Pistachio Banoffee Pie

Try this Pistachio Banoffee Pie for a nutty take on the classic pie. With a brown butter pistachio biscuit base and pistachio whipped cream.

Transforming one of my childhood favourite desserts into this pistachio version will forever be one of my life’s highlights. It was my mum’s go-to dessert that we LOVED.

We used to have a mini magnetic Carnations book that had their banoffee pie recipe stuck to our fridge at all times. Many Friday night banoffee pies were made with that book!

Pistachio Banoffee Pie

This Pistachio Banoffee Pie unites bananas with cream, caramel, a buttery biscuit base, and pistachios. It’s a nutty, sweet, creamy, banana pie that’s balanced with a hint of salt.

If I had to pick one pie to eat for eternity, it would be this one and I wouldn’t even think twice about that decision. The nuttiness pairs with the sweet banana, buttery crust, and the caramel perfectly.

This Pistachio Banoffee Pie is all about the layers

The layers are what make this banoffee pie extra special. In this pie, we’ve got:

• Brown butter pistachio biscuit base – browning the butter really ramps up the nuttiness which works so well with the pistachios
• Nutty caramel layer – a nutty rich caramel which I also add some treacle/molasses to for a deeper flavour
• Pistachio cream layer – a thin layer of pistachio cream adds a pop of pistachio flavour
• Bananas – these need to be thick slices of bananas!
• Pistachio whipped cream – a sweet and nutty whipped cream infused with pistachio cream
• Pistachios – plenty of ground pistachios to finish things off

What is banoffee pie?

Banoffee pie is a British dessert which consists of a buttery biscuit base, caramel, bananas, and whipped cream. The caramel is often a thick, set layer that resembles and tastes like toffee.

The combination of banana and toffee then led to the creation of the term ‘banoffee’. There are quite a few variations that exist, some as simple as finishing the pie with grated chocolate, and some perhaps a little more adventurous like this pistachio one.

This recipe is part of my ‘All Things Pistachio‘ series!

This entire series will be full of recipes that all have PISTACHIO. They’re perfect for fellow pistachio lovers.

Any long term readers here will already know I have a deep love for pistachio and plenty of existing pistachio recipes!

This series will be regularly updated with more and more pistachio recipes. So hopefully there’ll be something nutty for everyone.

You can find the rest of the recipes here.

Pistachio Cream – what is it?

Pistachio cream adds a little extra kick of pistachio flavour, creaminess, richness, and sweetness.

It’s usually made from pistachios that are churned up into a smooth paste. Sugar, milk powder, and sometimes oil then get added in.

This is currently the cheapest one to purchase although this is the one I use. I tend to purchase quite a few jars whenever I notice them on offer!

This is an Amazon Affiliate link. This is the product that I use in this recipe. It is not a gifted or sponsored product. By using this affiliate link, I receive a small commission which is at no expense to yourself. This helps to support this blog for its day to day running. Many thanks.

What is brown butter?

Brown butter is essentially just regular butter that’s been ‘cooked’ in the most simple terms. As the butter gets heated, it will start to foam and bubble as some of the water in the butter evaporates.

At the same time the milk solids will start to separate out of the melted butter. The small solid specks then get toasted in the heat and turn a deep brown colour. This in turn creates a deep, nutty, caramelised flavour.

The process of making brown butter is the same as making ghee (a clarified butter originating in India). The only difference is that the milk solids are removed when making ghee which ‘clarifies’ the remaining fat.

For this recipe we want to KEEP the nutty toasted milk solids.

Let’s talk about some of the main ingredients

I’ll cover the main ones below but the full recipe can be found at the end

• Pistachios – I use roasted unsalted pistachios
• Butter – I use unsalted butter so reduce the additional salt if you’re using salted
• Digestive biscuits – these are easily accessible in the UK however if you’re US based you can also use graham crackers instead
• Double cream – this is a cream that has enough fat for it to be whipped, also sold as heavy whipping cream
• Pistachio cream – a sweet pistachio cream made from pistachios crushed to a paste which are then mixed with milk powder, sugar, and oil. I have the one I use linked under the ‘Pistachio Cream’ heading above
• Bananas – these should be ripe but not overly ripe. The bananas shouldn’t be soft, they should be at the perfect ripeness for eating

The KEY tips for making this Banoffee Pie

• Compress the brown butter base with moderate pressure – too little pressure and it won’t hold together, but too much pressure and it can end up being quite hard
• Taking the caramel to a deep amber colour – this adds more bitterness to the caramel as well as adding a deeper flavour
• Salt is essential here – it balances all the flavours as well as the sweetness. It seasons desserts to highlight flavours in the same way as it does in savoury dishes
• Whip the cream to medium peaks – the cream is easy to overwhip which will cause it to split and turn grainy. Medium peaks is still thick enough to hold shape and the best stage for topping a pie like this. It will firm up further once chilled in the fridge
• Use a thermometer for best results – a thermometer allows you to accurately know the temperature of the caramel. The temperature you take it to determines the final texture (see below for more tips regarding this)

Using a thermometer for caramel and what to do if you don’t have one

We’re taking this caramel to the soft ball stage which is 112-116’C/235’F-240’F. This allows the caramel to be soft set with an almost fudge like texture.

Any lower and the caramel would not set up properly. Whilst any higher would create a firmer, harder, chewier caramel layer. We want this to be just set, so 112’C is perfect.

