This fruit-forward gluten-free banoffee pie recipe layers up a crumbly gluten-free graham cracker crust, a sweet date caramel, slices of ripe banana, billows of whipped cream, and shaved chocolate. Dates provide the luscious sweet toffee layer, without added refined sugar! With vegan or non-vegan options!
A friend texted our group chat fighting words the other day: "I've never had great pie." If the three of us weren't all separated by physical distance, it would have started a full-on brawl. Sure, I've had some not-great pies in my life, but I've had many, many more great pies.
Take this gluten-free date banoffee pie! What's not to love? A crispy graham cracker crust, smooth creamy date caramel, slices of fresh bananas, a mountain of whipped cream, and a sprinkling of shaved chocolate. All I need is a fork.
I present this pie as my closing argument: pie is delicious.
What is Banoffee Pie?
Banoffee pie is a British dessert that's filled with a thick toffee caramel sauce and bananas, then topped with pillows of whipped cream. The crust is either a traditional pie crust or a crushed biscuit/graham cracker crust.
Traditionally, the thick caramel layer is a dulce de leche often made of sweetened condensed milk.
To make my gluten-free variation lower in refined sugar, I'm swapping out the dulce de leche for homemade date caramel.
What does Banoffee taste like?
Thus banoffee gets its name from the combination of bananas and toffee.
The delectable pairing of caramel and bananas is well documented - from bananas foster to sweet fried plantains to sesame toffee bananas. It's a classic for good reason.
And if by some miracle you've not yet tried the caramelized banana flavor, run, don't walk, to pick up the ingredients for this pie ASAP.
Date Caramel
Let's talk about this date caramel. I often use homemade date paste as a natural sweetener for desserts - replacing sugar cup for cup (like this spiced banana date cake). Date caramel is just date paste that's been caramelized and mixed with butter and cream.
For this pie, I've replaced the toffee caramel layer with salty date caramel mixed with a hint of brown butter for the classic toffee flavor. When blended up in a high-powered blender, the texture of this date caramel is just as creamy and luscious!
To make ultra-smooth data caramel, start with plump moist Medjool dates. Dry, old dates won't blend up quite as smoothly. You'll also need a high-powered blender for this date caramel. At first, it might not seem like it's ever going to get smooth, but keep scraping and blending - trust me, it'll get there!
How to Make This Gluten-Free Banoffee Pie Recipe
The trickiest part of this recipe is making an ultra-smooth date caramel, but with a little bit of patience, you'll see it come together in no time!
- First, Soak the dates in boiling water.
- Meanwhile, prepare and bake the gluten-free graham cracker crust (see notes on the recipe for making the crust vegan, if needed!)
- Brown butter (vegan, if desired) and add it to a high-powered blender or food processor with soaked and drained dates (be sure to save the soaking water!) and 5 tablespoons of the reserved water, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Puree until as smooth as possible, scraping down the sides as you go. This will take 5-10 minutes and you'll need to scrape down the sides several times as you go.
- Cook the date paste for a couple of minutes then stir in the cream and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes. Pour back into the blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Spread the date caramel into the crust and chill 30 minutes.
- Layer sliced bananas over the top.
- Top with homemade whipped cream (or coconut whipped cream), shaved chocolate, and a few flakes of salt.
Banana Caramel Pie
Typically with banana desserts, I grab the brownest oldest bananas on my counter, but for this banana caramel pie, you want to use the most perfectly ripe bananas you've got - neither under nor overripe. If they're overripe, they'll be too soft and mushy for this pie. Likewise, if they're underripe, they'll be too bitter to pair well with the date caramel.
Got mushy bananas? I recommend my favorite gluten-free banana bread or gluten-free tahini banana chocolate chip muffins.
How to Make Vegan Banoffee Pie
I've also tested this pie as completely vegan! Here's what you need to make this pillowy vegan date pie with layers of sweet bananas:
- Vegan Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust: Use plant butter and look for vegan graham crackers (I recommend Nairn's brand!)
- Vegan Date Caramel: Use vegan butter or melted coconut oil in place of the brown butter, and canned coconut cream in place of heavy cream.
- Vegan Whipped Cream: Make coconut whipped cream.
Recipe
Amazing Gluten-Free Banoffee Pie
Ingredients
- 1½ cup (300g) firmly packed pitted medjool dates
- 2 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or sub vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 gluten-free graham cracker crust baked and cooled in a 9-inch springform pan or 9-inch tart pan
- 3 medium bananas, thinly sliced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, optional
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, shaved
- ½ teaspoon flaky salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a medium heatpoorf bowl, pour boiling water over dates & let sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Prepare the crust according to this gluten-free graham cracker crust recipe, baking it either in a 9-inch springform pan (pressing the crust only ½-inch up the sides) or a. 9-inch tart pan. Cool completely.
- Brown butter (or vegan butter) in a small saucepan. Pour into blender or food processor. Reserving the water, drain dates well, pressing out as much water as possible. Add dates along with 5 tablespoons of the reserved water, maple syrup, vanilla, & salt to the blender. Puree until as smooth as possible, scraping down the
sides as you go, about 5-10 min. - Transfer the date purée to same saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 2-3 min. Stir in the heavy cream or coconut cream and cook, stirring, for 3-4 more min. Transfer back to blender & puree until caramel is totallysmooth. Spread caramel evenly into chilled crust and chill at least 30 min.
- Layer sliced bananas over the chilled date caramel.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a medium bowl with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream or chilled coconut cream (solid cream layer only), vanilla, and powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Dollop whipped cream over bananas. Top with shaved chocolate and flaky salt. Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Vegan Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust: Use plant butter and look for vegan graham crackers (I recommend Nairn's brand!)
- Vegan Date Caramel: Use vegan butter or melted coconut oil in place of the brown butter, and canned coconut cream in place of heavy cream.
- Vegan Whipped Cream: Use coconut whipped cream.
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