Connor’s Peanut Butter Banana Cream Birthday Pie

I can’t believe we have a 19-year old. Where does the time go? In honor of his recent birthday celebration, Connor asked for his favorite pie for dessert, peanut butter banana cream pie. I typically don’t repeat recipes, but I’ve made this dessert for a decade since it was originally published in Cooking Light – and, okay, I AM old. Reese’s peanut butter cups and banana cream pie in one bite – one perfect dessert. You first taste smooth chocolate and creamy peanut butter, then a bit of thinly sliced, frozen banana, and finally crunchy Nilla Wafer crust.

According to St. Louis food lure, peanut butter as we know it was originally developed as a protein substitute for the elderly who couldn’t chew meat. It came to prominence during the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair when it was billed as a health food. A truism for sure. While it may not be on the official list of super foods, it’s loaded with heart-healthy, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, protein, minerals, and vitamins, including niacin, folic acid, magnesium, vitamin E, and reservatrol, which can reduce LDLs (bad cholesterol). It makes the cut for us, and Craig eats it every morning on his whole wheat English muffin. Interesting, it’s an American favorite and enjoyed in the UK and Asia (think Thai peanut sauce or peanutty sesame noodles), but we learned our friends south of the U.S. (Argentina and Chile), do not understand our peanut butter obsession. We never came across peanut butter once while we were there. We missed it. As an FYI, the World’s Fair also produced other American traditions such as hot dogs, ice cream cones, iced tea, and “fairy floss”, cotton candy.

Here’s the recipe with for the pie with my changes. Enjoy healthfully!

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

Realistically serves 8

Crust:
1 cup vanilla wafer cookies (about 20 cookies)
1/4 C packed brown sugar
2 1/2 T butter, melted
Cooking spray – a very generous spray

Filling:
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C (4 oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 C chunky peanut butter
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 (8 oz.) container frozen low- or fat-free whipped topping, thawed
2 banana, sliced (enough to cover bottom of crust)
Chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place cookies in a food processor; process until finely ground. Add brown sugar and butter; pulse 2 to 3 times or just until combined. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool completely on a wire rack.

Place remaining brown sugar, cream cheese, peanut butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Arrange bananas in bottom of prepared crust. Spread peanut butter mixture over banana; drizzle with syrup. Cover and freeze 8 hours; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

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