This raw vegan banana cream pie is so easy to make, and impressive to look at. If you love banana cream pie and need a dairy-free, gluten-free fix, you need to try this recipe!
It’s the moment I’ve been awaiting all week. It’s time to unveil my raw vegan banana cream pie to you all! This healthy, whole food dessert earned raving reviews from my trusted taste testers (my parents), and given how strong the reaction was to the sneak peeks that I shared in my Instagram story awhile back, I think that all you people having been patiently awaiting this recipe for some time, too!
I love sharing a dessert recipe on Fridays. While I enjoy a healthy sweet treat most days of the week, I love to really pull out all the stops and make something extra special to usher in the weekend.
Believe it or not, I have a long history with banana cream pie dating all the way back to 2008. I really got into cooking and baking the summer before grade nine, and banana cream pie was one of the first ‘fancy’ desserts that I made. I found a classic banana cream pie recipe in my parents’ binder of magazine recipe cut-outs and whipped up this lovely little number:
That wasn’t the prettiest banana cream pie, but I remember being pretty pleased with my dessert making abilities while enjoying a slice that night. And I’ve been hooked on it ever since!
and now for the delicious details
While most banana cream pies consist of a graham cracker or pastry crust and banana custard filling, my raw vegan version consists primarily of wholesome ingredients. So much so that my dad declared that it could be consumed for breakfast! I like the way that this man thinks. Healthy banana cream pie for breakfast is a concept that I can most certainly get behind.
One of the things that I love about raw vegan desserts (aside from how wholesome and nutrient-rich they are) is that while they look impressive, they are incredibly easy to make. No fussing with eggs and milk in a traditional custard, or dealing with a pastry crust. As long as you have a food processor and high powered blender (a Vitamix or a Blendtec), you can whip up this dessert in a very short amount of time with very little effort. While it does need to set in the freezer for five hours, the active prep time is very short.
ingredients you’ll need
The crust is made with nuts, dates, oats, and coconut, and the filling is made with banana, cashews, maple syrup (or agave if you are fully raw), lemon juice, coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla. I topped mine with coconut whipped cream, homemade almond butter coconut sugar caramel sauce, and more banana slices.
the method
First things first, prepare your pie plate. I used a 9-inch pie plate. Grease it with coconut oil. Take two pieces of parchment paper, each about 4 inches wide. Arrange them in an ‘X’ in the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. The coconut oil will help them adhere to the pan. (This is necessary- you need to be able to lift your pie out of the pan once it’s ready!)
To make the crust, place the walnuts and rolled oats in a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade. Process into a coarse meal. Add the shredded coconut, dates, and sea salt. Process until a dough that sticks together when pressed between your fingers forms.
Crumble the dough into the prepared pie plate. Working from the middle, press the dough down and out over the bottom and a couple of inches up the sides of the pan.
To make the filling, place the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, cashews, banana, sea salt, vanilla, and milk in a high speed blender. (If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can use a standard blender, but the filling will not get super smooth.) Starting at low speed and gradually increasing to high, blend until super smooth and creamy. It should have the consistency of a pudding. Stop as needed to stir if an air bubble forms. This took a couple of minutes. I recommend ear plugs!
Pour the filling over the crust and smooth with a spoon.
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Cover with foil or reusable food wrap such as Abeego and transfer into an even surface in the freezer. Freeze for 5-6 hours, or overnight. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
If making coconut whipped cream, open your can of chilled coconut milk and scoop out the hardened coconut cream into a bowl. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Whip using an electric mixer until a whipped cream consistency is reached.
If making almond butter caramel sauce (I hope you are; this is AH-mazing and really is the cherry on top), open a second can of chilled coconut milk and scoop out ½ cup of the chilled coconut cream into a small saucepan. Reserve the rest for another use. Melt over medium low heat. Once melted, add the coconut sugar and turn up heat to medium. Cook, whisking often, until bubbles form around the edges and the mixture takes on a caramel aroma, five minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Next, remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, vanilla, and almond butter. It will thicken up a bit once the almond butter is stirred in; feel free to add a splash of non-dairy milk to thin it out as desired, especially when reheating.
Slice the pie and garnish with the coconut whipped cream, caramel sauce, and banana slices. Eat!
a few final thoughts and notes
Make sure that you chill two cans of coconut milk overnight so that you can make the coconut whipped cream and caramel sauce the day that you want to enjoy the banana cream pie.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that this recipe can be made nut-free because the cashews are integral to the filling.
