The students of the Cherry Creek High School Cooking Club, have returned with a sweet recipe to finish your meal! Using common ingredients stocked on shelves in the Market @ IFCS, they have created a dessert and composed this blog entry as guest bloggers. We encourage you to try this recipe!
Over the past few months, we have highlighted recipes that bring people together – from our Crispy Fish Tacos to our Hand-Folded Potstickers. Each dish has reflected our belief that food is a powerful connector. For our third installment to IFCS’ food journal, we turned to something more sweet: the classic Banoffee Pie, a desert layered with bananas, dulce de leche, and whipped cream.
Just as with the first two recipes, this dish served as another opportunity for our club to gather and prepare something meaningful for families across the Denver Community.
A Sweet Addition
Banoffee Pie may look daunting, but its ingredients are simple and comforting. Warm graham cracker crust forms the base, followed by a thick layer of dulce de leche. Banana slices, toffee bits, and whipped cream complete the dessert, creating a treat that feels very celebratory.
Like the potstickers and crispy fish taco, this recipe reinforces our key value: that food can bring joy, even during challenging times.
Our Cooking Process
Our club came to the pie with the same energy and teamwork that has been built through previous cooking sessions. Some went to the graham crackers to help prepare the crust, others prepared the whipped cream. Everyone moved between stations, crafting a tasty dessert together.
With each recipe, we have watched students grow more confident in the kitchen, but more importantly, more connected to IFCS’ mission. Everyone has learned that service can begin with something as simple as mixing ingredients or pressing a crust. We hope that small acts like these can create something meaningful for families who need support.
Why Desserts Matter
While our first two recipes focused on savory meals, we felt it to be fitting to include a dessert to remind us of the emotional impact food can have. Dessert may not seem essential, but the joy it brings is deeply significant. This dessert offers us a moment of comfort, and helps us feel celebrated and cared for. It reminds us that even in difficult times, kindness exists.
Continuing Our Journey
As our recipes expand further, we remain committed to preparing meals that nourish our body and our spirt. Each dish embodies our dedication to community connection.
We look forward to sharing more recipes, more stories, and more opportunities to serve together. One meal, one dessert at a time, we continue to strengthen the bonds that make the Denver community resilient and hopeful.
Until Next Time,
CCHS Cooking Club
CLICK HERE for the printable recipe by Preppy Kitchen
Banoffee Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 cups dulce de leche, divided
- 3 bananas sliced, plus additional, for garnish
- ½ cup toffee bits plus additional, for garnish
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt.
- Firmly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
- Bake until lightly set, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Top with bananas, arranging in concentric circles, overlapping slightly.
- Sprinkle with ½ cup toffee bits; drizzle with ¼ cup dulce de leche.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat cream and 3 Tbsp. sugar at medium high speed until soft peaks form. Stir in vanilla.
- Spoon whipped cream over banana layer.
- Drop teaspoons of dulce de leche over whipped cream layer; swirl using the back of a spoon.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- Garnish with toffee bits and banana slices.
Notes:
- You’ll need a 9-inch pie dish or cake pan to make this recipe.
- You can blitz the cookies in a food processor to get fine crumbs, or pop them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- The crust should be just lightly browned, don’t overtake it or it’ll be too hard.
- Make sure to let the crust cool completely before filling.
- You must use dulce de leche or make your own by heating up sweetened condensed milk. Don’t be tempted to use caramel sauce because it won’t set properly in the fridge and will be too runny.
- You don’t need to be neat when adding the whipped cream on top it’s best to just dollop it on and make sure it’s covering the filling underneath. It should be pillowy and rustic looking.
- Make sure the bananas are completely covered in the filling to stop them from turning brown.
- If your bananas are already browning too quickly you can squeeze a very small amount of lemon juice on top to stop it but don’t go crazy we don’t want to taste the lemon flavor.
- Let the banoffee pie chill in the fridge to firm up slightly otherwise, it’ll be a little tricky to cut into slices.
- I like to garnish this pie with shaved chocolate. If you haven’t made chocolate shavings before it’s quite easy. Use a sharp knife to scrape thin pieces from a bar or block of chocolate then sprinkle them over the pie.
- Looking for more garnish ideas? why not try sprinkling over some nuts such as hazelnuts or peanuts, slices of banana, or more toffee bits.
- When cutting into the pie you won’t get a perfect cut like regular pies since the filling is soft.
- Storage – the pie will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freezing – the crust can be frozen for up to 3 months but I don’t recommend freezing the prepared pie.
