Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie – Creamy, Cool & Irresistible

Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We will only recommend products we use, love or think are informative and helpful.

Editor’s note: This is an updated version of an article originally posted May 2010 with better photos and additional information.

Cool, Creamy, and Crowd-Pleasing

If you’re looking for a dessert that feels both tropical and nostalgic, this banana coconut ice cream pie is a great choice. With a buttery graham cracker crust and a smooth banana-coconut filling, it’s the kind of dessert that everyone enjoys.

It’s also surprisingly easy to make. The filling is simply blended and frozen—no baking required beyond the crust—and the flavors mellow and blend beautifully as the pie chills.

Perfect for summer cookouts, weekend treats, or anytime you want to serve something light, creamy, chocolatey, and cool.

Why You’ll Love This Pie

• No churn required: Uses store-bought or softened ice cream for ease

• Make-ahead friendly: Perfect to prep the day before you serve

• Tropical flavor: Coconut and banana are a dreamy combo

• Texture-rich: Creamy filling with a little crunch from the crust and toasted coconut

• A frozen favorite: Especially nice for hot-weather entertaining

Ingredients Overview

You’ll find the full printable recipe below, but here’s what you’ll need:

• Graham cracker crust: You can use a homemade or store-bought version

• Banana ice cream: Or vanilla ice cream blended with ripe banana

• Cream of coconut: Adds smooth sweetness and coconut flavor

• Sweetened shredded coconut: Mixed into the filling and sprinkled on top

• Dark rum (optional): A splash deepens the tropical flavor

• Bananas: For layering and natural sweetness

• Toasted coconut: For garnish and added texture

Tips for Success

• Soften ice cream slightly before mixing to make blending easier

• Toast coconut in a dry skillet for 2–3 minutes until golden—it adds amazing flavor

• Chill thoroughly: Give the pie plenty of time in the freezer to fully set

• Cover well: Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and foil if storing more than a day to prevent freezer burn

What Makes This Pie Special

One of the very best parts of this pie is the texture contrast. The crust is made with crushed cookies and buttery toasted coconut, adding a delicious crunch beneath the creamy filling.

The banana-coconut ice cream mixture is blended until smooth and layered over banana slices in the crust—or you can save the slices for topping just before serving. Either way, it’s a dreamy frozen dessert that feels both light and indulgent.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve straight from the freezer with a drizzle of caramel or chocolate sauce

• Add extra banana slices on top just before serving for freshness

• Pair with grilled pineapple for a fun tropical dessert spread

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Freeze: Keep the pie frozen until ready to serve.

• Make ahead: Best made a day in advance for easier slicing and better flavor.

• Store: Wrap tightly and store in the freezer for up to 1 week for best texture.

Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie

PRINT RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1 graham cracker pie crust (store-bought or homemade)

• 1 pint banana ice cream (or vanilla + 1 ripe banana)

• ⅓ cup cream of coconut

• ⅓ cup shredded sweetened coconut

• 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)

• 1 banana, sliced

• ¼ cup toasted coconut, for garnish

Directions

1. If using vanilla ice cream, blend it with the ripe banana until smooth.

2. In a bowl, stir together the ice cream, cream of coconut, shredded coconut, and rum (if using).

3. Spread a layer of banana slices over the bottom of the pie crust.

4. Spoon the ice cream mixture on top and smooth the surface.

5. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

6. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice and serve straight from the freezer.

Banana Chocolate Ice Cream Pie
(Tuesdays with Dorie)

For the Crust
1 stick (8 tbs) unsalted butter
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
5 butter cookies, such as LU Petit Beurre or shortbread, crushed into crumbs (about 1/2 cup)1 ripe but firm bananaFor the Filling
2 very ripe bananas
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbs dark rum
1 pint premium-quality chocolate ice cream

For Serving
1 rip but firm banana
1 tsp lemon juice

To Make the Crust:
Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
Melt the butter in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut and cook, stirring without stopping, until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cookie crumbs. Turn the mixture into the pie plate and press it over the bottom and up the sides. Freeze for 30 minutes. (If you’d like, once the dough is frozen, you can wrap the pie plate and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months.)
Cut the firm banana into thin slices and arrange the slices over the crust.

To Make the Filling:
Cut the bananas into chunks and toss them into a food processor along with the lemon juice and rum. Process until you have a smooth puree, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 20 seconds. Add the ice cream and pulse the machine on and off in quick spurts, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 8 times, or just until the ingredients are blended- don’t process so long that the ice cream melts.

Scrape the ice cream into the piecrust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and freeze it for at least 4 hours. (If you want to keep the pie longer, wrap it airtight and freeze up to 2 months.)

When you are ready to serve, slice the firm banana into very thin rounds, toss the slices with the lemon juice (to keep from blackening) and arrange the rounds in decorative circles on the top of the pie.

Playing Around: In addition to whatever add-ins you might want to include (Spike adds chocolate chips to the banana puree), you can also change the flavor of ice cream. Dorie sometimes makes this pie with vanilla ice cream, but the filling is not a pure color- the bananas turn the ice cream a little dark. This never bothers her!

Serving: Once the top banana is in place, the pie is ready to be served. It can be served plain, but, in keeping with the tropical theme, some sweetened whipped cream would be nice- or even whipped cream with a splash of rum.

Storing: Without the banana decoration, the pie can be wrapped airtight and frozen up to 2 months; serve tight from the freezer.

 

You might also enjoy…

 

Impossible Coconut Custard Pie