Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies

Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies is the best of both pies in one!  Baked in chewy, buttery sugar cookie cups, topped with Coconut Whipped Cream and Drizzled with Coconut Caramel  – you wont be able to stop at just three!

A Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies


 

My dad has always been the biggest lemon pie, coconut cream pie and banana cream pie fan – must be all that smooth, silky filling.  While combining lemon, coconut and banana did cross my mind, in the end I knew banana and coconut together was a must – they just belong together!

Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies on a white serving plate.

When you cross banana cream pie and coconut cream pie you get a luscious, velvety custard-like filling that blows boxed pudding away, made with coconut milk and mixed with sweetened coconut flakes all cradled in a mini sugar cookie crust.  I first used mini sugar cookie cups as crust in my Key Lime Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups and fell in love with the soft, chewy, buttery, sugary cookie as crust.  Can there be a more delicious crust than a sugar cookie?!

Top view of a Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies

To assemble these mini pies, add a teaspoon of banana coconut cream filling to the sugar cookie cups…

Showing how to make Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies by adding pudding in muffin pan.

Layer with thinly sliced fresh bananas…

Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies is the best of both pies in one! Baked in chewy, buttery sugar cookie cups, topped with Coconut Whipped Cream and Drizzled with Coconut Caramel - perfect for holidays!

And top with remaining filling.

Top view of Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies in a muffin pan.

Finally, the mini pies get topped with pillowy Coconut Whipped Cream which might sound fancy but is just easy homemade whipped cream with some coconut extract.  If you don’t have coconut extract, you can make regular whipped cream, but you might want to buy some extract because I also use it in my buttery 5 Minute Coconut Caramel that gets drizzled all over the softy, airy cream.   You can use regular caramel but your taste buds want you to make the Coconut Caramel and the Coconut Whipped Cream.  Smart taste buds.

Lastly, these mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies are adorned with the option of toasted coconut and mini chocolate chips.  Because I add chocolate whenever I can.  And because I was reflecting on my favorite Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream.  Ben and Jerry always do it right.

Close up of Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies with coconut and chocolate chips on top.

Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies.  The perfect make-ahead, don’t have to choose between banana-coconut dessert for your Thanksgiving or anytime indecisive cravings.

Mini Banana Coconut Cream Pies

Servings: 12 mini pies
Total Time: 45 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz. package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
  • 1 large banana, thinly sliced

Banana Coconut Cream Filling

  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 1 1/4 cups coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coconut Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)

Garnish (optional but recommended!)

  • 1/4 cup toasted coconut (more or less to taste)
  • mini chocolate chips

1 recipe 5 Minute Coconut Caramel or store bought (you won’t use all of the caramel)

Instructions

  • Sugar Cookie Cups: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray with FLOUR or butter and grease the tin. Cut cookie dough into 12 even slices and press into the bottom and about 2/3 up the sides of prepared muffin cups.
  • Bake for 16-18 minutes or until edges are barely golden. Let cool completely in muffin tin then remove by gently sliding a knife around the edges.
  • Banana Coconut Cream Filling: Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons sugar together in medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.
  • Add coconut milk, whole milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, shredded coconut and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Slowly whisk 1 cup of simmering coconut milk mixture into yolk mixture (to temper), then slowly whisk tempered yolk mixture back into remaining coconut milk mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until mixture is thickened, about 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Let coconut cream cool until just warm, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
  • Once coconut cream has cooled to warm, add 1 teaspoon to each cookie cup. Top this coconut cream with approximately 3 banana slices per cookie cup. Top bananas evenly with remaining coconut cream. Chill for at least 4 hours (24 is better for flavors to meld).
  • Coconut Whipped Cream: When ready to serve, prepare Coconut Whipped Cream by beating heavy cream, sugar and coconut extract at medium high speed until soft peaks form. Top each banana cream cookie cup with whipped cream, toasted coconut, coconut caramel and mini chocolate chips (optional)

Notes

*Prep time does not include cooling/refrigeration time.

