Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding is creamy, light and insanely delicious! Layers of creamy pudding, fresh bananas and vanilla wafers. It’s incredibly simple to make and the perfect dessert for any occasion.

If you’ve ever been to New York and had the chance to stop by the Magnolia Bakery and taste their banana pudding, then you know how delicious it is! If you haven’t had that chance, then don’t worry because I got your back today.

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding is a heavenly dessert made up of layers of creamy vanilla pudding, bananas, and Nilla Wafers. It’s the actual recipe that the famous New York City bakery uses! It couldn’t be easier to make and I can almost guarantee your family is going to love it!

I made this banana pudding for the first time several, several years ago and we all loved it. When my son Braydon came home from his mission last fall, he raved about banana pudding he’d eaten several times on his mission and asked me to make banana pudding for his open house. When he said all the recipes he was fed had sweetened condensed milk in them, I knew immediately what recipe he was talking about.

Maybe you can’t technically call this “homemade pudding” because it starts with a box mix, but I think it’s equally delicious to any homemade vanilla pudding I’ve ever made.

One thing you might not know about me if you’re new around here, I don’t love bananas. I don’t hate them, but they aren’t my fruit of choice to just grab and eat. Annnnd, they have to still be slightly green. Any bit of brown or even the slightest bit softneess and they gag me. Thankfully, using slightly under ripe bananas is a good thing for this pudding that has stolen my heart.

Simple lineup of ingredients:

Sweetened condensed milk
Water
Jell-o instant vanilla pudding
Whipping cream
Vanilla wafers

Can I make this banana pudding in advance?

You actually need to make this pudding in advance. The pudding layer needs time to thicken in the fridge. It’s best if you can let it set overnight, but 4 hours will do if you’re in a pinch. You can even make this up to two days in advance and then fold in the whipped cream the day you plan on serving this. Also, keep in mind that the final assembly of the dessert should only be done 4-8 hours in advance. It needs a minimum of 4 hours in the fridge so the Nilla wafers can soften up.

HOW LONG DOES THIS BANANA PUDDING LAST?

This is a recipe that really is best served the same day that you make it. The bakery recommends serving it within 12 hours because the bananas will start to turn brown and look a little unappetizing.

What kind of dish should I assemble this in?

You can make this in a trifle dish or large bowl or you can make individual servings in smaller dishes. I have mini trifle dishes (see photos) and love serving this pudding in them. When I made these for my son’s open house I served them in these dessert dishes I ordered on Amazon. They worked perfectly. Also, I like to only assemble as many as I need and then keep the remaining pudding mixture in the fridge to use up over the next day or two.

Some helpful and important tips:

Plan ahead! The pudding layer of this dessert MUST be made ahead and needs at least 3 to 4 hours in the fridge, but overnight is even better. You also need to allow time to assemble the dessert and give it another 4 to 8 hours in the fridge.
Pudding mix. Please DO NOT use the cook & serve pudding in this recipe. You want to use instant pudding. Also, I don’t recommend using the sugar free pudding mix for this. I normally don’t mind using store brand puddings, but for this recipe I ALWAYS use the Jell-O brand.
Sweetened condensed milk. Don’t use low fat or fat free sweetened condensed milk.
Nilla Wafers. I recommend use the Nabisco brand, not a store brand.
No ripe bananas! Remember, you’re not making banana bread here my friends, so be sure and use bananas that are firm and even still slightly green (my kind of bananas!). Using slightly under ripe bananas will not turn brown as quickly. Also, be sure to completely cover the bananas with the pudding. This will help them from browning too quickly.
Timing is key when assembling the final product. Remember it needs at least 4 hours minimum for the flavors to meld and the Nilla wafers to soften. Also, if you’re garnishing with banana slices, wait to place them on top right before you serve it.

This stuff is heavenly!

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

Author: Jodi
Total Time: Chill time 8 hours

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups ice cold water
1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
3 cups heavy whipping cream
4 cups bananas sliced
1 box (12 oz) box Nilla Wafers

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the sweetened condensed milk and cold water together until combined. Add the pudding mix and beat until thoroughly mixed in, about 2 minutes. Cover pudding and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight (I always do overnight) so it can can thicken and set up.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks from. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until there are no more pudding streaks.
To assemble dessert, arrange 1/3 of the Nilla wafers to cover the bottom, overlapping if necessary. Next, layer 1/3 of the bananas, and 1/3 of the pudding mixture. Repeat the layers two more times, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer. Cover tightly and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the assembled dessert in the fridge for 4-8 hours. Top with additional bananas and Nilla wafers just before serving, if desired.

Notes

Sometimes I will add a couple tablespoons of banana pudding mix along with the box of vanilla pudding, just to add a hint more banana flavor.
If you use individual dishes, depending on the size you use, you may only need two layers. I did two layers in the dishes I used, but probably could have made them bigger and done three layers. Adjust the amounts you use in each layer according to the size dishes you use. This also can be made in a 9×13 glass dish if you don’t have a trifle dish or bowl that will work.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Recipe Source: More From Magnolia Cookbook