Coconut Banana Cream Pie (Vegan)

Healthy Coconut Banana Cream Pie. Easy vegan coconut banana cream pie with a healthy twist! I made this classic family favorite Thanksgiving pie recipe with healthy dairy free and vegan substitutes. My vegan coconut banana cream pie is a great Thanksgiving pie to make the night before so it has time to chill down completely.

Vegan Coconut Banana Cream Pie Recipe is:

• Healthier than traditional cream pie
• Easy to make!
• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Vegan

I can't believe that it is already mid November! Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks and that means pies galore! I wanted to create a couple of new Thanksgiving pie recipes for this year that had a healthier twist to them.

Last year I made a healthy chocolate pudding pie in a wheat flour crust and it was a hit! This year I am experimenting with an almond flour pie crust and some healthier pie fillings. First up this year is a healthy coconut banana cream pie.

HEALTHY VEGAN COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE INGREDIENTS

• Coconut milk. I use full fat canned coconut milk in my vegan coconut cream pudding. The full fat in the coconut milk helps to help the pie hold its form when you slice it. Plus, it helps give it a really creamy texture.
• Almond milk. I used unsweetened almond milk in this recipe. I have also used soy milk, which tastes really good too and thickens well with the arrowroot starch. If you like a bit more of a vanilla flavor in your vegan coconut cream pie pie, pick vanilla almond or vanilla soy milk.
• Arrowroot starch. This helps to thicken the dairy free coconut cream pie filling. Arrowroot comes from the roots of the arrowroot plant. 🙂 If you don't have arrowroot starch, or can't find it, you can substitute regular corn starch!
• Maple Syrup or Honey. I used raw honey in this pie, which has more beneficial properties than pasteurized honey. If you want to keep all the benefits of raw honey, stir it in at the end after the pudding has cooled a bit. Heat can destroy the beneficial properties of honey. For those following my vegan cream pie recipe, substitute coconut sugar or maple syrup at a 1:1 ratio.
• Vanilla extract. Make sure to buy pure organic vanilla extract.
• Pink sea salt. I use pink salt in all my cooking and baking, it is unbleached an unrefined. You can use it at a 1:1 ratio of conventional table salt.
• Unsweetened coconut flakes. I always like to start with unsweetened ingredients, and add in sweetener to taste. You have much more control over the sugar you are eating if you do it this way.

IS BANANA CREAM PIE GOOD FOR YOU?

If your banana cream pie contains fresh banana chunks and not just processed banana flavored pudding, then yes you will get healthy benefits like vitamin C and potassium.

For even more healthy benefits, follow my healthy banana cream pie recipe here that has so many healthy ingredients and health benefits!

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE

1. Make sure to chill your pie crust before you bake it. Chilling your pie crust really helps the pie crust to hold its form when it bakes. You don't want to end up with a pie crust that has a collapsed side!
2. Use pie weights. Placing pie weights on the bottom of your pie crust while it bakes is another way to ensure that your pie crust holds its form.
3. Use just ripened bananas. Don't use the bananas that are super ripe and have brown spots all over them in your banana cream pie which tend to get mushy. Just ripe (yellow) bananas hold their texture a lot better on the bottom of your pie than the super ripe (brown) ones.
4. Let your banana cream filling cool before you add it to the pie shell. This helps the pie shell not get too soggy under the filling. Once the filling is cooled, add the sliced bananas to your pie crust, then your filling.
5. Add the whipped topping and toasted coconut just before serving. Fresh whipped cream, whether you are using traditional or a dairy free whipped cream is always better! You can toast the coconut flakes beforehand so that they are ready to sprinkle on the top of the whipped cream.
6. Use a medium low speed on your mixer to make your whipped cream. When you use a super fast speed (whether with a standing mixer or a hand held mixer), it will incorporate larger bubbles into your whipped cream, which will not hold up as well as the smaller bubbles a lower speed creates.
7. Make sure to cool your coconut flakes before adding them on top of the whipped cream. Hot coconut flakes can melt the whipped cream and deflate it! And you will end up with super flat cream.