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18 Comments

  1. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Jen! What perfect little desserts! And those chocolate peanut butter pies..oh my! I sometimes eat dessert first! 🙂

    • Jen says

      Thank you Dorothy! and yes, those chocolate peanut butter pies are one of my favs! dessert first is an excellent way to live – especially when you have leftovers and you get to eat it for breakfast 🙂

  2. Jen says

    Two of my favorite pies rolled into one and then miniaturized? This is the stuff that dreams are made of.

    • Jen says

      Thank you so much Jen! And I just visited your blog – mouthwatering! I think we have similar tastes in food! I always love finding a kindred foodie 🙂

  3. Meggan | Culinary Hill says

    Trying not to sound over-the-top cliche here, but this is a really great update of banana cream pie. The addition of coconut is genius and sounds absolutely delicious. Your photographs are positively mouth-watering too. I am just so excited by this recipe and everything else you showcased in this post. Blown away!!!

    • Jen says

      Not cliche at all – I SO appreciate your thoughtful compliment! I love banana and coconut together so it just seemed like a natural fit 🙂 And I believe you are going to FBC in Nov? I can’t wait to meet you!!!

  4. Fareeha says

    Reason for my ever expanding waistline-How can I resist such awesome recipes out here and just pass by such food. I have to make it and try it!! These look just so amazing

    • Jen says

      Thank you so much Fareeha, they are pretty hard to resist! And I just looked at your site – such beautiful recipes and they all look so packed with flavor – my kind of food! yum!

  5. Stacey @ Stacey Homemaker says

    I just want to stick my fork through the screen and take a big bite! I love when desserts are made into individual portions, it seems extra special! Love your pictures too, absolutely beautiful!

    • Jen says

      Thank you so much Stacey! I love mini everything too – they are just so cute and happy! I wish I could pass you one through the screen and we could eat together! 🙂

  6. Pat says

    I would love to see a tutorial how you take your photos!! They are gorgeous!!

    • Jen says

      You are so nice, thank you so much Pat! There is a little video at the top of my “about” section that shows me taking photos but I definitely should make a longer one. I so appreciate your kind words! Have a great weekend!!

  7. Brandi says

    Ohhhhh where do I start!!!?? So it’s two weeks past Father’s Day and I’ve still not given my father a gift bcz he’s so hard to buy for. I’ve finally thought of doing my dads favorite dessert? How special, a gift I’ve made, he will love it. His favorites: Banana cream pie, coconut cream pie and lemon meringue. Wait?! What does your dad look like??! 😉 J/k. So like you I figured I’d combine the banana and coconut and came across your amazing recipe! Sugar cookie crust? BRILLIANT! I also read about you and fell in love! I adore everything about you and admire your positivity and strength. I lost my doggy daycare and boarding business Dec 15th to a suspicious fire. Nine dogs were lost, my home, income/business, belongings and of course the worst was losing the dogs and having to make those phone calls. I will never be the same person. Sorry I’m dumping this all on you but I read your story and you give me hope! You’re battling to stay alive everyday and are a huge breath of fresh air AND your recipes look AMAZAH-ZING. Thank you from Seattle!!
    Love,
    Brandi

    • Jen says

      Hi Brandi, I am so sorry at my delayed response as I was in the hospital when I received it and have been so behind ever since but I SO appreciate you taking the time to write and for your incredible kind, thoughtful, uplifting message! That is amazing that our dads love the same pies – what a happy coincidence and what a thoughtful idea for a gift! I am SO sorry to hear about your devastating fire – I cannot imagine that magnitude of loss, so so sad! I hope things are looking up and you are persevering in hope 🙂 Thanks again for for making my heart happy! All my love and best wishes! xo

  8. Jocelyn says

    Made these today and these were so so tasty! Mine didn’t come out as visually appealing as these pictures because the cookie cups weren’t even but they got gobbled up really quickly!

    • Jen says

      Thanks for taking the time to comment Jocelyn, I’m so happy they were a hit!

  9. Lisa says

    Hi Jen! Do you think it would be okay to heat these up briefly right before serving? Thanks!