Make the crust

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. To make the crust, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined and crumbly.
3. Pour the mixture into the pie pan and spread the crumbs around so that they are evenly dispersed. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
4. Bake crust for 6-8 minutes, then set aside to cool completely.

Make the filling

1. To make the filling, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the brown sugar and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Don’t boil yet.
2. Add the sweetened condensed milk and heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, do not stir anymore. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes, or until it reaches 220 degrees F. Don’t over-cook or the filling will be too firm. It will also be too soft if not cooked enough. I recommend a food thermometer, to be sure. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and pour into the prepared crust. NOTE: Don’t let the mixture sit in the hot pan or it’ll continue to cook and end up firmer when cool.
3. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until firm.

Add the topping

1. Once cool and firm, arrange the banana slices in two layers on top of the filling.
2. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly on top of the bananas, making sure the whipped cream touches the top of the crust all the way around so that the banana slices are fully covered. This will help keep them from browning for longer.
3. To add the optional chocolate shavings, run a vegetable peeler down the thin side of a chocolate bar over the pie. I use a Baker’s chocolate bar, which is a little thicker and easier to work with.
4. Serve pie immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Best if eaten within 1-2 days, but leftovers can last longer depending on the bananas. Often they can look brown on the outside where a slice was cut, but if you remove the end slice, the bananas on the inside are still ok.