Keto Banana Cream Pie Bars are a delectable no bake dessert recipe. Featuring a keto cookie crust and a creamy sugar free filling, these bars really satisfy. Only 2g net carbs per serving.
Hey there, banana lovers. I’ve got the ultimate keto treat for you. These Keto Banana Cream Pie Bars are legit!
And by legit I mean that they have amazing banana cream flavor with very little sugar or carbs. Trust me when I say I was blown away by these bars, both in taste and texture!
It’s a delicious no bake keto dessert worthy of your consideration.
Why you will love this recipe
The truth is that I am not a huge banana cream lover. So when I say how much I loved these bars, you know it’s a big deal. And my husband has been vehemently against bananas the whole time I’ve known him. He detests bananas in general and he loved these bars.
So I am quite certain that banana cream pie lovers will absolutely adore them. They have the classic flavor you’re looking for, with no real banana and a fraction of the carbs.
Being a chocoholic, I couldn’t help but add a layer of keto chocolate ganache. But you could skip this if you prefer a pure banana flavor. And with only 2g net carbs per serving, you are free to indulge!
Ingredient notes
Banana pudding always uses vanilla wafers, so I thought it would be fun to make the crust of these bars with HighKey Vanilla Wafers. I crushed them up in a food processor and tossed them with melted butter. They were perfect! You can use other keto cookies, either store-bought or homemade. See Expert Tips for more suggestions.
Then I made a simple chocolate ganache layer. I simmered some cream and added keto chocolate chips to melt, and then spread it over the crust.
The filling is something of a hybrid. It starts with my Keto Banana Pudding, and then some sour cream for added bulk and creaminess. Using a little gelatin helps set the filling, so you can cut it into bars more easily.
As I often do, I recommend a combination of sweeteners for this recipe. A good powdered erythritol sweetener, adds sweetness without being gritty. And a little allulose helps make the filling softer and less likely to recrystallize. See the Expert Tips section for more information.
Banana extract is a must for Keto Banana Cream Pie Bars! I have found a couple of brands I like, including this banana flavoring from Olive Nation.
How to make Keto Banana Cream Pie Bars
Prepare the crust: Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor and process until they resemble crumbs. Transfer to an 8×8 inch pan and drizzle with the melted butter. Mix well to combine and then press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Freeze for 20 minutes.
Make the chocolate ganache: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Let sit to melt then whisk until smooth. Pour the ganache over the crust and spread to the edges. Refrigerate while preparing the banana cream filling.
Make the banana pudding: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the almond milk, cream, egg yolks, sweeteners, and salt. Cook, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture thickens, 7 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully, as you do not want it to curdle. Remove from heat and whisk in the banana extract.
Add the gelatin and sour cream: In a small bowl, whisk together the gelatin and water. Let bloom a few minutes, then add to the warm banana pudding and whisk until dissolved. Stir in the sour cream until no lumps remain, then pour the filling over the chocolate. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
Whip the topping: In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream with the sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over the banana pudding layer. Refrigerate another 30 minutes to firm up, before cutting into bars.
Expert Tips
Watch the banana pudding base carefully and whisk almost constantly so it doesn’t curdle. If you do find that it curdles, get it off heat right away and into a blender. Then blend until smooth.
The gelatin helps set the filling, but you need to bloom it first. This means combining it with water and letting it gel, before adding it to the warm pudding mixture. You need to make sure the pudding mixture is still warm so that the gelatin will dissolve.
Crust options: There are so many fun ways to make this crust. If you use pre-made keto cookies, make sure they are crisp rather than soft-baked. For homemade options, try Keto Graham Crackers or Butter Pecan Cookies. You could also simply make a shortbread from scratch and bake it, similar to these Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars.
Sweetener Options: Because the gelatin helps set the filling, you could use almost any sweetener. Do keep in mind that if you use just allulose, it may take longer to set. The whipped topping does need a liquid or powdered sweetener to avoid grittiness.
More keto bars you will enjoy
- Keto Nanaimo Bars
- Almond Joy Cheesecake Bars
- Keto Peanut Butter Bars
- Brown Butter Keto Blondies
- Keto Magic Cookie Bars
Keto Banana Cream Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 5.5 ounces HighKey Vanilla Wafers
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Chocolate Layer
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup sugar-free chocolate chips
Banana Cream Filling
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup Swerve Confectioners
- 3 tablespoon allulose
- 2 teaspoon banana extract
- Pinch salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon grassfed gelatin (or half an envelope Knox gelatin)
- 2 tablespoon room temperature water
- ⅔ cup sour cream
Whipped Topping
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoon Swerve Confectioners
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor and process until they resemble crumbs. You can also crush them in a zip lock bag.
