Cookie Crust

• Banana split ice cream treats don't usually include a cookie ingredient, but used as the pie base cookies add flavor and texture. Vanilla wafer cookies balance well with bananas, making the finished pie reminiscent of a banana pudding layered dessert. Other options include a sweet graham cracker pie crust or chocolate sandwich cookie crust. It requires approximately 20 cookies and 1/4 cup of butter to make a standard 8- to 9-inch pie crust. Pulse the cookies in a blender or food processor to make fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse again to make a dough-like consistency. Press the wet crumb mixture firmly into the pie pan.

Creamy Filling

• Pudding makes a simple creamy substitute for ice cream in this banana split variation. Use a single flavor, such as chocolate or vanilla, or prepare two flavors and swirl them together over the pie crust. Reduce the amount of milk in the standard pudding preparation instructions by about one-third to make thicker, firmer pudding. Add cream cheese and non-dairy whipped topping to the pudding for a richer filling. For a standard box of pudding, add about 4 ounces of cream cheese and 1- to 1-1/2 cups of whipped topping. Spread the pudding or pudding mixture evenly over the cookie crust. Real ice cream can be used for the cream layer, but the pie must be kept frozen.

Fruit Layers

• Instead of placing scoops of ice cream between banana halves, add a layer of banana slices over the cream layer to adapt this dessert for pie form. Ripe bananas offer the best flavor, but avoid over-ripe bananas, which can make the dessert slimy. Add a thin layer of crushed pineapple or thin pineapple slices over the banana slices. Banana splits sometimes include strawberry ice cream, but you can use real strawberry slices to get the same taste in the pie version. Fresh or frozen strawberries work well, or use strawberries in strawberry syrup.

Toppings Ideas

• A banana split wouldn't be complete without whipped cream added liberally over the fruit. Real whipped cream quickly returns to a liquid state from its whipped emulsion form, so banana split pie requires a more stable cream topping. Add piping gel to stabilize whipped cream at the soft peak stage and continue whipping until medium peaks form. Non-dairy whipped cream makes a suitable, fairly stable alternative to real whipped cream. Spread a thick layer of your whipped topping choice over the fruit. Drizzle chocolate sauce and strawberry sauce over the entire pie. Sprinkle with wet walnuts and add maraschino cherries across the top to finish the pie.