, we use non-dairy yogurt. If you are not vegan, regular plain and unsweetened yogurt will work.
- Coconut Whipped Cream: Coconut whipped cream is the best dairy-free alternative to whipped cream!
- Bananas: We recommend using really ripe bananas to add more natural sweetness to this healthy banana cream pie recipe.
How To Make Healthy Banana Cream Pie
Step 1: Begin by preparing the graham cracker pie crust. Mix the crushed graham crackers with the melted vegan butter, sugar, and add a pinch of salt if needed. Press the graham cracker crumbles into the bottle of a pie dish.
Step 2: Slice the ripe bananas and place them on top of the graham cracker pie crust.
Step 3: Mix the filling by adding the non-dairy yogurt, powdered sugar, and cornstarch together into a bowl. Whisk until creamy and then pour over the bananas. Top with the coconut whipped cream.
Step 4: Add the remaining bananas slices on top and then refrigerate for about 2 hours. Serve cool!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! My Mini Banana Cream Pie recipe is one of my favorites! They are served in mini mason jars and are the perfectly portioned treat!
I recommend storing in the fridge for 2-3 days. Serve cool!
I like the cinnamon grahams from Mary's Gone Crackers. Siete Foods also makes these gluten-free Mexican Shortbread Cookies that are great!
Healthy Banana Cream Pie
Equipment
- pie dish
- medium bowl
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
Healthy Banana Cream Pie Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cup graham crackers
- 4 tablespoon melted vegan butter or coconut oil
- 4 tablespoon regular cane sugar or 2 tablespoon of purecane sugar substitute
- a pinch of salt optional
Healthy Banana Cream Pie Filling
- 2 cup plain and unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch optional
- 4 tablespoon powdered sugar or 2 tablespoon purecane powdered sugar substitute
Healthy Banana Cream Pie Topping
- 1 ½ cup coconut whipped cream
- 3 ripe bananas, sliced
Instructions
How To Make Healthy Banana Cream Pie
- Begin by making the graham cracker pie crumble for the bottom of the banana cream pie. Crush the graham cracker cookies and then pour them into a medium bowl. Add the melted vegan butter or coconut oil, sugar, and mix.
- Press the graham cracker pie crumble into the bottom of the pie dish until even. Top evenly with banana slices until the crust is covered (see photo above for reference).
- In a large mixing bowl, make the healthy banana cream pie filling by mixing the non dairy yogurt with the powdered sugar and cornstarch (if using). The cornstarch helps with thickening. Pour the creamy filling on top of the banana slices. Add the coconut whipped cream on top. Then, top with banana slices.
- Let this sit in the fridge for 2 hours. To serve, use a spoon to scoop out a portion into a small dessert bowl and enjoy cool!
Nutrition
The recipes on Peanut Butter and Jilly can easily be adapted to fit a vegan lifestyle, a gluten-free lifestyle, or both depending on the ingredients you use. Please review the ingredients lists carefully and refer to our recommendations in the Notes of the recipe card to make this recipe compatible with your needs. Nutrition information provided is an estimate, and will vary based on specific brands of ingredients used and cooking methods.
Laura Gastelum says
Would this work with sweetened vanilla yogurt ? It’s all I have on hand ?
Jillian says
Absolutely, you just may not need to add additional sweetener!
Emily J Meader says
What brand of coconut whipped topping did you use and if you use monkfruit sweetener would it be same amount as the purecane?
Jillian says
I used CocoWhip - for monk fruit sweetener it would really depend on the brand as some monk fruit sweetener contains erythritol! I would recommend reading the label of your sweetener and seeing what the conversions are. Start with a smaller amount and work up. You can always add more but you can't take it out!