A no-bake pie of crushed-biscuit base layered with thick toffee made from boiled condensed milk, sliced banana and a deep drift of whipped cream. Sweet, soft and instantly crowd-pleasing.
Invented in 1971 by owner Nigel Mackenzie and chef Ian Dowding at the Hungry Monk restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex. 'Banoffee pie'.
A crisp biscuit base gives way to sticky, caramel-deep toffee, then cool slippery banana and clouds of barely sweet cream. It is rich and unashamedly indulgent, each spoonful smoothing toffee, fruit and cream into one.
Slow boiling caramelises the sugars in condensed milk into thick toffee, while the unbaked butter-bound crumb base sets firm in the fridge and the whipped cream balances the toffee's intense sweetness.
Variations
With chocolate-coated base, coffee-flavoured cream, salted-caramel version, individual jars, with a pastry crust
On the Palate
Where Banoffee Pie sits in the British flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
8 steps · 25 min
- 1180 min
Boil an unopened tin of condensed milk, fully submerged, for about three hours, then cool completely before opening.
Watch outKeep the tin fully covered with water for the whole three hours, topping up as it boils off — a tin left dry can overheat and burst.
- 25 min
Crush the digestive biscuits to crumbs and mix with melted butter.
- 36 min
Press the buttery crumbs firmly into a pie dish to form an even base and chill until firm.
Watch outPress the buttery crumbs down hard and chill until truly firm — a loose base crumbles the moment you slice the pie.
- 43 min
Spread the cooled toffee evenly over the chilled biscuit base.
- 54 min
Slice the bananas and arrange them in a layer over the toffee.
- 65 min
Whip the cream to soft peaks and spoon it generously over the bananas.
Watch outWhip the cream only to soft peaks that just hold their shape — a few strokes too many and it turns grainy and starts to butter.
- 760 min
Chill the assembled pie until set and sliceable.
- 82 min
Grate dark chocolate over the top just before serving.
