As some of you already know, I am obsessed with the Banana Tart from The Sycamore in Columbus, OH. The gingersnap crust combined with the fresh banana custard is truly perfection! I’ve probably consumed over 100 in my lifetime. That might seem like a lot of banana tarts for one gal but not too many for me! One time for dinner I tried to order “a Turkey Burger, no fries, sub banana tart”.. it didn’t work, but it was definitely worth a try.

This tart is so good that I naturally felt the need to bake myself one at home. So here you have it, my version of The Sycamore’s Banana Tart. I have to say my recipe tastes nearly identical to the original but I have a few disclaimers.

1. The Sycamore brûlées the banana’s on top of their tart with a bit of sugar. I don’t have a brûlée torch lying around (unfortunately) so I had to skip that step.
2. The Sycamore tops the banana tart with fresh, homemade whip cream and I bought mine from the store. My only excuse is that I was feeling lazy and I can’t find my whisk attachment for my KitchenAid (sigh). However, if you want to whip up some fresh whip cream I would definitely do so! Nothing beats the real stuff.

Finally, I have to thank you Chef Bradley Balch for the inspiration. He is the mastermind behind the original Banana Tart. Thank you!!

Serves 2

This recipe is for a mini tart, aka, a tartlet. I used a 6-Inch Wilton Tart Pan. If you would like to serve more than just a few people, I would suggest doubling the recipe and using a 9-inch tart pan. 

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 3/4 cup crushed ginger snap cookies (store bought)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Custard:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 ripe banana, mashed (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings:

• Banana slices
• Melted Semi-sweet chocolate
• Whip cream or Cool Whip

Instructions:

1. We will start with the crust. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F;
2. Using a food processor, crush ginger snap cookies to a fine grain;
3. Add the melted butter, sugar, and salt to the food processor. Pulse until well combined;
4. Dump this mixture into an oiled 6-inch tart pan. Press the mixture into the pan to make the crust. I suggest making it shallower near the center of the tart and thicker near the outsides so to make a “bowl” for the custard to sit in;
5. Bake the crust for 8 minutes and then let cool.
6. Now for the custard. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan. Whisk together half-and-half and egg yolks. Gradually whisk egg mixture into sugar mixture; bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat.
7. Stir in butter, mashed banana, and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, placing plastic wrap directly on filling in pan; let stand 30 minutes. Spoon custard mixture into the crust, cover and chill 30 minutes or until set.
8. Top with fresh bananas, whip cream, a drizzle of melted chocolate.