Easy Caramel Banana Filo Hand Pies with Phyllo Pastry

An easy recipe for easy caramel banana pies made with filo (phyllo) pastry in a muffin tray. Great for a snack or dessert with ice cream.

Caramel Banana Filo Hand Pies

I fell in love with this type of little pies when I made my first batch of easy filo apple crumble pies in a muffin tray and realised just how simple they are to make and how delicious they are.

The reason they are called hand pies, is they are just the right bite-size treat.

They make a rather tasty snack and the perfect dessert served with cream or ice cream.

Of course, you have to have the willpower to stop at ten one or two.

This time I decided to make caramel banana pies.

OH MY!!!

See that caramel that has oozed out some of the pies? 

It turns into a toffee. 

So there is soft caramel inside with the banana and little toffee bits on the outside where it has leaked. Serendipity is definitely at play here.

I do love a happy accident!

Muffin Tin Pies

Now I've discovered these muffin tray pies I'll be making lots of variations of them.

They are the easiest pies to make. 

There's no making or rolling of pastry. No blinding baking. And no faff.

These pies all start with ready-made filo pastry (which is also called phyllo pastry), which is cut into squares and layered in a muffin tray with a little oil on layer.

Then it's just a case of adding your filling, placing a lid on top and tucking it all in before baking until golden.

Easy as pie!

What you need to make Caramel Banana Filo Hand Pies

Here are the simple ingredients to make these tasty little banana pies.

1. Filo pastry - also known as phyllo pastry
2. Spray oil - sunflower, olive or rapeseed
3. Caramel sauce - regular or vegan
4. Bananas
5. Brown sugar - or demerara sugar
6. Icing sugar - also known as confectioner's sugar

If you prefer, you can brush between each layer with melted butter (or dairy-free butter).

The full printable recipe with a full list of ingredients and method is at the bottom of this page after the step-by-step photos.

Can you bake caramel banana pies in the air fryer

You can bake banana hand pies in the air fryer instead of the oven with a few tweaks.

1. Use a silicone muffin tray, which is suitable for use in an air fryer
2. Use smaller metal muffin trays that fit in your air fryer
3. Air fryers bake quicker, so keep an eye on the pies
4. You may need to bake the pies in batches
5. If you are baking two trays at once, you will have to swap their positions part-way through the bake as the top of the air fryer is hotter.

Alternative Muffin Tray Pie Fillings

Here are a few ideas for alternative fillings for these little filo hand pies:

1. Lightly poached rhubarb and ginger
2. Banana and chocolate spread
3. Soft pear, dark chocolate and almond
4. Peach and raspberry
5. Cream cheese and raspberry
6. Cream cheese and blueberry
7. Cream cheese and strawberry
8. Lemon curd (check out this vegan lemon curd recipe)
9. Apple sauce and blackberry
10. Pumpkin puree

What is Filo Pastry?

Filo pastry, which is also known as phyllo pastry, is layers of very thin unleavened pastry. 

Unleavened means there is no rising agent added to the pastry.

While it is very easy to make shortcrust pastry and even puff pastry if you have the time, filo pastry is best bought ready-made as making it is a real skill best left to pastry chefs. 

It takes a lot of experience to make these super thin and even sheets of pastry.

Filo pastry, is used to make crisp sweet or savoury pastries by building up layers.

Store-bought filo (or phyllo) is really good quality and can be bought chilled or frozen from your local grocery store or supermarket.

How do you use Filo Pastry?

When you use filo pastry to make a pie, each layer of the pastry is brushed with melted butter (or dairy-free spread).

This gives the crisp layers and crunch that is so distinctive with this type of pastry.

It can be layered up evenly in a stack or at different angles for a more rustic look.

Tips for using Filo Pastry

Time is against you when you are using filo pastry as the thin layers can dry out and turn brittle quickly.

So the key tip is to work quickly, but also to store the sheets you aren't working with in a damp, clean tea towel.

This will help prevent the thin pastry from drying out.

I also have a tip for buttering the layers.

A quick technique (which I picked up from Nadiya Hussein from the Great British Bake Off), is to use sunflower spray (cooking spray) in a spray bottle to oil each layer.

Giving it a quick spray between layers with spray oil is much quicker and less messy than brushing on melted butter.

You could also use a spray bottle of olive oil or rapeseed oil.

Is Filo Pastry Suitable for Vegans?

Most shop-bought filo pastry is suitable for vegans. 

Just check the back of the packet to be sure.

Be aware when eating out that while filo pastry is usually suitable for vegans however most pastries made with it will have been brushed with butter between the layers. 

So even if the filling and pastry is suitable for a vegan diet, the method they use may not be.

For more pastry ideas, check out my post 25 Awesome Puff Pastry Recipes for Vegans.

Caramel Sauce

There's no need to make your own caramel for these pies, but feel free to if it gives you joy.

Ready-made caramel sauce in jars is easily found in most supermarkets either in the home baking aisle or beside the sweet sauces and toppings.

You will also find caramel condensed milk beside the standard condensed milk in supermarkets.

Caramel can be plain or salted and each would be equally good in these pies.

Vegan Caramel Sauce

Vegan caramel sauce is also available.

My go-to vegan caramel sauce is by Hey Boo. It is made with a coconut milk base instead of dairy milk, but is just as decadent as your average caramel.

It is available at M&S and from various online shops.

I use it to make my wickedly sinful vegan banoffee pie cheesecake, quick and easy vegan banoffee pies and my lush vegan oreo and caramel cheesecake.

M&S also now sells a vegan salted caramel icing, which would also work well in these hand pies.

