Salted Caramel Banoffee Pie

Banoffee pie is such a classic dish and easy to fall in love with. It has all the elements of an incredible dessert and only takes a few minutes to throw together. Today I’m sharing the recipe with a few changes that enhance the pie but also produce an outcome that closely resembles the well-loved classic.

The digestive biscuit base is infused with pecans and set alongside a caramel speckled with flakey salt. An added splash of bourbon to the caramel also helps to intensify those salted toffee notes. It’s then topped with sweetly ripened bananas and freshly whipped cream.

The end result is a banoffee pie you’ll want to make time and time again.

The Ingredients & Substitutes

Pecans – They add an incredibly nutty flavour to the base. Walnuts are the best substitute for pecans with them being slightly milder but just as delicious.

Digestive biscuits – If you’re in the US then Graham crackers would be the best replacement. Although they’re not quite the same they’re similar enough to make an amazing banoffee pie.

Dark rum OR Bourbon whisky – This addition is definitely a subtle enhancement but noticeable enough that it’s worth including! Any kind of oak-aged liquor will work great for this recipe or you can also leave it out altogether if you prefer. A little bit goes a long way in desserts, similar to the way that alcohol-based vanilla extracts can transform anything you add it to.

Flaky salt – Using flaky salts means you’ll get unbeatable hits of salt throughout the caramel that melts in the mouth. You can use any kind of salt as long as it’s flaky salt.

Using canned caramel instead of condensed milk – Canned caramel (such as carnation) tends to be quite runny and won’t set in the fridge like the condensed milk version does. If you don’t mind that or just prefer an oozy style banoffee pie then you should be okay. But for most, it’s probably just best to stick to the condensed milk method below.

Tips & Tricks

Although this dessert is fairly simpler there are a few mistakes that can easily ruin it.

The caramel: When the butter, sugar and bourbon melt into one you can add the condensed milk. You don’t need to add the whole can. Pour the condensed milk out but don’t scoop out all of the excess left inside.

I know this sounds a bit vague but I’ve found that scooping every last drop out of the can leads to a pale looking caramel that just doesn’t belong in a banoffee pie. To be specific you only need around 340 g of condensed milk in this recipe.

If your caramel does look paler than you expected then don’t boil it for longer than necessary, assuming it’ll continue to darken. Take note of when the caramel begins to boil. Once you begin to notice bubbling in the centre of the caramel, remove the saucepan from the heat. Any longer and it’ll become grainy.

The Cream: If you’re anything like me then you’ll know how easy it is to over-whip cream. I’ve found that beating with an electric whisk until it thickens (so right before soft peaks) then moving to a manual whisk is the best way to get a smooth and luscious consistency for fresh cream.

Can You Freeze Banoffee Pie? How Long Does It Last?

The one and only downside to this amazing dessert is that it doesn’t last very long once assembled. I recommend eating this within 24 hours for the best flavour but it will last up to 3 days if you don’t mind the slight browning and weeping from the fresh bananas and cream.

If you want to prepare this dessert in advance, make the biscuit base and caramel then set in in the refrigerator. Right before serving, top it with the bananas and cream. The base and caramel will last up to 5 days before serving as long as you make sure everything is sealed to avoid the caramel absorbing any fridge odours.