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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Copy Cat Recipes

    Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe

    Published: Aug 5, 2021 ยท Updated: Nov 10, 2023 by Tammilee ยท This post may contain affiliate links

    Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe will be your new favorite dessert! Layers of creamy vanilla pudding, Nilla wafers, and bananas combine to make a rich, decadent, delicious dessert perfect for family dinners or holidays!

    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding text over a trifle dish filled with banana pudding.

    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe

    Contents show
    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe
    Preparation and Storage
    Recipe Variations
    Tips for the Best Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
    What to Serve with Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
    When to Serve
    Great Recipe Collections
    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    Kitchen Tools
    Nutrition

    A few months ago, I won a giveaway on Instagram for a Magnolia Bakery gift card and cookbook. As soon as I won, I knew what I was orderingโ€“Magnolia Bakery's famous Banana Pudding!

    We haven't been able to travel to New York City this past year to get our Magnolia Bakery fix, so it was perfect that we could get it shipped to the house.

    I surprised John with the banana pudding, and to say he was excited is an enormous understatement. As soon as the pudding was gone, I knew I needed to try to figure out how to make a copycat Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding at home.

    You can imagine my delight when I realized the recipe is part of the Magnolia Bakery cookbook - The Magnolia Bakery Handbook: A Complete Guide for the Home Baker by Bobbie Lloyd is terrific.

    I will admit that I also had to order their famous cupcakes.

    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding containers in a cooler

    When our Goldbelly order of Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding came in, they had a card with random fun banana facts. They seemed fun to share.

    • The scientific name for a banana is "must sapientum," which means fruit of the wise men.
    • Americans eat an average of 27 pounds of bananas per person per year.
    • Bananas are the only fruit that contains the amino acid tryptophan plus vitamin B6, which helps produce serotonin.

    Ingredients

    Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make an epic Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

    • Sweetened Condensed Milk
    • Cold Water
    • Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix (We used Jell-O Brand)
    • Whipping Cream
    • Fresh Bananas
    • Nabisco Nilla Wafers Cookiesย 

    Equipment Needed

    • Whisk
    • Medium Bowl: We are big fans of this glass batter bowl with a handle. It makes it easy to mix ingredients and keeps the mixing bowl steady on the counter.
    • Hand Mixer: This tool will make it a lot easier to combine ingredients and make sure the pudding is smooth. You can also use a stand electric mixer with a whisk attachment.ย 
    • Trifle Bowl: We love how this dessert looks when served in a trifle bowl, but you can also make this in a 9x13 pan, a wide glass bowl, or another dish.ย 

    How to make Magnolia Bakery Banana Puddingย 

    I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.

    Sweetened condensed milk, vanilla pudding, cold water, to make Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding.

    Step 1 - The first step for making the best banana pudding recipe is beating together the ice-cold water and sweetened condensed milk together.

    You want to combine it until well combined at least a minute on medium speed.

    Pudding mixture ingredients to make Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe

    Mix in the vanilla pudding and beat well until there are no lumps.

    Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3-4 hours or overnight. You want to make sure you plan time for this mixture to sit so it can start to thicken.

    If you try to use this mixture to quickly it will be really watery and not thick enough to form the banana pudding.

    Pudding mixture to make Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe

    Step 2 - A few hours later or preferably the next day you will want to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

    Once stiff peaks form you will gently fold in the vanilla pudding mixture. Adding the mixture to the whipped cream until no streaks of pudding remain.

    Nilla wafers in a glass trifle dish to make Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe

    Step 3 - You can use a trifle bowl, baking dish, large bowl, or individual serving cups to serve this Magnolia Bakery banana pudding.

    Line the bottom of the dish with Nilla vanilla wafers evenly spread out.

    layer of nilla wafer and cut bananas to make Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe in a glass trifle dish

    Step 4 - evenly spread slices of bananas over the top of the nilla wafers.

    Top with โ…“ of the whipped cream banana pudding mixture.

    Layers of nilla wafers and bananas to make Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe in a glass trifle dish

    Step 5 - Continue layering the nilla wafers, bananas, and โ…“ of the pudding mix until your reach the top of the dish.

    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe in a glass trifle dish in the refrigerator

    Step 6 - Once you reach the top of the dish make sure the final layer of pudding mixture is at the top. You want to make sure that it is fully covered so the bananas do not turn brown.

    Cover and chill in the refrigerate for 4+ hours up to 8 hours.

    Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe in a glass trifle dish with crushed nilla wafers on top

    Step 7 - Garnish top with crumbled nilla wafers when ready to serve.

    Preparation and Storage

    Make Ahead: This dessert is make-ahead-friendly due to being multi-step. You will need to assemble the pudding mixture and banana pudding in stages, and they each need time to set in the fridge to reach the perfect texture before you can dig in.

    Storage: Magnolia Bakery recommends enjoying their banana pudding within four days. Bananas turn brown quickly, so always refrigerate leftovers in a covered airtight container for freshness.

    Freezing/How to Freeze: Magnolia Bakery also suggests freezing their banana pudding for up to 30 days. Store leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container, letting them thaw in the fridge until you can take a spoon to them.

    Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe in a glass trifle dish

    Recipe Variations

    Substitutions:

    Any quality instant vanilla pudding mix, including French vanilla, works in this recipe.

    You can use equal parts vanilla and banana pudding mix for more banana flavor or replace the vanilla pudding mix altogether for maximum banana goodness.

    Nilla wafers are essential to the taste and texture of this banana pudding, so unless you have a dietary restriction that requires it, we do not recommend swapping this ingredient.

    Vegetarian Option: This dessert recipe is naturally vegetarian.

