Banoffee Pie
“Banana + dulce de leche + whipped cream + graham crackers = banoffee pie,” explains chef David Nayfeld of Che Fico, a neighborhood Italian taverna in San Francisco. “This classic no-bake British dessert is a banger," Nayfeld explains. "It’s also quick and almost obscenely easy to make, easy to clean up and keeps well.” His version is a little saltier than others, not only because both the chef and his daughter, Helena, are salt fiends, but also because the salt balances out the sweetness, giving each bite a burst of flavor. Published in Nayfeld’s cookbook, Dad, What’s for Dinner?, it’s a fun dessert for kids to help prepare on Father’s Day.
Looking for more ways to use dulce de leche? Nayfeld offers these suggestions: Dip cookies, apples or strawberries in it. Pour it over a scoop of ice cream, olive oil cake or pound cake. Spoon a little bit out with a pinch of sea salt or dissolve it into a cup of warm milk at night.
Ingredients:
For the dulce de leche:
- 2 cans (each 14 oz./397 g) sweetened condensed milk
3 large bananas (1 lb. 6 oz./625 g total), sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick- 1 tsp. plus 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
- Juice of 1 lemon (2 Tbs.)
- 9 1/2 oz. (275 g) graham crackers (about 18)
- 1 Tbs. coarse sea salt
- 3 1/4 cups (26 fl. oz./810 ml) dulce de leche
- 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) cold heavy cream
- 3 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp. ground coffee
- `About 1 oz. (30 g) dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher)
Directions:
To make the dulce de leche, preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C).
Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch (23-cm) pie pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Set the pie pan in a large baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches at least halfway up the sides of the pie pan. Place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove carefully from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing the foil. This makes 3 1/4 cups (26 fl. oz./810 ml) dulce de leche; you will use all of it for this recipe.
In a large bowl, toss together the bananas, 1 tsp. of the vanilla and the lemon juice.
Place the graham crackers in another bowl and add the sea salt. Break up with a wooden spoon. It should look like broken cookies rather than cookie dust. (Alternatively, you can put the graham crackers and salt in a plastic freezer bag and pound with a mallet.)
Place half of the graham cracker crumble into an 8-by-10-by-2 1/2-inch (20-by-25-by-6.5-cm) glass serving dish or ceramic baking dish. Add the dulce de leche and mix together with a rubber spatula, then spread evenly in one layer. Top with the bananas in an even layer. Add the rest of the graham cracker crumble on top. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl with a hand mixer), combine the cream, confectioners’ sugar, ground coffee and the remaining 1 Tbs. vanilla. Whip until stiff peaks form.
Spread the whipped cream evenly on top of the graham cracker crumble. Grate the dark chocolate over the top of the whipped cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and then serve. Serves 6 to 8.
Tip: Like with lasagna, kids love layering this pie. Unlike with the lasagna, be watchful they don’t end up eating the whole thing before they’re done building it.
Adapted from Dad, What’s for Dinner? by David Nayfeld and Joshua David Stein (Knopf, 2025)
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