This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This single serving Banana Cream Pie is layered with homemade vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices, and a vanilla wafer crust. A no bake dessert made with just a few pantry ingredients.
Featured Comment
“AMAZING! I don’t know if I have ever made homemade pudding. I may never buy boxed again. Super simple.”
– Denise
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Equipment: 1-quart saucepan, small dessert dish or ramekin
- Cook Method: Stovetop
- Servings: 1
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Sweet and creamy with smooth vanilla pudding, soft banana slices, and a buttery vanilla wafer crunch.
A classic banana cream pie scaled down to one serving and made with a quick stovetop pudding.
Why I Love This Single Serving Banana Cream Pie
Banana cream pie is one of those desserts I’ve been making for years, and this is the version I come back to when I want one serving without a full pie sitting in the fridge.
The pudding is homemade, cooked on the stove in about 15 minutes with milk, cream, cornstarch, and a little vanilla. It sets up thick and smooth, and the flavor is noticeably better than anything from a box.
I tested the ratios on this recipe until the pudding was thick and creamy with a smooth, spoonable texture. The vanilla wafer crust adds a buttery crunch at the bottom that holds up well, even after chilling. And because there’s no oven involved, the whole thing comes together fast.
If you like banana desserts, you’ll want to try our banana pudding for one, small banana upside down cake, and bananas foster for one.
Ingredient Notes
Everything you need to make this mini banana cream pie is probably already in your kitchen. If you have any ingredients leftover, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Whole Milk: Whole milk gives the banana cream pie filling its thick, creamy body. You can use 2% milk, but the pudding will be noticeably thinner and less rich.
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream mixed with the cornstarch adds richness to the pudding that milk alone can’t provide. You’ll see heavy cream in many of our single serving recipes like butterscotch pudding for one, a small white cake, and chocolate pot de crème.
Cornstarch: This is the thickener that gives the pudding structure. Whisk it into the cream before adding it to the warm milk so it dissolves smoothly and doesn’t clump.
Sugar: Sweetens the pudding.
Salt: A small pinch balances the sweetness in the pudding.
Butter: Stirred in off the heat, butter rounds out the pudding and adds a slight richness.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla gives the pudding its warm, sweet aroma. Add it off the heat along with the butter so the flavor stays strong. Heat breaks down vanilla quickly, so stirring it in at the end makes a noticeable difference.
Vanilla Wafers: These line the bottom and sides of the dish to create a quick no bake crust. Graham crackers, shortbread cookies, or digestive biscuits also work well, or use your favorite cookie.
Banana: Use one banana that’s ripe but still firm. You want slices that hold their shape and don’t turn to mush under the pudding. Overripe bananas are better saved for single serve banana bread or small batch banana muffins.
Whipped Cream (optional): A dollop of homemade whipped cream on top finishes the pie. Store-bought whipped topping works too.
Recipe Variations
These simple additions work with the same base pudding and single serving portion.
Chocolate Banana Cream Pie: Spread 2 tablespoons of melted chocolate over the cookie crust before adding the banana slices. The chocolate sets as the pie chills and adds a rich layer underneath.
Caramel Banana Cream Pie: Drizzle 1 tablespoon of homemade caramel sauce over the banana layer before spooning on the pudding.
Graham Cracker Crust: Swap the vanilla wafers for a pressed graham cracker crust. Use ¼ cup of crumbs mixed with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, pressed into the bottom of the dish.
How To Make Banana Cream Pie For One
Follow these step-by-step photos to see how to make this individual banana cream pie with homemade stovetop pudding. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full instructions.
Make the Pudding
- Combine the milk, sugar, and salt in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture starts to steam, about 5 minutes.
- While the mixture heats, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl until smooth with no lumps.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the warm milk, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and keep stirring until the pudding thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter melts completely.
- Pour the pudding into a small bowl and let it cool. It will continue to thicken as it sits. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Assemble the Pie
- Line the bottom and sides of a small dessert dish or ramekin with vanilla wafers. Use enough cookies to cover the surface completely.
- Slice one banana and arrange the slices over the cookies.
- Spoon the cooled pudding over the banana slices, spreading it to the edges to fully cover the fruit. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until cold and set.
- Top with whipped cream and extra banana slices before serving.
Expert Tips
Use a small saucepan. A 1-quart saucepan keeps this small amount of pudding deep enough to stir properly. In a larger pan, the pudding spreads too thin and can scorch before it thickens.
