This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
This Magnolia Bakery Copycat Banana Pudding is made up of layers of creamy vanilla pudding, bananas, and Nilla Wafers. It’s the famous New York City’s Magnolia bakery recipe! There is a reason why it’s so famous; it’s seriously so good!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Convenience: As much as I want to go to New York every time I crave this dessert, it’s just out of the budget. With this recipe, I can have it whenever I want.
- Flavor: There is a reason this is so famous! The combination of bananas and cream, the smooth texture of the pudding, and the slight crunch of the wafers are unbeatable.
Ingredients Needed for Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding
The star of this dish is the bananas! We always have them hanging around but often they become over ripe before we get around to eating them. Instead of throwing them out, we like to make Banana Bread Crumb Cake or banana cream cookies. For exact measurements for each ingredient, scroll to the bottom of the post.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Adds the most decadent sweetness,
- Ice Cold Water: Helps make the pudding.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: The perfect complement to bananas!
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Balances the flavors in this yummy dessert and tops it off perfectly!
- Bananas: The star of the dessert that provides banana flavor and sweetness.
- Nilla Wafers: Gives the dessert a lovely crunch and warm vanilla flavor.
How to make Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding?
- Mix: Make the vanilla pudding by mixing the box of powdered gelatin with the ice water and sweetened condensed milk. This can be done by hand with a whisk or by using an electric mixer. Once the pudding is smooth and thoroughly mixed, cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Whip Cream: Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the pudding until there are no more white streaks.
- Make: Assemble the pudding in a large bowl, trifle bowl, baking pan, or individual dishes. Layer the ingredients by first adding vanilla Wafers, followed by sliced ripe bananas, and then the pudding mixture. Repeat layers until you reach the top of your dish(es).
- Chill: Cover with plastic wrap and place dessert in the fridge for 4-8 hours. Top with the additional bananas and Nilla wafers, and serve.
Can I make Banana Pudding in advance?
Yes! You need to make it in advance. The actual pudding part of this dessert needs time to thicken in the fridge, so it is best to begin this dessert a night or two before you plan to serve it or in the morning at the latest if you are serving it at night. While this particular step needs to be done in advance, the assembly of the dessert should only be done 4-8 hours in advance.
How to Prevent Bananas From Turning Brown
- How to prevent bananas from turning brown: Dip or brush the sliced bananas with any acidic fruit juice. This will result in a change in the flavor, which is not good in some dishes. Where this is the case, use water (it won’t work as well, but it will slow the browning). Non-tonic club soda can also be used and won’t affect the taste.
- Why do Bananas Brown? It is the oxidation of the fruit that causes it to turn brown. You can slow the oxidation by limiting the oxygen or air. For this recipe, seal the bananas off from the air by completely covering them in the pudding. If you plan to serve bananas on top of the pudding, wait to add those until just before eating.
How long does Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Last?
- Once the pudding is in with the Nilla Wafers, it’s best to eat withing 4-8 hours. You can definitely eat it right after, but to get that perfect texture of the cakey Nilla Wafers, it’s best to wait 4 hours so the pudding can soften them.
- After 8 hours, the bananas really start to turn brown, and the Nilla Wafers will get even softer and become more of a soggy texture than a cake like texture.
More Banana Desserts To Try
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups ice cold water
- 1 3.4 ounce box vanilla instant pudding mix
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 cups bananas sliced
- 1 12 ounce box Nilla Wafers
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the sweetened condensed milk with an electric mixer while slowly streaming in the water. Add the pudding mix and beat until thoroughly mixed in. Cover the pudding and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight so it can thicken and set up.
- Beat the heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream and chilled pudding together until there are no more streaks.
- Assemble the pudding in either a large bowl, trifle dish, baking pan, or individual dishes. Layer the ingredients by first adding a layer of Nilla Wafers, followed by sliced bananas, and then pudding. Repeat layers until you reach the top of your dish(es).
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the assembled dessert in the fridge for 4-8 hours. Top with additional bananas and Nilla wafers (optional) and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What size are these glass cups you used? They look like 4 or 6 oz but I can’t tell!
These are 6 oz cups!
Absolutely love this pudding and just went and got the ingredients once again because my sons bugging me to make this. Ordering online for $65 which is sold online magnolia bakery banana pudding but for about $12 I can make a pan fresh, and have many times.
To make this real simple for those wondering, 1 cup of ice cold water plus 1/2 cup of ice cold water which is (1 1/2 cups)
Most definitely use the INSTANT vanilla brand we use is jello and we use the bigger box over the small box, so pay attention as to not accidentally get the cook and serve pudding and we leave everything else the same and we prepare the water, sweetened condensed milk and pudding mixture a night before and I get up and prepare the rest the next morning so it can sit in the fridge all day. I use bananas that are more to the green and absolutely never add the bananas to the pudding as it sits in the fridge, but slice fresh bananas each serving as to not ever deal with brown colored and gross looking bananas.
I keep the bananas in the fridge so they will be cold and yes the peel will darken some but the banana is perfectly good for slicing on each serving of pudding. Pudding keeps about 3 to 4 days this way without nasty looking bananas.
Do stir your pudding by hand once the whipped cream is made by electric mixer as not to over mix using the electric mixer anymore in the recipe.
This is a wonderful recipe and as good as the actual bakery recipe.
A good cookie to use in place of Nilla are Chessman which is what they use in the Paula Dean not yo mommas banana pudding that I’ve made but always come back to this recipe most every time.
I absolutely love banana pudding.
I absolutely love this recipe which isn’t supposed to be homemade, but is supposed to Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding.
Enjoy!
This is not a TRUE HOMEMADE Banana Pudding. A true banana pudding has homemade filling in it, NOT instant pudding.
I accidentally bought the non-instant pudding. Do I still add the sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream?
Yes, it is best to keep those ingredients in the recipe. You can lower the amount though.
If it’s still soupy it’s because you used the pudding that needs to be cooked instead of instant. I did this the first time then had to take the pudding out the fridge and cook it. Then it got stiff when I put it back in the fridge and the recipe turned out great. Make sure to get instant pudding if you don’t want to have to make the pudding on the stove.
is it 1.5cups ice water or just half cup ice water. i see is written as 1 1/2 cups
It is 1 1/2 cups of ice water. Hope that helps.
I just made this and after having the pudding in the fridge over night it was soupy.
Can you make this a day in advance of serving?
Yes, leave in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.
Nutter butter cookies are also delicious
After chilling, what should the consistency of the pudding be? After four hours, mine is still soupy. Should it be actual pudding consistency?
It should be more thick, whipped like and creamy. You may need to beat it a little longer to get that thickness and whipped looked. It will be thick pudding like texture.
I’d the recipe for 1 & 1/2 cup of water or just 1/2 cup because I used 1&1/2 since you put the one next to the 1/2
I just made this! Delicious
What is a good substitute for Nilla Wafers? I can’t get them anywhere!
Graham crackers are always a great substitute. I am sorry that you are not able to find them.