Easy Banana Cream Pie with the BEST crust EVER

I LOVE banana cream pie. This recipe is very easy. The delicious crust is what makes it so yummy.

This seriously is THE BEST crust ever. My friend Kristen gave it to me.

For the crust:
1 c flour
1/2 c oatmeal
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter

combine flour, oatmeal, and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

If you use it all, your crust will be on the thick side. I usually leave some out, crumble it, put on a baking sheet and toast. Then I sprinkle over the top of the pie.


For the filling:
2 small instant puddings, either both banana cream or one banana cream & one vanilla (depending on how banana-y you like your filling)
milk

prepare according to box

pour pudding on cooled crust

add sliced bananas


Top with:
real whipped cream (I sweeten mine with a little powdered sugar)
or, to keep it simpler, Cool-whip
or, slice as is and spray a little dollop of aerosol whip cream when serving

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I've always failed at quick breads. This is the first recipe I've managed not to ruin. Really easy, really good. It will be a nice, quick breakfast for Peyton to "eat and run" while on her way to the bus stop for summer school.

1 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 + 1/8 c sugar
1/4 c oil (I use canola)
1 large egg
2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 c chocolate chips (I use milk)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease (2) 6 X 3 X 2 loaf pans. In large mixer bowl, beat sugar, oil, and egg. Add bananas. Beat in dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips gently. Pour into loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

So, this morning when Ellie was figuring out what she wanted for breakfast, she insisted on banana bread. I assured her we didn't have any and she assured me that we did (we didn't). When she finally realized that I was right, she had another idea..."Let's just make some". Well, knowing how long bread takes to bake, I made these instead.

SOOOOO quick and easy. I have been making these since we first were married. Today, I made a few variations. Hope you like them.

2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tbls baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk (I used skim)
1 egg
1/3 c oil (I use Canola)
2 very ripe mashed bananas
chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Make a well in the center.

Pour milk, egg, oil, and banana into well. Mix batter until moistened. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups (greased or lined with paper liners). Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on the top of each (we used it as a counting lesson and put like 5 or 6 on each).

Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

We enjoyed them warm with a little bit of "Move Over Butter" spread on them. So quick! From batter to tummy in less than 30 minutes.

Individual Banana Cream Pies

Keebler makes these little mini graham cracker pie crusts. You get 6 in a pack. My mother in law made banana parfaits for dessert once and I adapted it to make mini pies instead.

Individual graham cracker crusts
1 small instant banana cream pudding
1 small instant vanilla pudding
milk
bananas
chocolate syrup
"real" whipped cream, cool-whip, or whipped cream in a can

1) bake crust slightly if you want a crispier crust
2) prepare both puddings in the same bowl according to directions
3) divide pudding among tarts
4) top with sliced bananas
5) drizzle with chocolate syrup
6) finish off with whipped topping of your choice

So simple...but my little girls think "mini desserts" are "so fancy".

(*Note: I'm thinking chocolate pudding topped with raspberries would be delicious, or perhaps vanilla with strawberries...any other suggestions?)

Banana Cake with Banana Frosting

LOVE this as an alternative to traditional cakes. This is what I made for mine and Ellie's birthdays this year and everyone liked it. Today, I made it into cupcakes, so that is what the picture will be of, but normally, it is baked in a 9 X 13.

2 1/2 c flour
1 1/3 c sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c shortening
2 eggs (if you want to go eggless, substitute one extra banana per egg)
1/2 c buttermilk OR Sour Milk (1/2 T lemon juice + 1/2 c milk)
2 ripe bananas

Combine and pour into 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Let cool and frost with this INCREDIBLE frosting:

1/4 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c mashed banana
1/2 tsp salt
3 c powdered sugar
yellow food coloring

cream butter & vanilla, add rest

This cake should be refrigerated.

Chocolate Banana Shakes

There is this awesome burger/ice cream joint here. Someone told Derek to try their chocolate banana shake so he did and loved it. Then I tried it and loved it. So tonight, I tried to duplicate it. Very yummy. I'm not sure if it was exactly the same, but it was pretty close.

For two generous servings:

4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
2 bananas
chocolate syrup (enough to give shake "chocolate milk" color)
milk (more or less depending on how thick you like your shakes)

Put in blender, magic bullet, or smoothie maker.

I served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

One of my all time favorites is "breakfast for dinner". We do this more often than I'd like to admit. French toast is great for getting rid of old bread and THIS recipe is great for getting rid of brown, mushy bananas.


Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes

1 c flour
1 egg
1 c milk
1 to 2 mashed bananas
2 T oil
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T baking powder
cooking spray
chocolate chips

Mix first 8 ingredients together. Spoon on hot, sprayed griddle (approx. 1/4 c per pancake). Sprinkle with chocolate chips before flipping. Serve with maple syrup, spray whipped cream, and fresh berries.