    Vegan Option: Vegans should replace the sweetened condensed milk, instant pudding mix, heavy whipping cream, and Nilla wafers with plant-based substitutes to make this dessert vegan.

    Gluten-Free: Look for a gluten-free alternative to Nilla wafers to make this Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding safe for a gluten-free diet.

    Alcohol-Free Option: This recipe is alcohol-free since Magnolia Bakery does not use any in their Banana Pudding, and adding alcohol would change the flavor from the original. However, a splash of rum or bourbon in the banana pudding mix is an option to make it boozy.

    Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes 16 servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield by hovering over the number of servings in the recipe card and using the slider.

    Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 30 grams of sugar per serving. Replace the sweetened condensed milk, instant vanilla pudding mix, heavy whipping cream, and Nilla wafers with sugar-free substitutes to make it sugar-free.

    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding layered in a large trifle dish next to a stack of plates and cloth napkin

    Tips for the Best Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

    • We suggest buying barely ripe bananas so they are less likely to turn brown quickly.
    • You can brush the bananas with lemon juice to help prevent them from turning brown. We slice them as we are placing them in the trifle dish.
    • You can spread the pudding over the bottom before placing the first layer of Nilla wafers if you want to.
    • Printable recipe card instructions are below.
    • Nutrition information, including calories, protein, calcium, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, cholesterol, sodium, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and more, will vary depending on the products used.

    ย 

    What to Serve with Delicious Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

    With this recipe, youโ€™re only a quick trip to the kitchen or grocery store away from making one of this NYC bakeryโ€™s most iconic and beloved desserts! Here are some pairing suggestions to inspire your menu planning.

    Sides: Broccoli Casserole, Apple Stuffing, Funeral Potatoes, BLT Pasta Salad, Southern Fried Cabbage with Bacon, Air Fryer Baked Potato, Jiffy Cornbread with Sour Cream, Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Yams, Southern Style Green Beans, CrockPot Bourbon Baked Beans

    Main Dishes: Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken, Stovetop Meatloaf, Chicken Casserole with Ritz Crackers, CrockPot Rosemary Pork, Cracker Barrel Chicken & Dumplings, CrockPot Macaroni & Cheese with Ham, CrockPot Salisbury Steak, CrockPot Ham & Cheese Grits

    Desserts: Ooey-Gooey Butter Cake, Lemon Bars, Lemon Icebox Pie, Best Rice Krispie Treats, Bisquick Blueberry Cobbler, Pig Pickin' Cake, Bisquick Apple Cobbler, Bisquick Peach Cobbler, Molasses Cookies, Banana Bread, Classic Chocolate Brownies, Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

    Drinks: Coke Slushie, Red Robin Freckled Lemonade, CopyCat McDonald's Sweet Tea

    When to Serve

    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Potlucks
    • Cookouts / Barbecues
    • Family and Friend Gatherings

    Trifle dish with layers of banana, nilla wafers, and pudding next to a stack of plates and forks

    Great Recipe Collections

    Lemon Dessertsย - Pucker Up for These Delicious Lemon Desserts! They are the perfect spring and summer sweet treat

    Cherry Pie Filling Recipesย - Check out a ton of desserts made with delicious cherries.

    Easy Cake Mix Recipesย - 40+ Recipes that use cake mix to create delicious desserts and more!

    Strawberry Recipesย - Great strawberry recipes including drinks, desserts, and more!

    Cool Whip Recipesย - You will love how many ways you can use Cool Whip in Recipes.

    Dump Cake Recipesย - Tons of dump cakes that take minutes to prepare!

    Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.

    Follow Tammilee Tips on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for all our recipe posts.

     

    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding layered in a large trifle dish next to a stack of plates and cloth napkin

    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe

    How to make world-famous Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe at home.
    3.20 from 5 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Refrigeration: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16
    Calories: 388kcal
    Author: Tammilee Tips

    Ingredients

    • 14 Ounce Sweetened Condensed Milk
    • 1 ยฝ cups Water cold
    • 3.4 Ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
    • 3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
    • 4 cups Bananas
    • 12 Ounce Nilla Wafers

    Instructions

    • Combine sweetened condensed milk and cold water until combined with a hand mixer. This will take at least a minute or 2
    • Add in vanilla pudding mix. Beat with a hand mixer until well combined
    • Cover and refrigerate for 4-10 hours. Make sure you give this mixture time to set completely
    • Whip heavy cream into stiff peaks. Gently fold pudding mixture into whipping cream until no streaks remain
    • Use a trifle bowl or baking dish to assemble the dessert
    • Arrange โ…“ of nilla wafers along the bottom of the bowl. Top with โ…“ of sliced bananas, top with โ…“ of pudding mixture
    • Repeat steps until you finish with pudding mixture on the top.
    • Cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours
    • Top with crumbled nilla wafers and enjoy

    Kitchen Tools

    • Hand Mixer

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 388 Calories from Fat 207
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 23g35%
    Saturated Fat 13g81%
    Trans Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 70mg23%
    Sodium 174mg8%
    Potassium 279mg8%
    Carbohydrates 44g15%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 30g33%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin A 746IU15%
    Vitamin C 4mg5%
    Calcium 102mg10%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Tammilee

    Lifestyle blogger who travels the world and drinks too much Chai tea. Travel blogger, award winning photographer, sunset hunter, Birkenstock girl, bird nerd
    You can find Tammilee on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

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    Comments

    1. Sandra

      September 19, 2022 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for this recipe with hand mixer as that is all I have. Your directions and even the placement in the serving dish is spot on.
      So glad I came across your site.

      Reply
    3.20 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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