Banana Cream Tart with Oat Crust

Slice into this and the custard’s still warm underneath, bananas soft, the oat crust actually snapping when you bite down. 35 minutes of prep, 25 in the oven, and you’re looking at something that tastes like it took all day. Had leftover bananas and a half-full container of cream—this happened instead of a smoothie.

Why You’ll Love This Banana Cream Tart

Forty-five minutes total. Not complicated. Just layering things that actually work together—oats with brown sugar and maple, a custard that’s somehow silky even though you’re making it from scratch, bananas that don’t get brown and sad.

Looks fancy. Tastes fancy. One bowl, one saucepan, done.

The citrus in the whipped cream changes everything. Orange zest. Sounds weird. It’s not. Cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes you want another slice immediately.

Works three days in the fridge if you can wait that long. Probably won’t.

What You Need for a Banana Cream Tart

Oat crumble—not rolled oats, the pressed kind mixed with brown sugar. Holds together better. You can make it yourself but honestly don’t bother. 150 grams.

Salted butter melted. 90 grams. The salt matters here. White sugar doesn’t work in this crust. Brown sugar does. Maple syrup. Not honey. Different flavor.

For the custard: light brown sugar, not white. Cornstarch and tapioca starch together—tapioca alone gets too rubbery. Eggs. Warm milk. Vanilla.

Bananas. Firm. Still a bit green at the edges. Not soft. The soft ones turn to mush. Slice them thick—two centimeters. Matters more than you think.

For the top: cold heavy cream, honey instead of sugar, orange zest. The zest is key.

How to Make a Banana Cream Tart

Heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Center rack. Mix the oat crumble with melted butter, maple syrup, salt. Press it into a 23-centimeter tart pan. Really press it. Flat glass on the bottom helps. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. You’re looking for the edges to turn golden and feel firm. Cool it completely. Don’t skip this part.

In a saucepan—off the heat first—whisk the brown sugar with both starches. Get it smooth. Beat in the eggs. Thorough. Add the warm milk slowly while whisking. Keep going until it’s actually combined, not streaky.

Turn the heat to medium. Stir constantly. Scrape the bottom and sides. This is where it matters. The custard will thicken. You’ll feel it. Keep going until it bubbles—just barely—then count 35 seconds. That’s it. Remove from heat right then.

How to Get the Custard Just Right

Pour half the custard into the cooled crust. Layer the banana slices on top. They should overlap slightly. Pour the remaining custard over. It should cover them completely. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Tight. This prevents the skin from forming. You don’t want a skin.

Refrigerate. Minimum 3.5 hours. The custard needs to set completely and get cold. It firms up more than you’d expect.

When you’re ready to serve—don’t do this early—whip the cold cream with honey and orange zest using an electric mixer. Whip until stiff peaks form. Takes maybe three minutes. Spread it over the chilled custard. Even layer.

Slice and serve right away or keep it refrigerated up to three days. The bananas brown after that. Not inedible but they look tired.

Banana Cream Tart Tips and Common Mistakes

The warm milk for the custard—actually warm, not hot. Hot cooks the eggs before you want them cooked. Room temperature milk is too cold. It won’t combine smoothly. Warm means you can hold your hand under the saucepan for three seconds.

Don’t skip the orange zest. Seriously. It’s not about tasting citrus. It’s about breaking up the sweetness. The dessert gets another dimension. No zest and it tastes one-note.

The plastic wrap on the custard—not optional. A skin forms otherwise. You’ll serve it and there’s this weird layer. Gross. Wrap it tight.

Bananas brown fast once they’re sliced. Cut them right before assembly. Not 20 minutes before. Right before.

The tapioca starch is weird. You can’t use just cornstarch. It gets gluey. Tapioca alone gets bouncy. Together they work. Don’t mess with it.

Leftover cream gets weird. Make exactly what you need. Whipping cream holds for maybe four hours in the fridge if it’s covered. After that the texture changes.

Banana Cream Tart with Oat Crust

By Emma

Prep:

35 min

Cook:

25 min

Total:

1h

Servings:

8 servings

Ingredients

• Crust
• 150 g oat crumble (pressed oats and brown sugar mix)
• 90 g salted butter melted
• 25 ml maple syrup
• 1 ml sea salt
• Custard
• 85 g light brown sugar
• 20 ml cornstarch
• 10 ml tapioca starch
• 2 large eggs
• 600 ml warm whole milk
• 4 ml vanilla extract
• Whipped Cream
• 240 ml 35% cream chilled
• 15 g honey
• 5 ml grated orange zest
• 2-3 medium firm ripe bananas sliced 2 cm thick

Method

1. Crust
2. 1 Preheat oven to 175 °C (345 °F). Place oven rack center.
3. 2 Mix oat crumble, melted butter, maple syrup, salt in bowl. Press firmly into a 23 cm tart pan. Use flat bottom glass.
4. 3 Bake 18-20 minutes till edges golden and set. Remove and cool completely.
5. Custard
6. 4 In saucepan off heat whisk sugar and starches. Beat in eggs thoroughly.
7. 5 Add warm milk and vanilla slowly while whisking to combine.
8. 6 Heat medium flame. Stir constantly scraping bottom and sides until thickened and just bubbling. Cook 35 seconds more.
9. 7 Remove from heat promptly. Pour half custard into cooled crust. Layer banana slices on top evenly.
10. 8 Pour remaining custard over bananas to cover. Press plastic wrap onto custard surface tightly to prevent skin.
11. 9 Chill in fridge minimum 3.5 hours until firm and cold.
12. Whipped Cream
13. 10 Using electric mixer, whip cold cream with honey and orange zest until stiff peaks form.
14. 11 Spread whipped cream over chilled custard layer evenly.
15. 12 Slice and serve immediately or keep refrigerated up to 3 days. Bananas brown after longer storage.

Nutritional information

Calories

320

Protein

5g

Carbs

38g

Fat

18g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Banana Cream Tart

Can I make the custard the day before? Yes. That’s actually better. The flavors sit overnight and get more rounded. Just don’t add the bananas until the day you’re serving it. They get mushy sitting in custard that long.

What if my custard is lumpy? It broke because the milk was too hot or you didn’t whisk fast enough. You can strain it through a fine sieve. Loses some texture but it works.

Why do you use both cornstarch and tapioca starch? Cornstarch alone gets thick but kind of gluey. Tapioca gives it a cleaner feel. Together they’re smooth and firm without the weird mouthfeel. Just trust it.

Can I skip the orange zest? Technically. But don’t. It changes the whole thing. If you hate citrus use a tiny bit of lemon zest instead. Like half a teaspoon.

Does this tart need to be refrigerated? Absolutely. The custard sets in the cold. Room temperature it’s still soft. Also custard goes bad fast at room temp. Three days maximum in the fridge.

What bananas are best? Firm ones. Still slightly green on the edges. They don’t turn to mush during assembly and they hold their shape under the custard weight. Soft bananas dissolve. Not worth it.