Chocolate-Banana Cream Pie with Speckled Oreo Crust (a.k.a. Pie of Love)

Well this is just an easy-peasy downright fun and stupendously crowd-pleasing pie of love. My brother made it for - you guessed it, "Pi(e) Day" - March 14 (get it, 3.14?) - and took it into work where it was mobbed and gobbled, and he had to take another in a few days later.

All it is, is delicious crust, instant pudding, bananas and whipped cream, but we don't always think of such ease, do we? Sometimes we need a cool food blog with fancy pictures (do I flatter?) to tell us, "Not only is it OK, but it's cool, to make a pudding pie." And if you're going to make one, you should make this one because it's from Dave so it's extra cool.

You can make the crust with original Oreos, golden Oreos, or a combination like I did. Be sure to cut the bananas nice and chunky, and to make sure they get totally covered with the top pudding. You probably have all this stuff in your house right now, so go whip up some love for your family.

Chocolate-Banana Cream Pie with Speckled Oreo Crust (print recipe)
Crust:
9 original Oreo cookies
9 golden Oreo cookies
3 T butter, melted

Filling:
1 (3.4 oz.) box chocolate instant pudding
1 (3.4 oz.) box vanilla or banana cream instant pudding
3 cups milk
3 bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup whipping cream
1 to 3 T granulated or confectioners' sugar

Finishing Touches:
Shaved chocolate and/or 1 chocolate and 1 golden Oreo

1. Preheat oven to 400. To make crust, pulse chocolate and golden Oreos in the food processor until totally crumbly. Turn processor on and pour melted butter in while whizzing. Scrape sides and bottom and process until sandy. Press crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate, using clean buttered hands or a glass measuring cup buttered on the bottom to press crust tightly along bottom and up sides of pie pan. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature.
2. Whisk chocolate pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups milk for 5 minutes; pour into crust. Place sliced bananas all over pudding. (This is a fun task for kids to help with.) Whisk vanilla/banana cream pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups milk for 5 minutes. Pour over bananas and spread to edges using a rubber spatula; make sure all bananas are completely covered so they won't brown. Chill until ready to serve.

3. Right before serving, whip cream and sugar until fluffy. Pipe or spread over banana pudding. Garnish with shaved chocolate, leftover whole or crushed Oreos, or whatever else sounds good.Recipe from my brother Dave