Malcolm Livingston II is a Bronx native whose culinary journey began at the former Culinary Art Institute of New York City, where he studied culinary and restaurant management. After graduation, Malcolm got his chops up as the youngest kitchen staff member at Sirio Maccioni's Le Cirque. After making his rounds amoung NYC's elite, such as Per Se, he landed a post at wd~50 where he continued to lead innovation as Pastry Chef. He's listed amongst Dessert Professional's 2013 Top Ten, Zagat's 30 under 30, and was also a 2014 James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee. When wd~50 closed, an opportunity opened for Malcom to move to Copenhagen, Denmark to take on the role as a Head of Pastry and Research & Development for restaurant noma, where it's regarded as the world's #1 restaurant. After Malcolm left noma, he has collaborated with numerous brands and corporations in the U.S., Japan, Australia and throughout Europe.
If you’re unfamiliar with Banoffee pie, the concept is pretty straight-forward—Bananas + Toffee = Banoffee. Developed in England in the 1970s to combine soft toffee (think dulce de leche) into a fruit pie, it traditionally consisted of a pastry crust base topped with toffee, bananas, and espresso-flavored whipped cream. It has since evolved to sit atop a graham cracker crust and to include chocolate ganache, which is the version you’ll find here. We love how impressive this pie looks once assembled, and with minimal effort!
Can I use store-bought ingredients?
You could use a pre-made crust, dulce de leche, and whipped cream in a can and get this done in 15 minutes–we won’t judge. But if you’re looking for that extra special touch, we recommend going old school and making everything from scratch, from the graham cracker crust to the whipped cream. Tip: The best way to guarantee perfectly whipped cream is to keep everything as cold as possible, which means cold cream and a cold bowl. Stick your bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes beforehand, or place it over a bowl of ice while you’re whipping.
What is dulce de leche?
If you don’t have the mental energy (or a candy thermometer) to make caramel but still want that homemade taste, dulce de leche is the way to go. Making it involves boiling a closed can of condensed milk long enough that it turns into sweet and creamy dulce de leche, also known as milk jam. It’s super simple, just be warned: You must make sure to keep the can covered in water for the entire cooking time. We’ve never had a can explode, but it is possible. Also, although you might be tempted to skip removing the label and just boiling the can as is, take the extra step to avoid making a sticky mess of your pot.
Can I make this ahead?
While we suggest making this pie as close to serving time as possible, it will keep for up to 48 hours in the fridge. Any longer and the whipped cream will begin to weep, and the bananas will start oxidizing. You can make the dulce de leche ahead of time—let it cool and remove it from the can, and it will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Last minute tip: We do recommend using dark rather than milk or semisweet chocolate. Dark's slight bitterness helps cut the sweetness of this pie. Our go-to brands for dark chocolate are Hu and Valrhona, but you can use whatever is available.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
- Yields:
- 6 - 8
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 8 hrs
Ingredients
Crust & Dulce de Leche
- 1
(6-oz.) pre-made graham cracker crust
- 1
(14-oz.) can condensed milk, or 14-oz. pre-made dulce de leche
Ganache, Filling & Whipped Cream
- 1 tsp.
cocoa butter
- 1/3 c.
dark chocolate pieces, plus more for garnish
- 1 c.
heavy cream, divided
- 5
bananas
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. powdered sugar
Kosher salt
Directions
Make the dulce de leche:
- Step 1Remove the label from the condensed milk can, scrubbing off any sticky bits under running water. In a large pot, place the can on its side, then add enough water to fully submerge the can. Bring the water to a boil then turn the heat down to medium. Continue to cook the can for 5 hours, adding water as necessary to keep can submerged.
- Step 2After 5 hours, use tongs to remove the can and place it in a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before opening.
- Step 3Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375° and bake the crust until golden, about 6-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the ganache:
- Step 1In a large bowl, add the cocoa butter and chocolate. In a small pot, bring ¼ cup heavy cream to a simmer and immediately pour over the cocoa butter and chocolate. Let sit for about 3 minutes, then whisk to combine. (It should appear thick, shiny, and emulsified.)
- Step 2Pour the ganache into the cooled crust, tilting the crust to coat the bottoms and sides as you go. Freeze the chocolate-coated crust for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the freezer and sprinkle the top of the ganache with 2 pinches salt.
Assemble the pie:
- Step 1Peel and cut bananas into ¼” slices. Using a spoon or an offset spatula, spread a third of the dulce de leche evenly across top of ganache. Arrange banana slices in concentric circles, starting near the crust and finishing in the center. Spread another third of dulce de leche, followed by more sliced bananas. Finish with remaining dulce de leche and sliced bananas. Refrigerate pie while you whip the cream.
- Step 1Peel and cut bananas into ¼” slices. Using a spoon or an offset spatula, spread a third of the dulce de leche evenly across top of ganache. Arrange banana slices in concentric circles, starting near the crust and finishing in the center. Spread another third of dulce de leche, followed by more sliced bananas. Finish with remaining dulce de leche and sliced bananas. Refrigerate pie while you whip the cream.
Make the whipped cream:
- Step 1In a large (preferably cold) bowl, whip the remaining ¾ cup cream with the sugar until medium to stiff peaks form. Take the pie out of the fridge and apply the whipped cream on top as you desire.
- Step 1In a large (preferably cold) bowl, whip the remaining ¾ cup cream with the sugar until medium to stiff peaks form. Take the pie out of the fridge and apply the whipped cream on top as you desire.
Finish the pie:
- Step 1Using a microplane, grate a few pieces of dark chocolate on top. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before slicing and serving.
- Step 1Using a microplane, grate a few pieces of dark chocolate on top. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before slicing and serving.