Remember that if you need this pie to be fully raw vegan (for those following raw vegan diets), you should replace the rolled oats with an additional cup of walnuts and the maple syrup with agave nectar.
more vegan pie, tart, and cheesecake recipes
- Vegan Mini Mango Cheesecakes (No-Bake)
- Vegan No-Bake Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
- Vegan Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tarts
And that’s all I have to say! I vowed to myself that I would get this post live before 6 p.m. on Friday, and I’m down to the wire. I hope that you love this raw vegan banana cream pie! It really would make the perfect Mother’s Day dessert. If you make it, let me know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, be sure to tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made!
Enjoy!
Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie
- Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 8-12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This raw vegan banana cream pie is so easy to make, and impressive to look at. If you love banana cream pie and need a dairy-free, gluten-free fix, you need to try this recipe!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 cup large flake rolled oats
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup soft and juicy pitted Medjool dates (about 12)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Filling
- ⅓ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ¼ cups raw cashews, soaked and drained (soak in boiling water for 1 hour or cool water for 8 hours beforehand)
- 1 large, ripe banana
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons almond or other non-dairy milk
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 can (400 mL) full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight (see note)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Almond Butter Coconut Sugar Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup chilled coconut cream (from 1 can of refrigerated coconut milk- use only the hardened cream that separates to the top, as you would use for coconut whipped cream)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter
Instructions
- First things first, prepare your pie plate. I used a 9-inch pie plate. Grease it with coconut oil. Take two pieces of parchment paper, each about 4 inches wide. Arrange them in an ‘X’ in the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. The coconut oil will help them adhere to the pan. (This is necessary- you need to be able to lift your pie out of the pan once it’s ready!)
- To make the crust, place the walnuts and rolled oats in a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade. Process into a coarse meal. Add the shredded coconut, dates, and sea salt. Process until a dough that sticks together when pressed between your fingers forms.
- Crumble the dough into the prepared pie plate. Working from the middle, press the dough down and out over the bottom and a couple of inches up the sides of the pan.
- To make the filling, place the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, cashews, banana, sea salt, vanilla, and milk in a high speed blender. (If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can use a standard blender, but the filling will not get super smooth.) Starting at low speed and gradually increasing to high, blend until super smooth and creamy. It should have the consistency of a pudding. Stop as needed to stir if an air bubble forms. This took a couple of minutes. I recommend ear plugs!
- Pour the filling over the crust and smooth with a spoon.
- Cover with foil or reusable food wrap such as Abeego and transfer into an even surface in the freezer. Freeze for 5-6 hours, or overnight. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before slicing and serving. When ready to remove from the pan, use the parchment paper as handles to carefully lift the pie out of the pan onto a cutting board. Then use a sharp knife to slice.
- If making coconut whipped cream, open your can of chilled coconut milk and scoop out the hardened coconut cream into a bowl. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Whip using an electric mixer until a whipped cream consistency is reached.
- If making almond butter caramel sauce (I hope you are; this is AH-mazing and really is the cherry on top), open a second can of chilled coconut milk and scoop out ½ cup of the chilled coconut cream into a small saucepan. Reserve the rest of the cream for another use (there will be about ¼ cup remaining). Melt over medium low heat. Once melted, add the coconut sugar and turn up heat to medium. Cook, whisking often, until bubbles form around the edges and the mixture takes on a caramel aroma, five minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Next, remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, vanilla, and almond butter. It will thicken up a bit once the almond butter is stirred in; feel free to add a splash of non-dairy milk to thin it out as desired, especially when reheating.
- Slice the pie and garnish with the coconut whipped cream, caramel sauce, and banana slices. Eat!
Notes
Certain brands of coconut milk work better for making coconut whipped cream than others. I have had the most success with Whole Foods 365 organic brand, and I have also heard that people have had success with Thai Kitchen brand. You must refrigerate the coconut milk overnight before making coconut whipped cream or the caramel sauce. This allows the cream to separate from the water. You only use the hardened cream in both the whipped cream and the caramel sauce. Discard the water or use it in a smoothie.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ryan says
Completely superb. I love banana cream pie, and this one is so healthy and tasty. Both the crust and the filling are beyond words!!
Allison says
Thank you so much! I love hearing that!
Prisha says
Finally a recipe that works. My husband loves banana cream pie but I could not find a good recipe until I made this one. It was so fine. My husband wants it again next weekend, and for me to make a second one for his parents! Your photos are mouth watering too.
