Michelle Darmody: How to make banoffee pie, an easy no-bake dessert

Banana and caramel toffee are one of those enduring flavour combinations that still works very well

I remember a time in the 80s when everyone seemed to be making banoffee pie, there was a run on tins of condensed milk, and the dessert was the talk of our Cork town.

Banoffee pie slots into my memories of a time when microwaves were exciting, and kiwi fruit were new and exotic. When first making the sticky dessert we boiled a tin of condensed milk, steaming up the kitchen and creating a burn hazard when trying to open the piping hot metal can t. Today I prefer to heat some butter and sugar and add the condensed milk, boiling it until it is just about to caramelise. It is a much safer option.

Banana and caramel toffee are one of those enduring flavour combinations that still works very well and this is a good crowd pleaser after any dinner. A handy no-bake dessert to have in your repertoire, it’s ideal if your oven is taken up with other dishes.

Banoffee Pie

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

A handy no-bake dessert to have in your repertoire

Servings

9

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 170g digestive biscuits, finely crushed

• 80g of butter, melted

• For the filling:

• 70g light muscovado sugar

• 70g soft butter

• 1 x 397g tin condensed milk

• To decorate:

• 280ml cream

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 bananas, sliced

• 40g dark chocolate, grated

Method

1. Line the base of a 9-inch loose-based tart tin with a disc of parchment.

2. Grease the edges of the tin.

3. Place the biscuits in a large sandwich bag and crush well, using a rolling pin.

4. Melt the butter over a low heat and then stir the crushed biscuits into the butter until they are all coated.

5. Press the mixture into the tin and use the back of a spoon to flatten it down, making sure the sides as well as the base are covered in the mixture.

6. Place the base into the fridge to cool and firm up.

7. Melt the sugar and butter in a heavy-based saucepan and stir in the condensed milk.

8. Bring to the boil and keep stirring for about two minutes until it is starting to turn a little darker.

9. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a minute before pouring into the base.

10. Once cool enough, place the filled base into the fridge to cool completely.

11. When you are ready to serve, whip the cream and vanilla until stiff peaks are formed.

12. Slice the bananas into discs.

13. Cover the top of the caramel layer with the sliced banana.

14. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the banana slices covering them completely.

15. Shave the chocolate on top and serve.

Baker's tips

A loose-base tart tin is the best option as it will allow you to remove the pie without having to nudge or poke at it too much. I find adding a disc of parchment on the base of the tin helps to ensure a smooth transition from tin to serving dish.

It is worth cooling the caramel layer for at least two hours in the fridge to firm up. You can leave it for longer if you wish, for example, overnight. The pie filling will be runny if you don’t cool it completely and allow it to set.

Other reasons the filling might be runny are if the caramel was not cooked enough before pouring into the base, or if your cream was not whipped enough. The cream will soften if you do not whip it to stiff peaks; you can use the old trick of turning the bowl upside down over your head to know when it is ready.

Your bananas will become brown if they are exposed to the air for too long; this is because of oxidisation. It is best to slice the banana and add with the cream layer just before serving. Choose bananas that are not too ripe and completely cover them in cream to limit their exposure.

You can buy ready caramelised condensed milk in tins. I find that while it tastes ok it does not set as firmly as heating the condensed milk with butter and sugar. This process can be a little tricky so keep an eye on it as it boils and keep stirring so it does not stick to your saucepan.

It is best to serve the banoffee pie soon after it is assembled. If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge.

Three delicious variations

Peanut butter banoffee pie

Whip three tablespoons of smooth peanut butter with half of the cream until stiff. Whip the other half of the cream to stiff peaks and fold the two together. Omit the vanilla. Top the banana layer with the peanut butter cream and then cover it with shavings of dark chocolate.

Chocolate banoffee pie

Use 170g of chocolate digestive biscuits to make the base. Stir 100g of melted dark chocolate into the caramel before pouring it over the base. Assemble the banana and cream layers in the same way as above.

Salted caramel

Make a salted caramel version by adding a teaspoon of sea salt to the caramel before you pour it into the base to set. It is a small addition but changes the taste quite radically, adding a savoury sweet clash of flavours that so many people enjoy.