Hack That Leftover Costco Banana Cream Pie Into A Frozen Summer Treat
As members are acutely aware, everything is bigger at Costco. Just consider the 13 biggest desserts in Costco history, a sizable list that includes pecan pies, tiramisu bars, sheet cakes, and more. The Costco bakery also features an equally substantial banana cream pie, which can be a little daunting when you consider the sheer magnitude of the thing. At a whopping 3 ½ pounds, leftovers are a given with this pie. If you're struggling to use up the remainder, one clever option is turning the baked good into ice cream.
According to an ingenious Redditor, who was deemed "the person who should be running this great country" by an elated commenter, you can simply take the leftover pie, transfer it to a container, and place it into the freezer. The result is a creamy, frosty treat with a bit more staying power than an unfrozen pie. One person recommended combining this freezing hack with Costco's peanut butter chocolate cream pie, while another Reddit user wondered if the technique would work with the lemon meringue cheesecake.
Best practices when hacking pie into ice cream
A banana cream pie stored in the refrigerator has a lifespan of about three or four days. Conversely, an appropriately stored pie can last about two months when frozen. That gives you plenty of time to enjoy your enormous Costco treat without concerns about spoilage (or a sugar overload). According to the Reddit thread that suggested the frozen banana cream pie hack, the original poster stated that they procured an empty ice cream container on Amazon and mixed up the remaining pie inside of it. However, you may want to take extra care when freezing the pie to ensure it lasts as long as possible.
First, check out the setting on your freezer. The temperature should be less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit if you want your ice cream to maintain its delicious taste and texture. Remember that the temperature can increase when you open the freezer, so ice cream should always be stored as far back as possible. You can also fortify the ice cream against freezer burn by covering the top of the container with a sheet of plastic wrap before placing the lid on it. While you don't always need to toss freezer-burned ice cream, preventing air exposure can spare you some hassle.
How to enhance other treats with frozen banana cream pie
You're certainly free to enjoy your frozen banana cream pie on its own (which can be enhanced with some unexpected ice cream toppings like canned fruit or apple butter), but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy this sweet treat from Costco. For instance, blending the frozen pie with chocolate-flavored whipped topping makes one tasty milkshake. You can also experiment with other ingredients, such as peanut butter chips or even bacon bits if you're feeling particularly adventurous.
The frozen pie filling can also be combined with cookies to make tasty little sandwiches. When it comes to ideal cookie pairings for banana cream pie, shortbread is a good choice, as are vanilla-flavored wafers. If you're a fan of banana splits, consider using a scoop of your hacked ice cream in place of vanilla to boost the banana flavors even further. With so many great ideas for utilizing frozen Costco banana cream pies, repurposing the mammoth baked good is likely to keep your summer snacking interesting.