Allison says
Thank you, Prisha!
No Place For Waste says
This looks delicious!! Will have to make it over the weekend
Allison says
Thank you so much!! I hope that you love it! 🙂
Julie says
Turned out great! Loved how wholesome this recipe is. And relatively easy to make!
Allison says
Great to hear! I’m glad you loved it!
Chantel says
My husband loves banana cream pie and this one was way better than any I have made before going vegan! The taste is amazing!! I didn’t have the time to make the topping or the sauce as life got crazy in the midst of making the pie…..but after tasting it, I’ll be sure to try those next time. Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!
Allison says
Hi Chantel, this is wonderful to hear!! I am so delighted that you and your husband loved this pie. ? Have a beautiful weekend!
Brinn says
This is seriously so good! I made a vegan chocolate ganache topping (5oz dark chocolate + 1/2 cup heated coconut milk) instead of the whipped cream because chocolate with banana is my favorite. I love your crust so much! And the filling is excellent. Will definitely be making this again and again. Everyone loves it. Oh, I also sliced up an additional banana and put the slices on top of the crust before adding the filling. Next time I might try adding 2 overripe bananas to the filling for extra banana flavor 😉
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Allison says
Hi Brinn! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this pie! Your dark chocolate topping sounds fantastic. Thank you so much for your lovely review! Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 🙂
-Allison
Jackie says
OMG that is an awesome pie.!!! I love your site!
Allison says
Thank you so much!!!
Sue says
Huge hit!,’!! Thanks Allison.. 🙂
Allison says
So happy to hear that it was a hit, Sue! ??
Andre says
Amazing dessert!
Allison says
Thanks!!
David says
Love this pie, and healthy too!
Allison says
Thank you so much! Yes, it is very wholesome! ?
Allen says
By far the best banana pie.
Zach says
By far the best Banana Cream PieI have ever tasted. The recipe was easy to follow as well. I love your photos!
Allex says
I really enjoyed this recipe. The best banana pie I have made and eaten.
Allison says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Elizabeta says
Hi! This pie looks amazingly delicious!
I have just one question: I’m not really a fan of oats, so what can I add instead of oats for the crust?
Allison says
Hi Elizabeta, thank you so much! Instead of using oats, you could probably use an extra 1/2 cup of walnuts and an extra 1/2 cup of coconut (for a total of 1 1/2 cups of walnuts and 1 1/2 cups of coconut). Hope this helps and that you enjoy this dessert! ?
Elizabeta says
Thank you very much for your prompt reply and tip!
I’m definitely making it for my birthday soon ?
Allison says
Wonderful! Enjoy! ?
Margot says
Simply the best banana pie I have made . Easy to prepare and so delicious.
Grace says
I have date syrup that is just basically liquified dates, could I use that instead of purchasing dates for the crust?
Allison says
Hi Grace, I’m so sorry for my very late reply. I wouldn’t use date syrup as it might end up making the crust too sticky.
Grace says
I made this and had high hopes. I think it’s a good dessert but not much like banana cream pie. The crust was like a tasty granola but not a pie crust. I think I’d like to experiment more with it in future but I don’t think I’d make it like this again. Maybe I’d add more bananas. I like whoever said they did a chocolate topping because the topping was also more nutty than caramel tasting. Anyway, just putting this review here to help others like me. Thanks for sharing. I did like the idea of the filling, it just seems like it’s missing something. I think maybe if the lemon was switched for a different flavor, the crust was a Graham cracker crust and the sauce was left out it would be better. Right now it kind of reminds me of a healthy yogurt granola dessert.
Allison says
Thanks for trying it! 🙂
Francine says
This made a great pie for company. Such a hit!!
Salicia says
Is the oil necessary?
I want to make it oil free.. wondering if could just use coconut cream for the extra fat? Mahalo!
Jackie says
Awesome dessert!
Joshua says
Best banana cream pie recipe I have found! Delicious!!
Nicole says
This tastes amazing!!!! A local vegan shoppe makes these cakes, but now I can make them and I don’t have to spend $8 a slice AND this tastes even better than theirs. Thank you so much.
Marilyn says
I can’t wait to make this (just need to get bananas; I have everything else). I’ve been wishing for banana cream pie, and I’m all about raw, vegan foods (and organic, whole-grained, etc).
Allison says
I hope that you enjoy it, Marilyn!