Vegan Banana Cream Pie

Ligia Lugo

Published:

March 16, 2026

Last Modified:

March 2, 2026

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Sunny banana slices float atop a thick vegan vanilla custard, layered between a buttery cookie crust and clouds of sweet whipped cream. This vegan banana cream pie is my plant-based twist on a classic dessert.

2 slices of vegan banana cream pie are dolloped with vegan whipped cream and plated

As you whisk your ingredients and slice the fruit, you’ll feel your spirits lifting as the bright aroma of tropical banana and rich notes of flowery vanilla work their magic together.

Banana cream pie is what I call good mood food. Maybe it’s the sunny yellow color of the bananas or the cool, creamy texture that gets me dreaming of summertime parties and cookouts. Either way, I always feel happy when making this custardy treat.

The key to a well-textured vegan custard all boils down to the ingredients. In this case, a perfect combination of full-fat coconut milk for richness, coconut sugar for smoothness, and cornstarch for thickening and structure.

Together, they create a vegan custard that has a silky mouthfeel, yet enough body that your pie slices will hold their shape when sliced. Enjoy the flavor – and mood boost! – that this banana cream pie is sure to bring to your table.

Ingredient Notes

ingredients needed to make vegan banana cream pie

Ground graham crackers – Many graham crackers contain honey, so make sure to choose a trusted brand that is listed as certified vegan. You could also swap in a crisp cookie variety instead; once I made pie crust with organic gingersnaps and it turned out great! To grind them, you can either crush them by hand in a mixing bowl or toss them into a food processor and blitz a few times until you have a coarse meal.
Coconut sugar – You’ll need some sugar for both the crust and the filling. I like the caramelly flavor and moist texture that coconut sugar brings to this banana cream pie, but date sugar or cane sugar will work well as alternatives. Keep in mind that the color of the sugar you choose will affect the color of your custard! You’ll see that my custard mixture has a butterscotch-like coloring as a result of the coconut sugar, so if you want your custard to be lighter in color, use vegan cane sugar or caster sugar for an even lighter filling.
Vegan butter – Using a good quality vegan butter here will ensure that your graham cracker crust has a great flavor and crisp, sturdy texture we’re looking for. Look for vegan butter that has a homogenous (uniformly smooth) consistency and is predictably responsive to temperature changes.
Cornstarch – This powdery ingredient is the magic component that gives your pie filling its body and structure. Once you whisk cornstarch into the liquid filling mixture, you’ll see it transform into a thick and silky custard! Tapioca starch works well as an alternative here too.
Coconut oil – An optional ingredient that I sometimes add, a drizzle of coconut oil helps to make the custard filling extra silky. Unrefined coconut oil will offer a strong coconut taste while refined coconut oil will have more of a neutral flavor.
Bananas – Use fresh, ripe bananas here as they will be serving up all of the banana flavor in this vegan banana cream pie. Look for peels that are mostly yellow with maybe just a few brown spots on them. Avoid using any overripe, mushy bananas here and save those for banana bread instead!
Vegan whipped cream – If you haven’t tried my homemade vegan whipped cream recipe yet, now is the time! It has the perfect flavor and texture for topping this dessert. If you’re short on time though, grab a carton of coconut whipped cream or vegan whipped topping from the store to use instead.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Combine crust. Combine ground graham crackers and coconut sugar in a mixing bowl, then drizzle in the cool melted vegan butter.
Mix. Stir the mixture until well-blended. When it’s done, the mixture will look granular and a bit clumpy, like wet sand.
Press. Transfer your graham cracker crust mixture into your pie dish and start pressing it into an even layer across the bottom and up the sides of the dish. I used a measuring cup to help with the pressing, but any cup with a flat bottom will work. As you press, you’ll see the loose sandy texture of the crust start to compress and pack together–this is exactly what you’re looking for. Once you have an even layer, transfer the pie plate to the fridge and let it chill while you make the filling. The butter will harden around the graham cracker meal as it gets cold, setting into place and forming a sturdy pie crust that can support your creamy custard filling!
Mix filling. Combine the full-fat coconut milk, coconut sugar, cornstarch and vanilla extract in a saucepan and whisk to combine.

Cook. Cook the filling mixture over medium-high heat, for 4-5 minutes, stirring nearly constantly. Once you see the mixture has thickened slightly–it should drizzle like ribbons when you lift the whisk–you can remove it from the heat. This indicates the perfect texture that will continue to thicken and set up when it cools down. If you’re using the optional coconut oil for extra silkiness, stir it in now.
Pour and chill. Let the filling cool for about 5 minutes, then pour it into your chilled graham cracker crust. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing it on to the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool briefly until it comes to about room temperature. Transfer to the fridge and chill overnight if possible, or 2 hours at a minimum.
Assemble. My favorite part: time to decorate! Peel and slice your bananas as desired, and arrange them across the surface of your filled and chilled pie. You can do this as artfully–or not!–as you like. Sometimes I go in concentric circles for a polished appearance or sometimes I arrange the bananas more haphazardly for a rustic vibe.
Top. Top it all off with your vegan whipped cream. I usually use a piping bag for this to make star-shaped dollops in between and around the banana slices, or you could simply use a spoon to drop dollops of whipped cream across the surface.

Enjoy! Slice your vegan banana cream pie into wedges and enjoy!

Tips From Ligia

To prevent your bananas from browning:

Brush the slices with a little bit of lemon juice or pineapple juice if it will be a little while before you plan on serving the pie. The acidity will help keep this oxygen-sensitive fruit from turning brown in the meantime!

Keep it refrigerated.

You’ll notice that the custard and whipped cream components of your pie will soften quite a bit after being at room temperature for more than an hour, so keep it in the fridge as much as possible to preserve its structure.

How To Store

Refrigerating Cover the leftover pie with plastic wrap or aluminum foil (or use a pie container) and refrigerate for up to 4 days. If you want to prevent them from browning, brush the fresh bananas with lemon juice or pineapple juice as mentioned above.

Freezing I don’t recommend freezing the completed pie as the bananas will turn to mush, but you can freeze the crust + custard if you want. Just fill and chill the crust as instructed through Step 6, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil or use a freezer safe pie container and freeze for up to 1 month.

Thawing Transfer the frozen pie to the fridge and let it thaw overnight. Top with fresh banana slices and whipped cream after thawing and serve!