- Transfer to an 8×8 inch pan and drizzle with the melted butter. Mix well to combine and then press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Freeze for 20 minutes.
Chocolate Layer
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Let sit to melt then whisk until smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the crust and spread to the edges. Refrigerate while preparing the banana cream filling.
Banana Cream Filling
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the almond milk, cream, egg yolks, sweeteners, and salt. Cook, whisking almost constantly, until the mixture thickens, 7 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully, as you do not want it to curdle. Remove from heat and whisk in the banana extract.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the gelatin and water. Let bloom a few minutes, then add to the warm banana pudding and whisk until dissolved.
- Stir in the sour cream until no lumps remain, then pour the filling over the chocolate. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
Whipped Topping
- In a large bowl, beat the whipping cream with the sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over the banana pudding layer. Refrigerate another 30 minutes to firm up, before cutting into bars.
- Shave a piece of dark chocolate over the bars, if desired.
Ryan says
Curious about the sour cream, can it be made without or is there a sub?
Only asking because I really want to make these but a don’t have any at the moment 🙂
Thank you!
Carolyn says
Greek yogurt is always a good sub.
Ryan says
Making soon, thank you!
Mary DeLaney says
What would be a good alternative for Almond milk? I’m looking to make a nut free recipe.
Carolyn says
Coconut milk works.
Paula says
Do I have to use the allulose in the banana cream bar recipe? I can’t tolerate it.
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post for your sweetener options.
Shan says
This was amazing! Each bite I thought “I can’t believe how good this is!”. I made it on your almond flour shortbread crust, and didn’t have chocolate on hand so skipped that layer, but even so, it was completely delicious. Hubby and I each had to have another slice… topped it with whipped cream and toasted slivered almonds. I will definitely be making this many more times. Thanks so much.
Cheryl says
This was amazing! I bought 2 bags of HighKey Vanilla wafers and then realized it wouldn’t be enough. So, I made your Slice and Bake Vanilla Wafers. It turned out so much better than I had imagined it would. Will definitely make it again!
Diana says
This recipe came out way beyond my expectations. Awesome presentation and flavor! This is a top 3 from your recipes. 👏🏻
Brenda says
I absolutely loved this recipe! Does not compare to the store bough sugar free pudding. This is way better, just the right amount of sweetness and banana flavor.
Sara says
Delicious! Made this with the butter pecan cookies as the base and tasted sooo good. The hubs loved it and will definitely make again!
Mearced says
Looks dreamy! I love banana cream. Do you think coconut cream would work in place of the heavy cream for the pudding layer since I’m dairy free?
Thank you for your many many delicious recipes!
Carolyn says
It should!
Zuly says
Absolutely delicious, once again, Carolyn! I had to make a slight change because I only bought 2 bags of high key cookies, oopsie. I added pecan flour for the difference in oz’s and also added 1/4c of chopped toasted pecans to the crust mix, for an extra crunch. Why not, since I went the additional pecan route, lol. I also added an additional 1/2t banana extract to the cream filling. OH MYY!!! It was so gooood! and I’m already drooling because I know it will be even yummier tomorrow.
Thanks again, doll, for another winner. :-)))
Lynn Ellis says
I was wondering if there is something else to use for the base. I don’t see the vanilla wafers on Amazon.ca, however, I do see mini chocolate chip cookies. The price is $57.64 for a 2 oz. bag. Unbelievable. I would like to make these banana cream bars because I love banana cream pie. I have T1 Diabetes so can’t do the regular pie anymore. Thank you.
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post.
Lynn Ellis says
I finally got around to reading the blog post. My bad. It was your email for the coconut dip that jogged my memory. I did get the vanilla wafers, but didn’t know if the bars could be frozen. I found that in the blog…ooops…that’ll teach me to read it. So, now I can make them because I LOVE banana cream pie, etc. Thank you.
JoyceK says
I don’t know about the rest of your fans, but I think $15.00 for a 6 oz. bag of HighKey cookies to make this recipe is a lot of money. Won’t be making this one.
Carolyn says
Clearly you didn’t read the rest of my post to see that I offered a number of alternatives… I always do. But thanks for having so much faith in me! 😉