Littlebits by Emily Collette: Banana Caramel Pie

This pie is made similar to a few pies I made last year, which were a Fudgy Vanilla Pie and Black Forest Pudding Pie. This time though, I wanted to try using banana pudding, for a different take on a banana cream pie. I thought a graham cracker crust would be a fun change from a traditional pie crust, and that creamy caramel would taste nice alongside the banana flavor. So, I came up with this quick pie and made it for Mother’s Day last month. It was a perfect treat to whip up and had one of my mom’s favorite things, caramel.

What You’ll Need:

• Graham cracker

• Jar of caramel sauce (I used sugar free)

• One package of instant banana pudding mix (3.4 oz)

• 3/4 cup heaving whipping cream

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1/4 cup sour cream (I used light)

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

• Whipped topping (I used light Cool Whip)

• Fresh banana slices, to top the pie when serving

Directions:

1. To begin the pie, unwrap the graham cracker crust. Alternatively, a homemade crust would be nicer, and not too difficult. For time though, I used a pre-made crust. Graham cracker crusts crack very easily though, so be careful when handling. My crust was perfect, until I almost dropped the pan it was in trying to scoot a few crumbs away from underneath. My quick movement with the crust caused it to crack along the bottom, where the side meets the bottom. So, it wasn’t overly pretty, but it was still useable.

2. After the crust is out and ready to be used, start mixing up the filling. To do this, combine the dry pudding mix, heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla into a medium sized bowl. Use a mixer to blend everything together until completely combined and creamy.

3. Next, warm your jar of caramel sauce. My jar said to not microwave, and instead stick the jar under a faucet with warm water. I wasn’t sure how well that would work, but it ended up very warm and spoonable.

4. With the caramel warm, spoon a portion onto the graham cracker crust and spread it evenly to create a layer of caramel onto the bottom of the pie.

My rubbish pie crust in plain view (don't worry, it gets better!)

5. Take the pudding mixture in big spoonfuls and carefully spread it on top of the caramel layer. This pudding mixture was a little bit thicker than my previous pies, and the caramel a bit more thin, so I had to be extra careful when smoothing it around.

6. With the pudding layer finished, dollop about a cup of whipped topping on top and spread it around until smooth and even.

Now the crust looks pretty hidden, if I say so myself

7. The pie can be finished here, but to make it a little prettier, you can drizzle a bit of extra caramel sauce on top. Place the pie in the refrigerator to chill before serving.