WHAT KIND OF PIE CRUST SHOULD I USE FOR MY HEALTHY COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE?

In a traditional coconut banana cream pie, a white flour crust is made with butter, salt, and water. Now I'm not saying a slice of pie is bad, but I like to make a healthier substitutes where I can (especially if you won't even notice the difference anyway!).

For this pie, you can use either a traditional pie crust, or one of my healthy pie crusts:

• Almond Flour Crust
• Gluten Free Pie Crust
• Healthy Wheat Flour Pie Crust made with just 4 ingredients: white wheat flour, vegan (or organic) butter, pink sea salt, and water.

Bake your pie crust until it is golden brown before adding in your bananas and coconut cream filling. Baking times may vary, but my healthier pie crust goes for about 20-25 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees to give you an idea.

Make sure to cool your pie crust completely before adding your bananas and coconut cream filling.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE FILLING

In a medium sized sauce pan, add:

• 13 oz can of full fat coconut milk
• 1 ½ cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
• ¼ cup arrowroot starch or corn starch
• ⅓ cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon of pink sea salt.

NOTE: if you are using raw honey and want to preserve the health benefits, wait until the end when the filling is cooling to stir in the honey. Heat can destroy the health benefits in raw honey.

Using a wire whisk, stir the coconut cream pudding mixture constantly over medium heat until it is thick and bubbly. It should be the consistency of thick pudding. If you notice that your pudding is not thickening, add more of the starch. Depending on the brand of the almond milk you use, it may be a little bit thinner or thicker.

Once your coconut cream filling is thick, remove it from the heat. Stir in the 1 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes.

Allow your filling to cool completely before adding it to the pie crust.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE MY HEALTHY COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE

STEP 1: SLICE BANANAS IN COOLED PIE CRUST

Once your pie crust and filling are cool, slice 3 bananas into the bottom of your baked and cooled pie crust.

STEP 2: ADD COCONUT CREAM PIE PUDDING

Pour the coconut cream filling over the top of the bananas.

Chill your pie in the fridge overnight so that it can firm up completely before adding the toppings.

STEP 3: ADD COCONUT BANANA CREAM PIE TOPPINGS

Once your pie is chilled, either 2 hours up to overnight, you can add the whipped topping. Do not add whipped cream on top of warm pie or it will melt and lose its whip.

1. WHIPPED CREAM

You can make a classic whipped cream, or make my coconut whipped cream if you are looking for a healthier twist on a whipped topping. I like to make whipped topping without sugar, and if I am craving a bit more sweets, I'll add in a little coconut sugar.

2. TOASTED COCONUT

Like a baking sheet with parchment paper and put your oven on the broil high setting. Spread the coconut flakes on the parchment paper. Broil them for 1-3 minutes or until golden brown.

Make sure to let the toasted coconut flakes cool before adding them to your whipped topping!

Pile your chilled banana coconut cream pie with the fresh whipped cream, and top with the cooled toasted coconut.

Slice and enjoy!

This pie stays fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days!

FAQ'S

Frequently asked questions about my healthy vegan coconut banana cream pie recipe.

IS BANANA CREAM PIE GOOD AFTER A WEEK?

Banana cream pie stays fresh for up to 3 days so after a week it should be tossed.

HOW MANY CARBS ARE IN A HOMEMADE BANANA CREAM PIE?

My healthy vegan coconut banana cream pie has 45 grams of carbs in each slice about ⅛th of the pie.

HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN BANANA PUDDING PIE?

1 slice has about 578 calories.

Healthy pie recipes you might enjoy:

1. Gluten Free Pie Crust
2. Almond Flour Pie Crust
3. Wheat Flour Pie Crust
4. Apple Pie Cheesecake
5. Chocolate Pudding Pie
6. Healthy Pumpkin Pie
7. Vegan Key Lime Pie

If you try this Vegan Coconut Banana Cream Pie Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!