Banana Cream Tart with Salted Caramel
No-bake banana cream filling with custard base, folded with whipped cream, baked in a pretzel-butter crust, chilled until set. Served with warm caramel drizzle and sea salt garnish. A salty-sweet dessert combining creamy filling, crunchy crust, and browned edges.
Ingredients
- 1 cup banana, large, mashed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 package (1/4-ounce) unflavored gelatin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups pretzels, very finely crushedgraham crackers1:1common swap
slight texture change, removes:salty profile
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- bananas, sliced(optional)
- ½ cup caramel ice cream topping, warmed(optional)
- sea salt(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Process banana and lemon juice until smooth.
- 2
Add remaining filling ingredients and process until smooth.
- 3
Transfer banana mixture to heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture boils and thickens.
- 4
Remove from heat and pour into bowl. Cover directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.
- 5
Heat oven to 350°F.
- 6
Combine crust ingredients and mix well. Press firmly onto bottom and side of 10-inch tart pan.
- 7
Bake crust until lightly browned and set.
- 8
Cool crust completely.
- 9
Beat chilled whipping cream and powdered sugar at high speed until stiff peaks form.
- 10
Gently stir portion of whipped cream into cooled filling.
- 11
Pour mixture into crust and refrigerate until set.
- 12
Garnish servings with remaining whipped cream and sliced bananas.
- 13
Drizzle each serving with warm caramel topping and sprinkle with sea salt.
Tips
Press crust mixture firmly onto pan sides to ensure even baking and structural integrity.
Whip cream to stiff peaks in a chilled bowl for best volume and stability.
Warm caramel topping gently before drizzling to prevent it from setting too quickly.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
Prepare crust and filling separately up to 1 day ahead. Assemble and whip cream topping no more than 6 hours before serving.
Bring to room temperature 10-15 minutes before serving for optimal flavor. Garnish and drizzle with caramel immediately before plating.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the plastic wrap directly on filling surface to prevent skin formation.
Do not underbake crust or it will not set properly; bake until lightly browned.
Do not over-whip cream or it will turn to butter; stop at stiff peaks.
Do not rush chilling; insufficient time will result in filling not setting.