Easy No-Bake Banoffee Pie
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Banoffee pie is one of those desserts that never lasts long once sliced. This easy no-bake version has a buttery crust, dulce de leche, fresh bananas and whipped cream.
Living in Ireland introduced me to this sweet treat, and it quickly became one of my favorite no-bake desserts. This is my version, along with helpful tips, crust options and a few simple ways to adjust it to your liking.
What is banoffee pie made of?
It’s a British banana dessert made with layers of crust, toffee or caramel, bananas and whipped cream.
Ingredient substitutions
- Dulce de leche: A thick caramel can be used instead.
- Butter: Unsalted butter works best here. Homemade butter will also work, but I would not use butter substitutes.
- Whipping cream: Use whipping cream or heavy cream with at least 35% fat.
- Powdered sugar: This is also called confectioner’s or icing sugar. Superfine sugar can be used instead.
Best crust options
- Digestive biscuits: The classic choice.
- Graham crackers: An easy US-friendly alternative.
- Biscoff cookies: A slightly different but tasty option.
Garnish ideas
For garnish, you can use chocolate shavings, banana slices or a drizzle of caramel sauce. I usually keep it simple, but if you are serving it for guests, adding the garnish right before serving makes it look fresher.
Questions you might have
I recommend a springform pan, but a pie dish with or without a removable bottom will work too.
Springform pan: This is my top choice. It is easy to remove the pie and it is also handy for storing and transporting. All the layers fit easily, including the cream, and the pie can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to serve.
Pie dish with removable bottom: This is another good option because the pie is still easy to remove. Keep in mind that you will not be able to cover it. You can still make it ahead, though.
Pie dish with fixed bottom: This is less ideal but still doable. Clean slices can be harder to cut, but if you care more about the taste than perfectly neat slices, it will still work.
A 9-inch springform pan is my top choice because the pie is easy to remove, cover and store in the fridge. An 8-inch springform pan works too if you want a taller pie. A regular pie dish is fine, but the slices will be a little messier.
Avoid using overripe bananas. Keep those for banana bread or banana muffins.
Any bananas covered with a layer of cream will stay fresh for a day, so there is no need to worry about them. Any exposed bananas will turn brown after a while. You can squeeze some lemon juice over them or simply garnish the pie before serving.
Yes, you can make it up to a day in advance. Banoffee pie holds well in the fridge, especially when made in a springform pan with all the bananas covered with cream.
Any garnish (chocolate shavings or extra banana pieces) should be added right before serving.
Yes. Graham crackers are the easiest substitute in the US and work well in the crust.
In my experience, it is best within 1 to 2 days. It will still taste good after that, but the bananas and whipped cream are at their best earlier.
Yes, you can. The easiest is to freeze the whole pie including the pan.
A few helpful notes
This no-bake banoffee pie recipe can be customized to your liking. Make the crumb thicker, add more bananas or use less cream.
Skip canned spray whipped cream. It is not as stable as homemade whipped cream and is not the best choice if you want the pie to hold well after several hours.
There are 2 types of dulce de leche. One comes in a can and is runny while the other one that comes in a jar is way thicker and darker in color. That one will not ooze out but can be hard to spread.
Use firm bananas that are ripe, avoid too soft or overripe ones.
More banana desserts to try
- Peanut Butter Banana Brownies: Soft brownies with peanut butter.
- Apricot Banana Bundt Cake: A fruity cake with a soft crumb.
- Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake: Chocolate cake with banana and peanut butter.
No-Bake Banoffee Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces digestive biscuits
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
- 1 can dulce de leche 14-ounce can (about 400 g) or thick caramel
- 2 large bananas firm, sliced
- 2 cups whipping cream 35% fat or more
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 ounce chocolate for garnish, grated (optional)
Equipment
Instructions
- Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor. Transfer them to a medium bowl, add the melted butter and mix until well combined.
- Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spread about ¾ of the crumb mixture over the bottom and press it down firmly with the flat bottom of a glass making sure it is packed. Add the remaining crumbs along the sides of the pan and press them in to form a raised rim so that the caramel or dulce de leche does not ooze out.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes. Then, spread the dulce de leche or caramel in an even layer over the crust and top with sliced bananas in one or two layers.
- Pour chilled cream into a medium bowl, add powdered sugar and whip until stiff, about 3 minutes. Don’t overwhip! Spread the cream over the banana layer with a spatula or spoon or pipe it on if preferred.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top.
Video
Notes
- You will need 2 cups of crumbs made from either digestive biscuits, about 15 biscuits, or graham crackers, about 14 to 15 full cracker sheets.
- Dulce de leche is sold in both cans and jars. The jarred version is usually thicker and can be harder to spread. The canned version is thinner and can ooze more when you cut the pie. I used the canned version, but both work. Thick caramel is also a good alternative.
- If you want to garnish the pie with plenty of banana slices, use an extra banana.
- I use only a small amount of powdered sugar because the other layers are already sweet enough.
- This pie can serve 8 to 10, depending on slice size.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.
Hi,
I would like to know the size of 1 can dulce de luche you have used? If you can specify it in either ml or gms it would help me. Would a 290gm can suffice?
Thanks
Hi. I used a 400-gram can.
How long will this pie last once it is made? I would like to make it the night before a luncheon if possible.
You should not have a problem with that, Lydia. It should last up to 3 days but I prefer when this is eaten within 2 days. Making it the night before serving sounds good. Just make sure not to use whipped cream in a can. Hope this helps.
This looks amazing!
Thank you, Shawn!
You had me at no-bake! Love this!
Thank you, Suzy! :)
This looks so good and I love the banana/caramel combo! That would be amazing and it’s such a nice change up from regular banana cream pie!
The banana/caramel combo is hard to resist especially when topped with cream :)
Oh my goodness this pie is gorgeous! And I’m a HUGE fan of quick and easy sweets, totally trying this asap! :-)
Glad to hear that. Please let me know how it turned out for you! :)
Wow! What a fun treat! I’ve never had a pie like this before, I love that this is a no bake one.
You must try it! It is worth it! :)
This pie is not only delicious appearing, but super easy to make! Beautiful.
Thank you so much! :)
This looks so delicious and so easy to make! I’m terrible at the kitchen, but I’m gonna have to try this. Thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome! It really is easy! Hope you’ll give it a go. If you do, let me know what you think!