This classic desert is a true indulgence

Although I don’t have a sweet tooth – for the last number of years, I have been on the search for the best banoffee pie.

My aunt makes an awesome one with a biscuit base, a good amount of caramel and at least two sliced bananas, topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate flakes.

The banoffee pie's origin can be traced back to the 1970s at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex, England. The story goes that the owner, Nigel Mackenzie, and his chef, Ian Dowding, created this delicious dessert to utilize an abundance of overripe bananas.

By layering sliced bananas on a toffee-filled base and topping it with whipped cream, they unintentionally created a culinary masterpiece that would soon become a sensation and can be found in many restaurants around the globe.

When I researched the origins, I came across a recipe by Ian Dowding who actually doesn’t use a biscuit base but a tart shell. So far, I have never seen it being served with a pastry shell but rather the biscuit base. Most people will use carnation condensed milk to create the caramel toffee by gently simmering the milk until it transforms into a rich, caramelized concoction that makes for a delightful indulgence. But be careful not to let the pot boil dry, as my aunt could write a book about an exploding tin that covered the entire kitchen in a sticky layer of caramel that took days to clean up!

Part of the banoffee pie's enduring charm lies in its adaptability. Some cooks add a layer of chocolate ganache or swap out the traditional biscuit base for alternatives like digestive biscuits. Others experiment with flavoured whipped creams, incorporating elements like coffee or vanilla for an extra layer of complexity. I tried it once with the coffee flavoured cream and will not order it again.

The cream should be freshly whipped rather than using the spray cream – trust me, the difference is noticeable. The balance between biscuit layer, caramel, banana and cream is of utmost importance – chefs tend to skimp on the caramel in favour of a thick biscuit base.

Make sure you can still taste and feel the caramel and don’t forget the bananas – don’t let me guess if there is actually any in it.

The last banoffee pie I ate was in a restaurant in Dublin. A thick layer of biscuit, a thin stretch of toffee and a few thin slices of bananas were topped with cream from the spray can – not the most exciting version.

Whether served chilled or at room temperature, the banoffee pie is a dessert that demands to be savoured slowly. Each bite should be a journey through layers of indulgence, leaving a lingering sweetness that satisfies the sweet tooth without overwhelming. But for that sensation, the balance of each layer needs to be right.

Let’s honour the original indulgence that Nigel McKenzie and Ian Dowding created back in the 1970s.