However if you don’t have a thermometer, a rough gauge is that the softball stage is reached ~3-4 minutes after the caramel comes to a boil over a high heat. I highly recommend doing the cold water test for a bit more accuracy:

Cold water test

1. Drop a small amount of the caramel into very cold water
2. At the softball stage the caramel will form a ball that is still soft and can be pressed between your fingers
3. I recommend doing this test around ~2 minutes after the caramel comes to a boil. If the caramel does not form a ball then repeat the test every minute after until it does

How to make this Pistachio Banoffee Pie

How to make brown butter

1) Start by adding the butter to a saucepan and placing over a low heat to melt

2) Once the butter has all melted, turn the heat up to medium

3) The butter will bubble and froth, keep stirring continuously. A spatula is preferable here to make sure none of the milk solids are getting stuck to the base of the pan

4) As the bubbling slows down, the milk solids will start to separate. Keep stirring throughout, you’ll see the milk solids brown and give off a nutty aroma. Then set aside to cool slightly

How to make the Pistachio and Biscuit Base

1+2) Place the pistachios into a food processor and blitz till coarsely chopped. Then transfer aside to a mixing bowl

3) Place the biscuits into a food processor and blitz till finely ground

4) Transfer the crushed biscuits to the mixing bowl with the pistachios

5) Pour in all of the brown butter, make sure to add all those browned milk solids! Don’t leave any behind

6) Add in a generous pinch of salt along with the milk

7) Mix everything together well until it resembles an almost ‘wet sand’ like appearance

8) Transfer the buttery pistachio and biscuit mixture to an 8″ round tin lined with baking paper. I like to use one with a removable base

9) Evenly spread the biscuit mixture around the tin and also press up against the side to form an outer crust. With moderate pressure, compress with a flat object all around

10) I like to use a spatula and my thumb to compress the outer crust

11) Briefly bake the crust (times and temperature in the full recipe at the end). This will ensure it’s completely set to prevent a fragile crumbly base

12) Transfer the base to a wire rack to cool completely. Leave it in the tin throughout, there’s no need to unmould

How to make the nutty caramel

1) Melt the sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. Stir only with a silicon spatula as metal utensils will cause the caramel to seize and crystallise

2) Once all melted, increase the heat to medium and allow the caramel to turn a deep amber colour

3+4) At this stage add in the butter and mix for around 20 seconds. It will sizzle so be careful here

5) Pour in the warm cream. Warm cream will help to prevent crystallisation, however if this happens do not worry. I have the full steps included in the recipe at the end to manage this

6) Also add in the treacle/molasses (optional) – this provides a deeper flavour to the caramel

7+8) Increase the heat to high and continue to cook the caramel to 112’C/235’F, then immediately take off the heat. If you don’t have a thermometer this is roughly around 3-4 minutes after the caramel reaches a boil

This is the softball stage and can be tested by dropping a small amount of caramel into cold water. See full recipe(below)/key tips section(above) for more information

9) Finish the caramel off with a pinch of salt

10) Along with vanilla bean paste

11) And the almond extract for a little hit of nuttiness

12) Mix together and allow to cool slightly

13) Whilst the caramel is still warm and pourable, pour into the cooled base

14) Gently swirl the pan around just so that the caramel lightly coats the sides of the crust. Then make sure the caramel layer is level and transfer to the fridge to chill and set completely

Assembling the Pistachio Banoffee Pie

1) Pour the pistachio cream over the set caramel layer

2) Use a spatula/offset spatula to spread the pistachio cream around as evenly as possible

3) Add the remaining pistachio cream into the double cream/heavy whipping cream

4) Whisk both together. I prefer whisking cream by hand to prevent it over-whisking and splitting

5) Whisk till medium peaks, it will be pretty thick and just about hold shape. Then set aside

6) Layer thick slices of banana all over the pistachio cream layer

7) Add the pistachio whipped cream on top and spread around to cover all the bananas. This will help to slow down the bananas from oxidising and browning

8) Swirl the whipped cream around if you like

9) Finish will plenty of ground pistachios, then chill for at least 2-3 hours for the cream to set up

Frequently asked questions

Can this Pistachio Banoffee Pie be made vegan?

Yes it can, you can substitute the brown butter with melted vegan butter. You’ll need 85g of vegan butter to account for the loss of water that’s evaporated in the browning process of regular butter.

Substitute the double cream for any plant based whipping cream. I’ve used coconut cream in the past which has worked well. The pistachio cream layer can be substituted for pistachio butter.

For the pistachio whipped cream the oil in pistachio butter can interfere with whipping. So I’d recommend folding in finely ground pistachios into your whipped cream instead.

Can the caramel be made without a thermometer?

It can but the thermometer allows for total accuracy to ensure you reach the softball stage for that just-set caramel.

If the temperature is too low the caramel won’t set, too high and it’ll be too firm and chewy. See the section above in the blogpost (below the ‘Key Tips’) dedicated to this.

How long will this banoffee pie keep? What’s the best way to store it?

This banoffee pie will last 2-3 days refrigerated in an air-tight container. Note: the bananas will brown further after the 2nd day.

Can it be prepared even further ahead of time?

The base and caramel can be assembled 4-5 days beforehand and stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. However the bananas would brown during this time so assemble the rest of the pie the morning of/night before serving.

If you enjoyed this recipe

Please do let me know! Leave a review and a rating below, I’d love to know how you got on.

You can also tag me on Instagram at @dish_by_rish. Or follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and TikTok to keep up with all my cooking and baking creations.

Until then, happy baking!