This dessert combines two of my all-time favourite things—bananas and caramel! But, let’s be honest, traditional banoffee pie can get a little too sweet. In this version, I’ve added pecans for some crunch and texture, plus a hint of coffee in the cream to introduce a subtle bitterness. It all balances the sweetness beautifully, creating a perfectly decadent dessert. The miso paste and salt add just the right touch of umami, while the fresh bananas and cream keep it light and irresistible!
Kerrygold asked me to create a delicious dessert using their creamy Irish butter which works perfectly with the biscuits in the base. The salt balances the sweetness which is necessary for banoffee pie.
What You Will Need to Make This Banoffee Pie with Pecans
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this crowd-pleasing dessert:
- Base: Digestive biscuits, pecan nuts, and melted butter.
- Filling: Fresh cream, Caramel Treat (Nestlé® works perfectly), miso paste (optional), salt, bananas, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Topping: More fresh cream, instant coffee granules or espresso powder, vanilla extract, icing sugar, pecan nuts, and some grated dark chocolate if you want to make it extra special.
How to Make This Banoffee Pie with Pecans
- Make the base: Blend the digestive biscuits, and pecans in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Then add the melted butter and blend until it starts to clump. Press the mix into the base of your pie dish or individual jars, then pop it into the fridge or freezer while you prepare the rest.
- Prep the pecans: Toss them in icing sugar and bake them for a few minutes until golden and caramelized. This step makes all the difference in texture!
- Mix the filling: Beat the fresh cream with the Caramel Treat, salt, and miso paste (if using) until smooth. Toss the sliced bananas in lemon juice to prevent them from browning, then layer them over the caramel in the pie.
- Whip the cream topping: Whip the cream with coffee granules, vanilla, and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Dollop it generously on top of the pie, then sprinkle the sugared pecans and grated chocolate for that final touch.
FAQs for This Recipe
Q: Can I make this dessert in advance?
A: Yes! You can prep the base and caramel beforehand, but I recommend adding the bananas and whipped cream just before serving to keep everything fresh.
Q: Do I need to use miso paste?
A: Nope! It’s optional but adds a lovely depth of flavour. Feel free to skip it if you prefer a more classic taste.
Q: Can I use other types of nuts?
A: Absolutely. Walnuts or almonds would work well, but I love this recipe’s richness of pecans.
Substitutions & Variations
Feeling creative? You can make this into individual pies in jars, which are perfect for parties or picnics! They also make for a neater presentation if you want to avoid the mess of a big pie.
If you don’t like digestives and live in America, Graham Crackers are a good substitute. I haven’t tried it yet but I like the idea of using Biscoff cookies in place of the digestives or half and half. In other desserts, I have also used ginger nuts with digestives.
You can also try Tennis or Marie biscuits, or for a chocolate twist, Oreo cookies or Romany Creams
Storage Instructions
This banoffee pie with pecans is best when freshly assembled, but you can easily make the base and caramel filling a day or two ahead. Just store them in the fridge, then add the bananas and whipped cream when you’re ready to serve. It’s a bit of a scoopable dessert, so don’t worry if it’s not perfectly neat—embrace the delicious mess!
Try a few more of my delicious dessert recipes.
Base:
- 200 grams digestive biscuits
- 30 grams pecan nuts
- 100 grams butter melted
Filling:
- 125 ml fresh cream
- 1 tsp white miso paste optional
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 x 360 g can Nestlé® Caramel Treat
- 3 – 4 bananas sliced
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Topping:
- 50 gram pecan nuts
- 1 Tbsp icing sugar
- 1.5 tsp instant coffee granules or 1 tsp espresso powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 1 Tbsp icing sugar
- 350 ml fresh cream
- 1 square of dark chocolate finely grated optional
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To make the base, blitz the biscuits, nuts and melted butter in a food processor until the
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mixture clumps together. Press it evenly over the base and sides of a medium pie dish or
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divide it among individual jars (only on their bases). Place in the fridge for an hour or longer or in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the dessert.
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Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
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To prepare the topping, toss the nuts in the icing sugar, then scatter them over the
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prepared baking tray and bake for 8 minutes until golden brown. Shake the tray a
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couple of times during baking to recoat the nuts. Remove, cool and give them a rough chop.
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For the filling, beat the 125 ml cream with the Caramel Treat, salt and miso if you are using and until smooth.
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Toss the sliced bananas lightly in the lemon juice to prevent them from going brown.
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Spread the caramel filling over the base of the pie dish. Arrange the banana slices in 1–2 even layers over the caramel.
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Mix the coffee granules or espresso powder, vanilla extract and icing sugar with the
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350ml cream, then whip until it forms soft peaks.
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Dollop this on top of the bananas and decorate it with the sugared pecan nuts and grated chocolate. Scoop and enjoy!
This banoffee pie with pecans is best when freshly assembled, but you can easily make the base and caramel filling a day or two ahead. Just store them in the fridge, then add the bananas and whipped cream when you’re ready to serve.
*This post is proudly sponsored by Kerrygold South Africa
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