Banoffee pie is a genuinely British invention — created in the 1970s at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex — and it is one of the most loved desserts on the British table.

The combination of buttery biscuit base, sticky toffee filling, fresh banana, and whipped cream is one of those pairings that just works completely, and every time I make it someone asks if they can have the recipe.

I use a proper homemade toffee filling rather than a tin of condensed milk boiled for hours. My method — butter, brown sugar, and a can of condensed milk cooked together on the hob for eight minutes — gives a rich, smooth, deeply caramel-flavoured toffee that is considerably better than boiled condensed milk and takes a fraction of the time.

The whole pie can be assembled in thirty minutes and needs nothing more than a few hours in the fridge to set.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Banoffee Pie

For the Biscuit Base

300g digestive biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs
150g unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp golden caster sugar

For the Toffee Filling

100g unsalted butter
100g soft dark brown sugar
1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of flaked sea salt — gives a slightly salted caramel character

For the Topping

3 large ripe bananas — sliced into 5mm rounds
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice — tossed with the banana slices to prevent browning
300ml double cream, cold
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Good quality dark chocolate — finely grated over the top
A light dusting of cocoa powder (optional)

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How to Make Mary Berry Banoffee Pie

Step 1 — Make the Biscuit Base

Combine the crushed biscuit crumbs, melted butter, and caster sugar. Mix until every crumb is coated. Press very firmly and evenly into a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin or springform tin — using the flat base of a glass to compact the base. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while making the toffee.

Step 2 — Make the Toffee Filling

Put the butter and dark brown sugar into a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved — two to three minutes.

Add the condensed milk. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Cook for six to eight minutes, stirring all the time, until the mixture has thickened noticeably and turned a slightly deeper, more caramel colour. It should coat the back of a spoon thickly.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and sea salt. Leave to cool for ten minutes — it will thicken further as it cools.

Step 3 — Fill and Set

Pour the slightly cooled toffee over the chilled biscuit base. Spread evenly to the edges. Refrigerate for at least two hours — or until the toffee is completely set and firm. I sometimes leave it overnight.

Step 4 — Add the Banana and Cream

Toss the banana slices in the lemon juice and arrange them in an even layer over the set toffee — covering it completely.

Whip the cold cream, icing sugar, and vanilla to soft, billowy peaks. Spread or pipe generously over the bananas — covering everything completely.

Step 5 — Finish and Serve

Grate dark chocolate generously over the cream. Dust lightly with cocoa powder if using. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Slice and serve cold.

My Top Tips For Perfect Mary Berry Banoffee Pie

Make the toffee properly — do not use boiled condensed milk. The hob method — butter, brown sugar, and condensed milk cooked together for eight minutes — gives a rich, deeply flavoured toffee that is smooth, glossy, and specifically wonderful. Boiled condensed milk on its own gives a slightly flat result without the complexity that the butter and brown sugar add.

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Stir the toffee constantly. Toffee that is not stirred throughout the cooking time catches on the base of the pan and burns, giving a slightly bitter flavour. Constant stirring is what gives a smooth, evenly coloured, deeply caramel toffee.

Toss the bananas in lemon juice. Without lemon juice, sliced bananas brown within minutes of being cut and give an unappetising grey-brown layer under the cream. A tablespoon of lemon juice tossed through the slices keeps them vivid and yellow for several hours.

The toffee must be fully set before the bananas go on. Bananas placed on warm or slightly set toffee sink into it and become difficult to arrange evenly. A fully set, firm toffee gives a flat, stable surface for the banana layer.

Soft peaks for the cream — not stiff. Billowy, soft-peaked cream looks generous and beautiful on a banoffee pie. Stiffly whipped cream looks slightly grainy and loses the cloud-like quality that makes the topping so appealing.

Serving Suggestions

Cold from the fridge in generous slices — banoffee pie is always served cold. As a dinner party dessert made entirely the day before. As a birthday dessert for anyone who loves caramel and banana.

How to Store Mary Berry Banoffee Pie

In the fridge: Store covered for up to 2 days. The bananas begin to soften slightly after the first day but the pie remains delicious. Freezing is not recommended — the cream and banana both deteriorate completely on defrosting.

Mary Berry Banoffee Pie Recipe

Mary Berry’s banoffee pie has a buttery biscuit base, a rich toffee filling, fresh banana, and a generous cloud of cream — the most indulgent no-bake dessert I make.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Chilling Time 2 30

Total Time 3

Servings: 10 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 510

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Biscuit Base:
300 g digestive biscuits crushed to fine crumbs
150 g unsalted butter melted
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
Toffee Filling:
100 g unsalted butter
100 g soft dark brown sugar
1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of flaked sea salt
Topping:
3 large ripe bananas sliced 5mm — tossed in 1 tbsp lemon juice
300 ml double cream cold
2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Dark chocolate for grating over the top
Cocoa powder for dusting optional

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Method

Combine biscuit crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Press very firmly into tin. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Melt butter and dark brown sugar together 2–3 minutes. Add condensed milk — bring to gentle simmer, stir constantly 6–8 minutes until thickened and slightly deeper in colour. Remove from heat — add vanilla and sea salt. Cool 10 minutes.
Pour toffee over chilled base — spread evenly. Refrigerate 2 hours minimum until completely set and firm.
Toss banana slices in lemon juice — arrange in an even layer over set toffee. Whip cold cream, icing sugar, and vanilla to soft billowy peaks. Spread generously over bananas.
Grate dark chocolate generously over cream. Dust lightly with cocoa if using. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Slice cold.

Notes

Make the toffee properly on the hob — butter and brown sugar give more depth than boiled condensed milk alone.

Stir the toffee constantly — it catches and burns on the base of the pan without constant stirring.

Toss bananas in lemon juice — prevents browning for several hours.

The toffee must be fully set before the bananas go on — warm toffee makes arranging impossible.

Soft peaks for the cream — stiff cream loses the billowy quality that makes this dessert so appealing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Lotus Biscoff biscuits instead of digestives?

Yes — Biscoff biscuits give a slightly spiced, slightly caramelised base that suits the toffee and banana very well. Use the same quantity.

Can I use tinned caramel instead of making my own?

Yes — a tin of Carnation caramel or similar gives a quick alternative. Pour straight onto the chilled base and refrigerate as directed. The homemade version is better but the tinned caramel gives a very good result.

Can I add coffee to the cream?

Yes — dissolve one teaspoon of instant espresso in one teaspoon of hot water. Cool completely and add to the cream when whipping. The coffee and banana combination is very good.