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A slice of Black Bottom Coconut Cream Pie half eaten, more pie in the background.

Black Bottom Banana Coconut Cream Pie

A layer of luscious chocolate ganache is hidden underneath a creamy combination of coconut pastry cream and sliced bananas. No need to choose, you can have both with this incredible diner-style pie!
Course Dessert
Cuisine North American
Keyword banana cream, black bottom, chocolate ganache, coconut cream, pastry cream
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 9- inch pie shell home-made or storebought, crimped

Chocolate Ganache

  • 30 g (or 2 tbsp) butter
  • 60 ml (or 1/4 cup) heavy cream
  • 100 g (or 4 oz) chopped dark chocolate

Pastry Cream Filling

  • 480 ml (or 2 cups) whole milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 115 g (or 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 35 g (or 5 Tbsp) arrowroot starch or cornstarch
  • 2 large eggs
  • 60 g (or 1/4 cup) butter
  • 110 g (or 1 1/4 cups) unsweetened shaved coconut
  • 2 bananas

Whipped Cream Topping

  • 240 ml (or 1 cup) heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar
  • 75 g (or 3 oz) dark chocolate for garnish

Instructions

Pie Shell

  1. Line the pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake in a 375F oven on a rack in the lower third of the oven until the surface is light brown, about 25 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove the weights and parchment and return the pie shell to the oven to finish baking until dry and starting to turn golden brown, another 5-8 minutes. Check the dough while it is baking, If it puffs up, gently pierce with a knife to release the air. Set aside to cool completely before filling. This can be baked and cooled the day before you want to fill it.

Chocolate Ganache

  1. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Combine the cream and butter in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a steaming simmer. Pour this over the chopped chocolate and swirl to cover the chocolate evenly. Cover the bowl with a pot lid and let it steam for five minutes. Remove the lid. Starting from the centre, use a whisk to combine the three ingredients working outwards till completely smooth. Set aside to cool a little.
  2. Spread the chocolate ganache evenly in the bottom of the cooled pie shell.

Pastry Cream

  1. Pour the milk into a medium heavy bottom sauce pan. Add the vanilla and salt and warm over medium-high heat. Bring it to just under a boil, stirring occasionally to make sure that the milk isn't scorching on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. It shouldn't be extremely hot for the next step.
  2. In a medium bowl combine the sugar and arrowroot starch with a whisk. Add the eggs and whisk till smooth. Place the bowl on a damp dish cloth, this will keep the bowl still for the next step.
  3. Slowly ladle 1/3 cup of the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add another 1/3 cup the same way. Go slowly keep the eggs moving so that they won't curdle and start cooking from the heat of the milk.
  4. Pour this egg-milk mixture back into the pan with the remaining milk, whisking all the while.
  5. Return the sauce pan to medium heat, and continue whisking till it thickens, about two minutes. You need the starch to heat fully to thicken properly, so the mixture must come just under the boiling point. You may see some large bubbles plop, but don't let them become constant or vigorous or the pastry cream will curdle and separate. Remove from the heat and then pour the pastry cream into a clean cold bowl. Let it cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to release any heat from inside the pastry cream. Once it has cooled to 140F (60C) it is ready for the next step.
  6. Cut the butter into four squares, and add them one at a time to the pastry cream. Whisk the butter in until it has melted and is smooth throughout the pastry cream. Repeat with the remaining squares.
  7. To cool the cream, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface of the pastry cream. This can be made in advance and stored in the fridge till needed.

Assemble

  1. Whip the cream till soft firm peaks appear. Add the icing sugar and continue whipping at medium high speed till medium firm peaks are achieved. This can be prepared and stored in the fridge till needed.
  2. Combine the shredded coconut with the cooled pastry cream. Slice one banana into 1/4 inch slices and arrange over the chocolate ganache. I always leave the centre empty of a banana slice, so that it will be easier to cut slices from the pie for serving. Pour the coconut pastry cream over the banana covered chocolate ganache. If your pie shell won't hold all the pastry cream, place the remaining coconut pastry cream into a small bowl and chill for a personal snack.
  3. Arrange the slices from the second banana, making sure not to have them too close to the out edge. Again, leave the centre banana free. Press these gently into the pastry cream.
  4. Use an offset spatula to spread the whipping cream over the pie, covering all the banana slices, but leaving the outer edge of the pastry cream exposed, for visual appeal.
  5. Store in the fridge for at least three hours to let the pastry cream set correctly. This will allow the coconut to absorb the moisture from the pastry cream, thickening the cream, and softening the coconut.
  6. Before serving create shavings of chocolate by scraping a knife or vegetable peeler across room temperature chocolate. Sprinkle these over the whipped cream.
  7. This pie is best served chilled. It can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

  8. See Blog post for more details and suggestions.