Cool the pudding before assembling. Spooning hot pudding over the banana slices will make them soft and mushy. Let the pudding cool to room temperature first so the bananas hold their shape.
Press plastic wrap onto the pudding surface. Whether you’re cooling the pudding in a bowl or chilling the assembled pie, press the wrap directly onto the surface. This prevents a thick skin from forming on top.
Choose the right banana. A ripe banana with a yellow peel and just a few brown spots is ideal. Too green and the flavor will be starchy. Too brown and the slices won’t hold their shape under the pudding.
Chill long enough. The pudding needs at least 1 to 2 hours in the fridge to fully set. Cutting the chill time short means a loose, runny filling that won’t hold together when you scoop into it.
Troubleshooting
If your banana cream pie isn’t turning out quite right, here is how to fix common issues like runny pudding, lumpy filling, or browning bananas.
Why is my banana cream pie runny?
The pudding wasn’t cooked long enough. Keep stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds a trail when you drag your finger across it. If the assembled pie still seems loose, refrigerate it for the full 2 hours before serving. The pudding will continue to firm up as it chills.
Why does my pudding have lumps in it?
The cornstarch wasn’t fully dissolved before it went into the hot milk. Always whisk the cornstarch and cream together in a separate bowl first until completely smooth, then pour the mixture slowly into the warm milk while stirring. If lumps have already formed, pour the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl to catch them.
How do I keep bananas from turning brown in banana cream pie?
Cover the banana slices completely with pudding as soon as you layer them in the dish. Browning happens when the cut banana is exposed to air, so sealing the slices under the pudding slows the process.
Why is my cookie crust soggy?
The pudding was still warm when you spooned it over the crust. Hot or warm pudding releases steam that softens cookies quickly. Let the pudding cool to room temperature before assembling the pie. If using a graham cracker crust, pressing the crumbs firmly and chilling the crust for 15 minutes before filling also helps it hold up better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This single serving banana cream pie is completely no bake. The pudding cooks on the stovetop and the crust is made from whole vanilla wafers, so you never need to turn on the oven.
1 to 2 days. The pudding and banana slices are best eaten fresh. After the second day, the bananas will brown noticeably and the cookie crust will soften.
Yes, but this recipe is scaled for one serving. A boxed pudding mix makes 4 or more servings, so you would have leftover pudding. The homemade stovetop version takes about 15 minutes and makes exactly the right amount for one pie.
No. The pudding becomes watery when thawed, the bananas turn brown and mushy, and the cookie crust loses its texture. This pie is best made fresh and eaten within 1 to 2 days.
Yes. Double all the pudding ingredients, use two bananas, and add a few extra cookies. Assemble in two separate dishes and chill as directed.
Both use vanilla pudding, vanilla wafers, and banana, but the structure is different. Banana cream pie layers the ingredients inside a crust (cookie or pastry) and is served chilled as a pie you scoop or slice. Banana pudding is a layered dessert assembled in a bowl or dish with no crust, and the cookies soften into the pudding as it chills. Our banana pudding recipe also uses caramelized bananas and brown sugar, which gives it a warmer, deeper flavor than the fresh banana slices in this pie.
Yes. This recipe uses cornstarch as the thickener instead of egg yolks, so the pudding is completely egg-free. Many full-size banana cream pie recipes rely on eggs for a custard-style filling, but cornstarch gives this single serving version a smooth, thick pudding without them.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serve banana cream pie or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Banana Cream Pie For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6-8 vanilla wafers or your favorite cookies. Line the bottom and sides of the dish with a single layer of cookies.
- 1 banana
- whipped cream – optional for topping
Instructions
Make the Pudding
- Combine the milk, sugar, and salt in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture begins to steam, about 5 minutes.
- While the milk heats, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the warm milk, stirring constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until the butter melts completely.
- Pour the pudding into a small bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature.
Assemble the Pie
- Line the bottom and sides of a small dessert dish or ramekin with vanilla wafers in a single layer.
- Slice one banana and arrange the slices over the cookies.
- Spoon the cooled pudding over the banana slices, spreading it to the edges to fully cover the fruit.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until cold and set.
- Top with whipped cream and extra banana slices before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Delicious! Loved it. ❤️😋
Could I substitute banana favouring for the vanilla?
Yes.