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Hi Bold Bakers!
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I recently went home to Ireland and while I was there I filmed an episode of Bigger Bolder Baking with my mum, Patrica. We wanted to share a recipe that is really popular in Ireland and one that has been requested for quite some time: Banoffee Pie.
This dessert is originally from England but is very common in Ireland. The name Banoffee comes from the combination of banana and toffee, which makes sense, right? Two ingredients that work so well together already so just imagine all of that topped with whipped cream. Yes, it’s heaven!
Credit for the invention of the Banoffee Pie is claimed by Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding, the owner and chef respectively of The Hungry Monk Restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex. They claim to have developed the dessert in 1971 by amending an unreliable American recipe for “Blum’s Coffee Toffee Pie” with a soft toffee made by boiling an unopened can of condensed milk for several hours.
After trying various changes including the addition of apple or mandarin orange, Mackenzie suggested banana and Dowding later said that “straight away we knew we had got it right.” Mackenzie suggested the name “Banoffi Pie”, and the dish proved so popular with their customers that they “couldn’t take it off” the menu.
Want more Irish recipes? Get my Mum’s Hot Cross Buns. And check out my Traditional Bread & Butter Pudding recipe or my Homemade Irish Soda Bread.
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Banoffee Pie
Ingredients
- ½ cup (4 oz/115g) butter, melted
- 3 cups (250g/9oz) cookie crumbs (digestives of graham crackers)
- Dulce de leche (caramel sauce)
- 3 small bananas
- 1 ¼ cups (10oz/300g) whipping cream, lightly whipped
- grated chocolate
Instructions
- Put the biscuit into a food processor and blend until crumbed. Tip in the melted butter and mix it all together. Spoon this into the base and press against the bottom and sides – this is the base of the banoffee pie recipe. Chill it for ten minutes.
- Once set slice the bananas and lay in the bottom of the base.
- Spread thedulce de leche (caramel) over the bananas. Chill for about 1 hour, until firm or until ready to serve.
- Carefully lift the pie from the tin and place on a serving plate.
- Spoon the softly whipped cream over the caramel. Decorate with the grated chocolate.
- Enjoy straight away. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
To anyone who’s deciding whether to make this: Make it. You’re going to enjoy it so much and not only that. This dessert is so so good and I’m sure it’ll be your favourite dessert ❤️ it’s super easy the way Gemma has explained too! Thank you Gemma!
Gemma, I made the Banoffee pie last night and OMG! who would have thought that such simple ingredients could make such a decadent dessert? Definitely a winner!!
Hey Gemma! How much Dulce de leche should I be using for an 8inch tart mould?
Thanks
I added cream cheese to the whipped cream and mixed it together. It really adds the flavor! Try it.
Hello Gemma,
This recipe is a marvel. I have made this so many times and came out as perfect as you get in restaurants!
Thank you.
Love nd Regards
Rabiya????????
When you simmer the sweetened condensed milk cans, do you need to punch holes in the top? You don’t seem to in the video, but the Dulce recipe mentions not letting the water boil over into the holes.
Hey Gemma! What size of the tart pan is to be used for this recipe?
I made this pie following your written recipe. 3 cups of biscuits/graham crackers is way too much for 9 inch pie pan out tart pan. Is that a typo?
Well from the comments and replies I mow know why mine did not set. But having said that I’m not going to waste this yummy ness. Dessert cups will hold it and put the whipped cream on that way lol
The grand kids and I made this for dessert today and it was delicious. I have always wondered since it is mentioned in Love Actually what a banoffee pie is and now I know.