Vegan Banana Cream Pie

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Why you’ll love this recipe for vegan banana cream pie

• Extra thick and delicious cookie crust
• No added sugars or syrups – this is entirely fruit-sweetened!
• No baking required
• Creamy filling made from whole foods
• Healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins
• A creative way to use up ripe bananas
• Unique, fun, low-calorie whipped cream topping!

Ingredients to make vegan banana cream pie

Bananas: to no one’s surprise, this banana cream pie recipe calls for bananas – specifically, 7 medium sized ones. Be sure to use ripe bananas – they should appear more brown than yellow. The riper the banana, the sweeter it will taste.

Oat flour: oats form part of the base of the extra-thick cookie crust. I love using Bob’s, but you can always blend up your own in a pinch.

Cashews: mildly flavored soaked cashews complement the bananas for an extra creamy filling.

Pecans: oven roasted pecans are reminiscent of graham crackers. In this recipe, the pecans get blended into two components: pecan flour and pecan butter. Both components go on to support the thick cookie crust.  

Medjool Dates: the natural sweetener of choice to bring all the crust ingredients together. Dates are both the binder and a sweetener in this cookie crust recipe. 

Salt: added to the crust to balance the bitterness of roasted nuts and the sweetness of the dates.

Vanilla: a little vanilla extract goes directly into the banana filling to achieve that traditional banana cream pie flavor profile.

Aquafaba: more commonly known as the liquid from a can of chickpeas; this handy ingredient forms the base of the whipped cream. 

Freeze dried bananas: these will be ground into a fine “sugar” and added to the whipped cream topping for a naturally sweetened, uniquely banana-flavored whipped topping! Find them at Whole Foods or Trader Joes, or you can purchase on Amazon with my link.

How to make vegan banana cream pie

Step 1: Roast the pecans

Step 2: Blend the pecans into a fine flour, reserving some for later, then continue blending into a smooth nut butter

Step 3: Add the crust ingredients to the pecan butter and pulse until just combined.

Step 4: Evenly press the crust to a cake pan

Step 5: Blend the filling ingredients until smooth

Step 6: Pour the filling into the cookie crust

Step 7: Chill for 4 hours (I knowwwww)

Step 8: Make the whipped topping

Step 9: Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different nut in the crust?

Yes, you can certainly swap out the pecans for another nut of your choosing. I’ll recommend walnuts or almonds, but peanuts will work, too. Please note that different nuts have different blending times due to their fat composition. You may need extra patience in order to achieve a smooth nut butter with almonds or peanuts versus pecans or walnuts, the latter are higher in monounsaturated fats and thus faster to liquidize.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

Yes, but with an exception – the whipped topping is the only component that must be made on the day of serving. Aquafaba based whipped cream does not hold up in the refrigerator.

Expert Tips

Dates: 

Use the softest medjool dates you can find – I typically have success with Joolies Dates in my date-sweetened recipes. Purchase online here. Not sponsored, I just realllllly love Joolies!

Blending Pecans:

Be sure to start with a clean, DRY blender when you start this process. Any moisture in the blender will affect the process and too much will cause the nuts to seize. 

Soaking cashews

Soak the raw cashews in boiling water for at least 10 minutes, room temperature water for at least 60 minutes, or in cold water for up to 20 hours. Drain and rinse before blending with the bananas.

Aquafaba

Whipping aquafaba can be intimidating at first, but I promise it’s easier than many people make it seem. Use a hand beater – this will give you more control than a Kitchenaid stand mixer. Chill the can of chickpeas and the beater arms in the fridge or freezer before blending – the colder, the better. Be sure to use a clean mixing bowl – any fat residues will interfere with the process. Finally, although many suggest to use cream of tartar, you can get away without this ingredient most of the time, as long as you are serving the whipped topping immediately. 

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Vegan Banana Cream Pie

Creamy cashews and ripe bananas are supported by the most decadent, thick cookie crust – all made without any added sugars! The perfect dessert doesn't exis-

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bananas, cashew, dates, gluten free, healthy, no added sugar, no coconut, no dairy, oats, pecans, vegan

Servings: 16 Slices

Calories: 400kcal

Equipment

• 1 Round springform baking dish one with a removable bottom is best
• 1 Food processor or blender

Ingredients

Cookie Crust

• 4 cups oat flour
• 2 cups pecans, divided see recipe instructions
• 15 medium dates
• 1 tsp salt

Banana Cream Filling

• 7 medium bananas
• 2 cups cashews, soaked
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Aquafaba Whipped Topping

• 1 can chickpeas, just the liquids
• ⅓ cup freeze dried bananas

Instructions

Cookie Crust

• Start by dry roasting the pecans at 350℉ until fragrant
• Add the pecans to a high speed blender and process just until the pecans resemble a fine flour.
• Remove half the pecan flour and reserve for later.
• Continue blending the remaining pecans into a smooth, runny butter. This may take several minutes.
• Add the salt and continue processing to incorporate.
• Stop blending and add the dates. Process until the mixture has a smooth, tacky texture. The first minute or so will be quite loud as the dates break down.
• Add the oat flour and pecan flour and process another 20-30 seconds.
• Transfer the crust into a springform round cake pan. Press the sides and bottom against the pan to create an even layer.

Creamy Banana Filling

• Wipe out the blender. Add the soaked, drained cashews and process until a smooth butter forms.
• Add the bananas and continue processing.
• Add the vanilla extract. Process another 10 seconds or so to incorporate.
• Pour the filling ingredients into the prepared crust.
• Chill the pie for at least 4 hours in the freezer.

Aquafaba Whipped Topping

• Using a small krups coffee bean grinder, blend the freeze dried bananas into a fine "sugar"
• Using a chilled can of chickpeas, drain just the liquids into a large mixing bowl.
• Use a hand beater to whip the aquafaba into a thick, white cloud. This will take at least 3 minutes and up to 8 or 9 minutes. Be patient!
• While the beater is running, add the ground banana sugar to the whipped aquafaba. Continue beating another minutes or so to incorporate.
• Drop the whipped topping in dollops over the sliced banana cream pie. Alternatively, you can pipe the whipped topping onto the pie (as I did in the photos).

Did you try this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!