Afternoon tea or dessert

These little bites of heaven can be served warm or cold.

They are such a treat for lunchboxes (for more lunch box ideas, check out my lunch blog The Vegan Lunchbox).

But, they are also good served cold for afternoon tea.

However, don't forget to try them served warm as a delicious dessert with either custard, cream or with vanilla ice cream.

I've also made these for school fund-raising events and some of my readers have made them for churc fayres and coffee mornings.

Whichever way you serve them, you are going to love them!

Storing filo hand pies

These banana pies are best served fresh when they are made however, you can store them for 2-3 days.

For the best crunch, store them in an airtight container  (layers separate by parchment paper or baking paper) on your kitchen work surface overnight at room temperature (if it's not too hot).

Storing them for longer than that, then you want to store these caramel filo bites in the fridge.

They will lose some of their crunch, but they will still be delicious.

You can store them in the fridge for 3-4 days.

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How to Make Caramel Banana Filo Hand Pies

A step-by-step photo guide followed by a full printable recipe. 

Step 1 - Filo Pastry

• Take your filo pastry (phyllo sheets), also known as phyllo pastry out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes before you need it.
• Cut it into squares with a sharp knife or scissors. They don't have to be too neat.
• Place it in a clean, damp tea towel, to keep the squares from drying out as you build the pies.

Step 2 - Pie Base

• Pop your oven on to heat and start making the pie bases.
• For each pie base, place a square of filo pastry over each muffin cup in the tray and give a light spray of oil. 
• Add the next layer at an angle to the first, spray, and then add the third layer at a further angle. No need to spray the top layer.
• Press the pastry gently into the cup to make the pastry case. 
• Carry on until you have all 12 cups filled. 
• This recipe will make approximately 30 pies. The amount of layers and size of filo pastry sheets can vary a little from brand to brand, so you may have slightly more or less pies than I did.
• Fully make up the pies in one 12-hole muffin tray at a time.

Step 3 - Caramel

• Add a generous heaped teaspoon of caramel to each pie case.
• Doesn't that look good?

Step 4 - Bananas

• Add 3 banana slices to each pastry case on top of the caramel. 
• The slices of banana should cover most of the caramel.

Step 5 - Adding a lid

• Next, add a lid to each pie. One square of filo pastry on the top of each filling. 
• Give each lid a little spray of oil, it will help with next step.
• I forgot to take a photo of this step, so I'm sharing a photo I took of this step when I was making apple pies. It's exactly the same method.
• Just call me Miss Forgetful!

Step 6 - Sealed pies

• Once you have added a lid to each pie you can seal the pies by scrunching the edges of the pie case over the lid towards the middle. It's really simple.
• Once you have done this, give them a final light spray of oil and a small sprinkle of brown sugar or each.

Step 7 - Bake

• Bake until golden brown and crisp.
• Leave in the tray for a few minutes to cool a little and then use a teaspoon to tease them out of the muffin tray cups and leave on a baking wire rack to cool completely.
• Where caramel has oozed out (the best bits), you may need to loosen it around the edges, but they should pop out easily once you have done this.
• Once they are completely cool, dust with icing sugar for that finishing touch.

Step 8 - Tuck in

• Get stuck in!
• You are going to love these. They are little bites of heaven!

hand pies, filo pies, banana filo pies, banana phyllo pies, banana caramel pies, banana pie

dessert, snack

British

Yield: 30

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Easy Caramel Banana Filo Hand Pies with Phyllo Pastry

An easy recipe for easy caramel banana pies made with filo (phyllo) pastry in a muffin tray. Great for a snack or dessert with ice cream.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 250g (9 oz packet) filo (phyllo) pastry
• 3 tablespoons sunflower oil (spray)
• 250g (1 cup) caramel sauce (vegetarian or vegan), a little bit more or less is fine
• 5 large bananas
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan/400f/gas mark 6.
2. Take the pastry out of the fridge, remove from the packet and leave on a plate for a few minutes to come to room temperature.
3. Spray 2 x 12 hole muffin tins with sunflower oil or baking spray.
4. Unroll the pastry and cut each layer into 12 squares with a knife or scissors. Pile up ready to use in a clean, damp tea towel, to stop it drying out.
5. Place a square of filo over each of the muffin cups, spray lightly with oil, add another at a slight angle, spray again and do the same with the last square. No need to spray the last square.
6. Press in gently to make a pie cup.
7. Add a generous teaspoon of caramel to each case.
8. Top with 3 slices of banana.
9. Add a square of pastry for the lid, press in gently, spray with oil, then fold in the edges of the pastry over the lid and press down.
10. Give each pastry one final spray of oil, then add a sprinkle of brown sugar and bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crisp.
11. Leave to cool in the tray for 5-10 minutes, then move to a baking rack to continue cooling.
12. Do all this again until you have used all your filo and fillings.
13. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
14. Enjoy!

Notes

• Vegan pies - for vegan pies, check the filo (phyllo) package to make sure it is suitable and use vegan caramel sauce.
• Bananas - have an extra banana just in case you cut the slices thicker than I did and run out.
• Brown Sugar - this is optional, it adds a nice little sugary crunch to the top, but you can leave it out if you are using icing (confectioners) sugar.
• Air fryer - they will bake quicker, so keep an eye on them.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

80.58

Fat (grams)

1.97 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.29 g

Carbs (grams)

15.61 g

Fiber (grams)

0.75 g

Net carbs

14.86 g

Sugar (grams)

8.84 g

Protein (grams)

0.94 g

Sodium (milligrams)

69.13 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

0 mg

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