Bruleed Banana Peanut Butter Pie

My daughter recently discovered the magic of peanut butter and banana sandwiches. She simply can’t get enough of them—she even went so far as to ask me to make a giant cake version of a peanut butter and banana sandwich for her birthday this year. While I’m sure a giant sandwich would be delicious, I think she’ll be equally thrilled with a stunning bruleed banana peanut butter pie instead.

This easy no-bake pie recipe features a cool creamy peanut butter filling spread evenly over a graham cracker crust with a generous amount of banana slices as a topping. What makes this pie extra-special is the bruleed bananas, which add a wonderful texture and toasty, caramel-y flavor to every bite.

If you’ve never bruleed bananas—or bruleed anything for that matter—don’t be intimidated. It’s very easy and very fun. You can either do it with a kitchen torch or use the broiler. Either way, the end result is an impressive-looking peanut butter pie adorned with a sweet, crackly sugar topping. Finish each slice with an extra dollop of whipped topping and watch everyone at your table go bananas (pun intended).

Ingredients for Bruleed Banana Peanut Butter Pie

• Cream cheese: Like many of our favorite no-bake desserts, this bruleed banana peanut butter pie begins with a block of softened cream cheese. It adds stability, so every slice stands tall and proud on the plate.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar is our preferred sweetener for no-bake cheesecakes and pies. Its cornstarch content further stabilizes the filling, while the finely milled sugar dissolves seamlessly with the other ingredients, resulting in a creamy, dreamy filling with no grittiness.
• Peanut butter: The best peanut butter for baking is a stabilized, no-stir peanut butter. It blends smoothly into the other ingredients and helps prevent an oily or separated filling.
• Milk: A splash of milk helps thin the filling to just the right consistency so it isn’t too dense. We recommend using whole milk, but you can use any milk (or milk substitute for baking) you stock in your refrigerator.
• Frozen whipped topping: We love keeping a tub of Cool Whip in our freezer. It’s one of our favorite shortcut ingredients for countless desserts.
• Graham cracker crust: You can either snag a premade 9-inch graham cracker crust from the baking aisle of your local grocer or opt for a homemade graham cracker crust.
• Bananas: For the best taste, choose firm bananas with a bright yellow skin, a slightly green stem and little to no brown speckles.
• Turbinado sugar: Also packaged as “washed raw” sugar, turbinado sugar is our favorite for bruleed bananas. It has larger granules and a higher molasses content to yield a thick, crunchy coating with a robust caramel flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Make the filling and add to crust

In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and peanut butter, then gradually add the milk. Fold in the whipped topping until evenly mixed.

Spoon the filling into the crust. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step 2: Top with bananas

Before serving, layer the freshly sliced bananas in concentric circles over the filling, overlapping them to completely cover the filling.

Step 3: Sprinkle with sugar

Sprinkle the banana slices evenly with turbinado sugar.

Step 4: Brulee the topping

Caramelize the topping with a kitchen torch or broiler.

To use a torch: Hold the torch flame about 2 inches above the pie’s surface and rotate it slowly until the sugar is evenly caramelized.

To use a broiler: Preheat the broiler to high. Broil the pie 3 to 4 inches away from the heat for two to three minutes.

Let cool, then cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!

Bruleed Banana Peanut Butter Pie Variations

• Consider another crust: You can use other cookies or crackers to make a crumb crust for this pie recipe. Try vanilla wafers, shortbread cookies, gingersnaps, Biscoff cookies, chocolate wafers or even Oreos.
• Use another nut butter or spread: For a nut-free twist, replace the peanut butter in the filling with an equal amount of Biscoff cookie butter. You could also experiment with almond butter, cashew butter or even Nutella (or the new Nutella peanut spread).
• Add chocolate: For a black-bottomed peanut butter pie with bananas, spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache over the crust before adding the peanut butter filling.
• Make it Elvis-style: For a kingly twist inspired by Elvis’ favorite sandwich, consider topping the finished pie with crumbled cooked bacon or candied bacon.

How to Store Bruleed Banana Peanut Butter Pie

Because of the cream cheese in the bruleed banana peanut butter pie, it should be kept covered and refrigerated. However, like creme brulee, the sugar coating on bruleed bananas does not refrigerate well. Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it becomes soft and sticky as it absorbs moisture in the fridge. Additionally, bruleed bananas, like plain banana slices, will also brown over time as they oxidize.

For this reason, if you don’t intend to finish the pie in one sitting, we recommend caramelizing only the portion you plan to eat that day. Additional banana slices can be bruleed on demand.

How long will banana peanut butter pie last?

Without the bananas on top, this peanut butter pie will stay fresh for four or five days in the refrigerator. If the bananas are on top, the pie is best enjoyed within one or two days.

Can you freeze banana peanut butter pie?

You can also freeze the pie. Assemble the pie with or without the fresh banana slices on top. Then, wrap it tightly in storage wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze it for up to three months. Defrost the pie overnight in the refrigerator and then brulee the banana slices just before serving.

Bruleed Banana Peanut Butter Pie Tips

Is it better to brulee with a kitchen torch or the broiler?

If you have a kitchen torch, you might as well use it! It’s easier to control how brown each banana slice gets, plus you won’t have to worry about the chilled filling softening, as it may while under the broiler.

If you do broil the pie, you may wish to chill it for 10 to 15 minutes before serving in case the filling has softened while under the broiler.

Alternatively, you can arrange the banana slices on a nonstick sheet pan and brulee them under the broiler as directed. Cool them slightly, then use a small spatula to arrange them on top of the chilled pie.

How do you get a clean slice of banana peanut butter pie?

Knowing how to slice a pie the right way is key to getting a clean slice every time. Our number one tip is to use a sharp knife, wiping it clean after each slice, to ensure sharp, crisp edges.