This Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding recipe is the real deal! An easy homemade banana pudding made with fluffy mousse, sliced bananas, and Nilla Wafers.
Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding
This easy banana pudding recipe is one of the best things I brought back from a recent trip to NYC. Even though I was visiting for my bachelorette party, I made time to visit the famous Magnolia Bakery. And boy am I glad I did!
I went in early August and I’ve been waiting to share this Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding recipe ever since. It is so good you won’t be able to stop eating it. I ate the entire cup of banana pudding on my way back to the hotel, and though it meant I had to squeeze into the dress for my party it was so worth it. It’s so freaking good!
Trying Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding has been on my dessert bucket list for quite some time. I’m so glad I finally did it. But then of course that meant I wanted to keep on eating it once I got home. That’s where this recipe comes in.
This is My Take on the Famous Magnolia Bakery Recipe
This is technically not the “true” copycat of the Magnolia’s Bakery recipe that they published in their cookbook. It’s an adaption – a mild one but still an adaption. The thing that makes their pudding so swoon-worthy is the sweetened condensed milk in the pudding. Oh heck yes!
I was surprised to learn they use instant vanilla pudding in their recipe. It still has layers of fresh banana along with the vanilla pudding and whipped cream
What did I change?
- Milk – Instead of water, I am using milk, giving the pudding a richer taste.
- Less sweet – I reduced the amount of sweetened condensed milk as well, which helps cut some of the sweetness.
- Less whipped cream – I reduced the overall amount of whipped cream.
- Powdered sugar – My whipped cream has powdered sugar in it for stability.
What Does Banana Pudding Taste Like?
What makes this banana pudding recipe truly delectable is how light and airy it is. It has a mousse-like in texture as opposed to pudding. It was so light and fluffy, like the fluffiest mousse ever. The pudding was layered with plenty of vanilla crackers, which were soft and cake-like.
When I got home, I Googled the banana pudding and found there were dozens of copycat recipes, so it was a bit of a no-brainer for me to try it.
Recipe Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to make this easy banana pudding recipe. Here is a quick overview. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for specific amounts:
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Milk
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Nilla Wafers
- Bananas
How to make Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding
Want to try making this old-fashioned banana pudding at home? Here’s how to do it:
Make the vanilla pudding: In a medium bowl combine the condensed milk and milk, whisking well. Add in the instant pudding mix and whisk again until combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm, which will take about 3-4 hours.
Make the whipped cream: Once the pudding is set, prepare the whipped cream. Put your bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to chill. Now pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric or stand mixer to beat the cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until combined,
Assemble the pudding. I like to serve this as a parfait in small trifle glasses. It’s so easy! All you need to do is layer the mousse, Nilla wafter pieces, banana slices, and more mousse.
Chill & serve: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. If you’re feeling extra decadent, you can top the pudding with some homemade whipped cream. I also like to top the chilled pudding with extra cookies and banana slices.
Can I Make this Banana Pudding in a Pan?
Yes! Here’s how to do it:
Prepare your pan: Layer a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Assemble the banana pudding: Sprinkle a layer of crumbled Nilla Wafers on the bottom of the pan. Slice the bananas and place a layer of banana slices on top of the wafer pieces. Pour half the pudding into the pan and gently spread over the banana. Repeat with another layer of Nilla Wafer crumbles, banana slices, and pudding. Sprinkle the top of the pudding with any remaining wafers.
Chill & serve. Chill your pudding in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Then scoop out the desired amount into bowls and top with more whipped cream, cookies, and banana slices.
How to Store
Cover with saran wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. The bananas will oxidize (brown) the longer the pudding is stored, but they are still fine to eat. If the browning bothers you, you can try brushing the bananas with a bit of lemon juice to help slow down the oxidation process. This will affect the flavor somewhat so use sparingly.
I pretty much had to put this dessert away with a lock and key, as I caught myself stealing a spoonful over and over again. I am certain this will happen to you if you try it. Certain.
Print
Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
- Prep Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding recipe is the real deal! It’s a made from scratch banana pudding you’ll absolutely love.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ¾ cups (414ml) milk
- 1 box (3.4oz) Instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 1/2 cups (519ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (130g) powdered sugar
- 1 box (12oz) Nilla Wafers, crushed
- 5 medium Bananas, sliced
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and milk and beat on medium speed until the milks are well mixed. Add the instant pudding to the milk mixture and beat until well combined. Pudding must be refrigerated for 3-4 hours until completely firm.
- Once the pudding has set, prepare the whipped cream: Place the bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to chill. Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric or stand mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until combined,
- Assemble the banana pudding in individual servings by layering mousse, Nilla cookie pieces, banana slices, and then more mousse in a glass trifle cup.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
- Top with additional whipped cream, banana sliced, and cookies to serve.
Notes
These can be made as individual trifles, one large trifle or layered in a 9-inch square or 9×13 inch pan. Depending on how you choose to serve, you may need additional bananas or Nilla wafers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 683
- Sugar: 62.8 g
- Sodium: 402.5 mg
- Fat: 35.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 86.8 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 7.8 g
- Cholesterol: 92 mg
Super easy and a big hit! I left out the powdered sugar. It was plenty sweet with the pudding, condensed milk and vanilla wafers. Highly recommend!
Thank you much Jen! I love that you made the adjustment for your own taste buds!
In the instructions, it doesn’t say when to add the whipped cream. Are you just putting it on top before serving or do you add some to the pudding also?
Hi Vanessa, sorry for the confusion. Yes, once the pudding is set and firm, prepare the whipped cream and fold into the pudding mixture.
Do you make the instant pudding per box directions then add that to the condensed milk and milk or just add the powder to that?
No, first milk the mix and sweetened condensed milk then add the box of dry pudding mix to that
My New York office is right next to Magnolia and that pudding is the only thing in NYC besides Halal Guys that I would wait in line for! It is heaven in a bowl. This would be dangerous to make!
whao…kinda creepy! Like on the maps app or where does it tell you?! And while I have never had Magnolia Bakery’s pudding I definitely need this one in my life!
Oh yea, SCM in banana pudding is the JAM! Love this!
I love banana pudding…this looks incredible! So pretty too!
Their banana pudding is BONKERS. I mean, BANANAS.
I downloaded the new iOS but I haven’t noticed that feature yet. That is creepy! But this banana pudding looks incredible. I love banana pudding and can’t wait to try this copycat version!
Making pudding with sweetened condensed milk sounds like an ingenious idea!