Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (2024)

Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (1)

As the story goes, Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie are credited with the 'invention' of Banoffi Pie, which they first served at theiraward-winning Sussex gastropubThe Hungry Monkrestaurant in Jevington, East Sussex. Developed in 1972, the dessert was inspired by an American dish known asBlum’s Coffee Toffee Pie,which consisted of smooth toffee topped with coffee-flavoured whipped cream. Dowding adapted the recipe to instead use a soft caramel toffee created by boiling a can of condensed milk, and worked with Mackenzie to add a layer of bananas, calling the dish “Banoffi” —a blend of the words 'banana' and 'toffee'.It was an immediate success, proving so popular with their customers that they couldn’t take it off the menu.


Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (2)

The picturesque Hungry Monk in Jevington, Sussex


The restaurant, originally four monks’ cottages, was built in the 14th century and combined into one building at some point. Unfortunately,The Hungry Monk closed its doors for the last time in January 2012 due to increased running costs, but not before Mackenzie erected a blue plaque on the front of The Hungry Monk confirming it as the birthplace of the world's favourite pudding.

Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (3)

Most famous as the birthplace of the original recipe for Banoffi Pie back in 1972,

the much loved The Hungry Monk, cited economic pressuresfor its closure earlier this year




The restaurant published a number of cookbooks, but the original recipe for Banoffi Pie first appeared in The Deeper Secrets of the Hungry Monk, which is now sadly out of print. However it was reprinted again in their later cookbook, In Heaven with the Hungry Monk, which is still available on Amazon. Since then, Ian Dowding has put his original recipe online because he's pedantic about the correct version, and says that his pet peeves are biscuit crumb bases and "that horrible cream in aerosol cans".

Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (4)

The Hungry Monk cookbook

Dowding's original recipe called for boiling the cans of condensed milk, however there was always a danger of the tins exploding if the water ran dry. Funnily enough, a friend of mine, who initially introduced me to Banoffi Pie,once left the tins unattended in boiling water while she went out for a round of golf. When she returned, the water had boiled dry and the tins had exploded, painting her kitchen with caramelized toffee! Dowding has since amended his original recipe with a much safer oven-cooking method.


Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (5)

The secret to Banoffi Pie is condensed milk, which cooks down to a

creamy smooth toffee,also known as Dulce de Leche

If you're just discovering Banoffi Pie, you're in for a treat. The decadent combination of buttery crisp shortbread pie crust, Dulce de Leche toffee and slices of sweet bananas, all covered with lashings of whipped cream, is rumoured to have been one of Margaret Thatcher's favourite puddings and also among the more popular treats served at Buckingham Palace.


The Original 'Hungry Monk' Banoffi Pie
Serves 8-10
Recipe courtesy of Ian Dowding of 'The Hungry Monk'

For the pastry:
9 oz plain flour
1 oz icing sugar
4 1/2 oz butter
1 egg & 1 egg yolk

For the Banoffi toffee sauce:
1 1/2 tins condensed milk - 13.5 ounces each
5-6 firm yet ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups double cream - whipping cream or crème fraîche work well too
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp freshly ground coffee

For the pastry, place the flour and sugar in a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and then rub the mixture together until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Work the egg into the dough to form a paste, then cover and chill for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

When ready, lightly grease a 10-inch x 1 1/2-inch deep loose bottomed tart tin, and line with the pastry thinly rolled out. Prick the base all over with a fork, line with parchment paper and weigh down with dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the beans and parchment. Put the pastry case back into the oven and cook until its evenly golden. Remove from the oven and cool.

For the toffee sauce, start by placing the unopened tins in a deep pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Cover with a lid and transfer to a preheated 285°F oven for 3 1/2 hours. Lift the tins from the water and allow to cool completely before opening. Note:The longer they cook, the darker and thicker the toffee will be.

To compose the pie, carefully spread the toffee over the cooked pastry, then top with peeled and sliced bananas. Whip the cream, sugar and instant coffee granules, until thick and smooth. To finish, spoon the cream over the bananas, up to the edge of the pastry, then lightly sprinkle with freshly ground coffee, and garnish with some sliced bananas on top, just before serving.

COOK'S NOTE:The caramel-toffee sauce is a great addition to many dishes such as ice-cream and poached pears.

Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (6)


Individual Banoffee Tarts - an updated recipe
Serves 6

For the toffee sauce:

1 13.5 oz tin condensed milk

For the base:

1 1/2 cups digestives biscuits or graham crackers

10 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/4 cup whipping cream
3 bananas, sliced
Cocoa or chocolate shavings

For the toffee sauce, start by placing the unopened tins in a deep pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil on the stovetop. Cover with a lid and transfer to a preheated 285°F oven for 3 1/2 hours. Lift the tins from the water and allow to cool completely before opening. Note:The longer they cook, the darker and thicker the toffee will be.



For the base, crush the digestive biscuits or graham crackers and mix it with melted butter in a food processor. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into 6 pre-greased mini loose-bottomed tart tins
. Chill the crust in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Meanwhile, whip the cream until it’s stiff, then fold in the sliced bananas or save them to be layered under the cream, once the tarts are composed. Spread a layer of toffee sauce on top of the crust and top with the banana cream, or one layer of bananas, then topped with the cream. Sprinkle with cocoa or dark chocolate shavings and serve with an additional drizzle of toffee on top, for a final flourish!

Banoffi Pie: The Original Hungry Monk Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which country did banoffee pie originate from? ›

Credit for the pie's invention is claimed by Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding, the owner and chef respectively of the former Hungry Monk Restaurant in Jevington, East Sussex, England.

What does banoffee stand for? ›

banoffee in British English

or banoffi (bəˈnɒfɪ ) noun. a filling for a pie, consisting of toffee and banana. Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.

What is the toffee caramel layer in banoffee pie traditionally made from? ›

Sweetened Condensed Milk: The key to the caramel-like toffee layer. It creates the caramel flavor and texture. Bananas: Sliced bananas add fresh fruity flavor and natural sweetness. Heavy Whipping Cream: Used to make the light and airy top layer of whipped cream.

Why is banoffee pie called Banoffee? ›

"The only trouble now was that we had to find another name as banana, coffee, toffee pie was getting a bit long winded. It was Nigel who came up with the word 'Banoffi' as a combination and abbreviation of the syllables in the ingredients. It was only really meant as a temporary name but it seemed to stick."

How to stop bananas from going brown in banoffee pie? ›

Bananas: If you want to stop your bananas going brown and sticky, and also add a 'tang' you can toss them in a little lemon juice before putting on top of the pie. Double cream: Whip until firm but still floppy and soft. It should hold it's shape but not be starting to look 'lumpy'.

Which fruit is used in banoffee pie? ›

Banoffee pie is an English dessert pie made from bananas, cream and toffee with a rich, buttery biscuit base.

Why is caramel called Dulce de Leche? ›

Its name translates from Spanish as “sweet from milk”, referring to the fact that it is made by heating sweetened milk slowly until it caramelizes. It is one of the most popular confections in South America, often spread over breakfast foods like toast or added to desserts like cakes.

Where did the banana cream pie come from? ›

History and background

The dish dates to the end of the 19th century. A recipe for a banana pie, in which sliced bananas were placed into a baked pie crust and baked to soften the bananas, then topped with whipped cream, appeared in the 1901 Woman's Exchange Cook Book by Minnie Palmer.

Where did pigeon pie originate? ›

Pigeon pie
Pigeon pie with beetroot
CourseMain
Place of originFrance
Main ingredientsPigeon

Where did blueberry pie originate? ›

Blueberry Pie was brought to the United States by settlers from northern Europe and Scandinavia. The first blueberry pie recipe was documented in the Appledore Cook Book in 1872. 9. Between our 15 Grand Traverse Pie Company shops, we used an astonishing total of 134,520 pounds of blueberries last year.

What nationality is sweet potato pie? ›

Both sweet potato and pumpkin pies are American staples with a starchy custardlike filling. Pumpkin pie tends to be more heavy on spice, while sweet potato pie is typically sweeter and lighter. But the reasons why people choose one over the other often trace back to where they were raised and their race.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Chrissy Homenick

Last Updated:

Views: 5786

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Chrissy Homenick

Birthday: 2001-10-22

Address: 611 Kuhn Oval, Feltonbury, NY 02783-3818

Phone: +96619177651654

Job: Mining Representative

Hobby: amateur radio, Sculling, Knife making, Gardening, Watching movies, Gunsmithing, Video gaming

Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.