Vegan Royal Banana Pie

Pineapple Juice Soaked Bananas Baked in a Flakey Pie Crust

This a banana pie like no other. Baked banana pie may seem odd and unheard of, but in Hawaii it is a classic. The bananas are soaked in pineapple juice for sweetness, then tossed in cinnamon and sugar for extra flavor. Surprise your guests or family and friends with this island favorite and maybe it will become your favorite too!

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups or 262g all purpose flour

2 tbsp or 30g sugar

½ cup cold vegan butter (1 stick of country crock olive oil vegan butter sticks)

3-5 tbsp ice water

Extra flour for dusting

Filling

6- 7 bananas, just ripe (no brown spots but also no green)

1/2 cup pineapple juice (canned or fresh)

1/2 cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon vegan butter

Almond milk Wash

¼ cup almond milk (any plant based milk will work)

1 tablespoon sugar

Procedures

Pie Crust Dough

Start by making the dough for the crust for the pie. For this recipe, you will need to make two batches of the pie crust for a 9.5 inch pie tin. One batch for the bottom of the pie and another batch for the top.

In a large bowl, add the flour and sugar and whisk until well combined. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the cold butter into the flour until the texture resembles wet sand. One tablespoon at a time add the water to the flour mixture mixing before each addition of water. The dough should be just moist enough to form a ball, but not too crumbly. Wrap the pie crust dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge while you make the second one.

Repeat procedures to make a second batch of pie crust dough and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

Banana Filling

Peel and slice all the banana into quarter of an inch rounds. Place the slices of banana into a large bowl and pour the pineapple juice over them. Toss the bananas gently in the pineapple juice so all of them are evenly coated.

Let the bananas soak in the pineapple juice for at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes. Once the bananas have been soaked, drain them from the pineapple juice and place them back into the bowl. Add the sugar and cinnamon and lightly toss until all the bananas are evenly coated in cinnamon and sugar. Set aside and roll out pie crust.

Assembling the Pie

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the almond milk wash by combining almond milk (or any milk substitute of your choice) and sugar into a small bowl. Whisk the mixture until well combined and set aside.

On a clean and lightly floured surface, place one of the pie crust dough balls. Using a lightly floured rolling pie, roll out the dough to about an eighth of an inch thickness. Drape the rolled out pie dough over a pie tin or pie dish and gently lift the edges so the crust falls flush into the dish. If there are any holes or rips, patch them up with the excess hanging pie dough.

. Then, pour the banana cinnamon filling over the pie crust and spread evenly to cover the bottom. Cut the 2 tablespoons worth of butter into small pieces and evenly disperse them on top of the filling. Place the crust and pie dish to the side while you roll out the top pie dough.

Roll out the second pie crust dough out to about an eighth inch thickness. Before draping the top pie crust over the pie, brush the edges of the bottom pie crust with the almond milk wash.

Drape the top pie crust dough over the pie dish covering all the filling. Using a knife, trim the edges of the hanging over pie crust. Using a fork, press the two pie crusts together to form a seal.

With a knife or fork, cut or prick holes into the top of the pie crust to create air vents. Then, brush the top of the pie with the almond milk wash. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 37- 40 minutes or until the crust in golden brown and filling is bubbling through the air vents made in the crust.

Place the pie on a cooling rack and let it cool completely before serving. Keep in the fridge to preserve and best eaten within the next couple of days. I highly recommend serving and eating this pie warm with a scoop of coconut ice cream!