Banana cream pie invokes memories of nostalgia for a lot of us. Many proclaim it to be a childhood favorite as well. So what does one do when they want to re-live those back in the day vibes but need a vegan update? That search ends here- we got you covered. What better opportunity to indulge in a vegan version than for animal awareness week? The Orangutan, considered one of the most intelligent primates on earth is primarily vegetarian, eating a diet of mainly fruit. This banana cream pie parfait recipe utilizes a large aspect of the Orangutan’s diet, as well as is completely free of palm oil, which is large contributor to their diminishing habitat.
We searched high and low to find vegan graham crackers, but no luck; most brands use honey in their recipes and we weren't having any of that. So we decided to create our own recipe for vegan graham crackers, adapting a recipe found on texanerin.com to fit our own taste and preferences. Let us tell you, these graham crackers were a 100% better than any graham cracker we have ever purchased and we love graham crackers! For the pudding component, we thought about creating a pudding totally from scratch using either non-dairy milk and cornstarch or silken tofu… But then discovered that some of the instant pudding varieties are vegan as long as you use non-dairy milk to make it!
We ended up making this banana cream pie into more of a banana pie parfait since we didn’t have a pie pan and thought it would look much prettier in a stem less wine glass!
Banana Cream Pie Parfaits
Ingredients + Directions
For the graham crackers
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp. organic brown sugar, packed
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. baking powder
⅛ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. coconut nectar (or agave)
3 Tbsp. non-dairy milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. + 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut nectar, non-diary milk, vanilla extract, and coconut oil and whisk to combine. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until dough forms. If the dough is too soft to roll, wrap in plastic wrap and place the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Once dough is ready to roll, preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so that it is ¼” thick. Cut graham crackers out into desired
shape (I chose squares and triangles). Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat and bake for 20-22 minutes. Time may vary depending on the size, shape, and thickness of your graham crackers. They will be done when they are slightly browned and firm to the touch.
For the pudding
1 box of vanilla instant pudding mix
1 ¼ cup of cold almond milk (maybe more depending on how thick you like your pudding)
Pour pudding mix into a mixing bowl and whisk in almond milk until the pudding is set. Place in the fridge until you are ready to use.
For the whipped cream
1 can of full fat coconut cream
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. of powdered sugar
Place an unopened can of coconut cream in the fridge over night or for at least 6 hours. When ready to make the whip cream, open the can and scoop out only the cream, it will be on the top portion of the can and there will be water at the bottom, you do not want the water in the whipped cream. Place in a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until you have creamy, fluffy whipped cream. When whipped, fold in vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
For the parfaits
All components from above
~2-3 ripe bananas, sliced
Layer all ingredients in a parfait glass and serve!
Imagery by Alexandra Eberts & additional imagery via Daily Uk, Vogue Paris
Recipe and words written by Alexandra Eberts, www.aisforaubergine.com w/additional editing and text by Delikate Rayne staff
