Banana Cream Pie Shake (no ice cream!)

Do you ever have a craving for something you haven’t had in years and then suddenly can’t stop thinking about it?!?

That’s exactly what happened to me recently. I had an intense craving for the Banana Cream Pie Shake I used to get probably close to 20 years ago now from Ralph's Famous Italian Ices.

If you are from the New York area, chances are you’ve heard of — or tried — a Ralph’s treat at some point. It was always one of my favorite summer spots to stop and indulge, and this shake was one of my number one picks!

Now that I live in the South, I couldn’t find anything similar, so it was time to get creative and figure out how to recreate it as best I could.

After testing a few different versions, I landed on the recipe below! The secret to making this actually taste like banana cream pie is the vanilla Jello pudding mix. If you are trying to be more mindful of sugar, you can absolutely use the sugar-free version here too. Personally, I don’t usually love zero-sugar options, but I know many people do, so I wanted to mention it!

Top it with homemade whipped cream to bring in that extra authentic “pie” flavor, but canned whipped cream (which is what I first used!) works great too. Even a scoop of Cool Whip adds the perfect creamy topping if that’s what you have on hand.

Literally everyone loves this easy banana cream pie shake, and it’s super quick to throw together. It’s the perfect nostalgic summer dessert recipe for hot days when you want something cold, creamy, and easy.

How to Make a Banana Cream Pie Shake

Step 1

The day before, freeze a few ripe bananas. You’ll need two frozen bananas for this recipe, but keeping extra sliced bananas in the freezer is always helpful for smoothies and quick desserts.

I recommend slicing the bananas before freezing since they blend much easier and create that slushy “nice cream” texture.

Step 2

When you’re ready to make your shake, add the frozen bananas to a blender with about ⅓ cup of water. Blend until the bananas are smooth and slushy, almost like thick banana ice cream.

Step 3

Add the remaining ingredients and blend again until creamy and smooth.

Step 4

Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.

Quick tip: To make graham cracker crumbs, place graham crackers into a zip-top bag, remove the air, and roll over them with a rolling pin until crumbs form. It’s also a great little kitchen task for kids to help with!

This easy summer dessert is ready in just minutes!

Banana Cream Pie Shake

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 shakes

Ingredients

• 2 frozen bananas

• 1 ripe banana (not frozen)

• 4 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix

• 1 cup milk

• Optional: 4–5 medium ice cubes for a thicker shake

• Graham cracker crumbs, for topping

• Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

**see steps for extra details**

• Freeze sliced bananas ahead of time.

• Blend frozen bananas with water until slushy.

• Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy.

• Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.

NOTES

You can use any milk from skim milk to whole milk. Whole milk will create the thickest, creamiest texture, but I’ve tested this recipe with everything from fat-free milk to whole milk and they all turn out delicious.

I have not personally tested this recipe with dairy-free milk alternatives yet, so I can’t guarantee how the texture may change.

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