A typical banoffee pie consists of a cookie base (such as a graham cracker crust or one made with digestive biscuits), a layer of caramel or dulce de leche, fresh bananas, and a generous whipped cream topping. I set out to make a banoffee pie that retained many of the classic elements, but which was not too sweet and had a salty, savory balance to the dulce de leche and bananas.
This sweet and salty banoffee pie recipe truly finds the perfect balance between the two. Instead of a cookie crust, I made a pretzel pie crust using crushed salted pretzels, a hint of sugar, and melted butter. The saltiness of the pretzel crust immediately mellows out the intense sweetness of the dulce de leche, and provides a crunch to balance all of the soft, smooth elements of the filling. Another favorite combination of mine is tahini and banana, so I created a tahini whipped cream to add a hint of savory sesame flavor.
While there are several elements, the tart actually comes together quite quickly. The pretzel base can be made entirely in a food processor for just a few minutes and then is baked for 8-10 minutes to crisp up. The dulce de leche is spread over the cooled crust and topped with a layer of fresh bananas. The whipped topping is made by adding whipped cream, mascarpone, tahini and sugar to a bowl and whipping until you reach soft peaks. If you’d like your banoffee pie to be even more decadent, you can add bittersweet chocolate shavings to the top. It was so hot in my apartment when I made this that I skipped the chocolate for fear of it turning into a melted mess on top. But in normal conditions, chocolate shavings would be a delightful touch!
Perfectly sweet and salty banoffee pie
Course: Pies and tartsDifficulty: Baking session1
9-inch pie60
minutes10
minutesThis banoffee pie brings together sweet, savory, and salty for a perfectly balanced dessert. A salted pretzel crust is topped with a rich layer of dulce de leche, fresh bananas, and a generous pillow of tahini whipped cream. This is not your classic banoffee pie, but if you find the classic banoffee to be tooth-achingly sweet, this might just be the perfect dessert for you.
Ingredients
- For the pretzel crust
1 1/4 cups (140g) salted pretzel crumbs
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
7 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
- For the filling
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk (see note)
3 bananas, sliced (ripe but not spotted)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 oz mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (30g)
Instructions
- Make the dulce de leche
- Instant pot/pressure cooker method: Remove the label from your sweetened condensed milk can and scrub off any excess glue from the can. Place the can in your instant pot and cover completely with water. Pressure cook for 25 minutes and allow the pressure to fully release naturally (40-45 min). After removing, wait several hours or overnight until the can has fully cooled to room temperature before opening to avoid having the contents explode onto you. The can will last unopened for several months.
- Boiling method: Place a dishrag in the bottom of a small saucepan (to prevent the can from clanging) and place a sealed can of sweetened condensed milk on top. Add enough water to submerge the can, with about two inches over the top. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 4 hours. Check every 30 minutes to ensure the water level stays above the can. The can MUST be submerged at all times, or it may explode. Add additional boiling water to keep the can fully submerged. Remove from the pot from the heat and allow the entire thing to cool to room temperature.
- Make the pretzel crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Pulse the pretzels in a food processor until finely ground. Then add the sugar and pulse until combined. Pour in the melted butter and continue pulsing until the entire mixture has moistened.
- Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and press it onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Then let cool completely.
- Make the whipped cream and assemble
- Add the mascarpone to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low just to break it up and allow it to fluff a little bit. Then add the heavy cream, sugar, and tahini, and beat until soft peaks form.
- Pour the dulce de leche into the pretzel crust and spread evenly across the bottom. Add the banana slices on top in concentric circles to form an even layer. Then smooth all of the whipped cream on top. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours and serve. The pie can be loosely covered and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Instead of making the dulce de leche yourself, you can also buy pre-made dulce de leche.
- Feel free to top the pie with shaved chocolate as well.
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