Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding (2024)

If you love all things Magnolia, you’ll really be a fan of our copycat Magnolia banana pudding which is a heavenly dessert filled with banana and creamy layers of vanilla pudding.

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Table of Contents

Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Few desserts are as well-loved as banana pudding, and this copycat Magnolia banana pudding is one of the most perfect versions of this dessert you’ll find. With layers of fresh bananas, Nilla wafers, and sweet creamy pudding, the now-famous treat is a favorite at Magnolia Bakery in NYC.

Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding Ingredients

You’ll need:

1 (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
½ cup of water, very cold
1 cup of milk, very cold
1 (3.4-ounce) box of instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups of heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon of clear vanilla extract
1 (11 to 12-ounce) box of vanilla wafers, reserve 5-6 of the wafers, plus the crumbs from the box
5 bananas, sliced, just barely ripe — not overripe

Substitutions And Additions

REGULAR VANILLA EXTRACT: You may wonder if you can use regular vanilla extract instead of clear, and yes, you can.

The reason clear extract is better is that it does not impact the pure white color of the cream the way regular brown vanilla extract will.

Clear vanilla extract is a great ingredient to have on hand when you’re adding it to white frosting, filling, or cream.

How To Make This Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding Recipe

STEP ONE: Using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, combine the sweetened condensed milk, cold water, and cold milk in a large bowl.

Mix on low-medium for one to two minutes.

PRO TIP:

Make sure you are using ice-cold water and milk in this recipe, as this is what the official recipe calls for.

STEP TWO: Add the vanilla instant pudding mix and beat on medium for two minutes. The pudding mixture should just start to thicken.

Cover and refrigerate for four hours or overnight to ensure the pudding completely sets.

STEP THREE: Using either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream and vanilla flavoring, and beat until the cream is stiff.

STEP FOUR: Gently fold the whipped cream into the fully set pudding.

Fold until the cream and pudding are completely combined and uniform in color, with no visible streaks of pudding left.

STEP FIVE: Line the bottom of the bowl with one-third of the cookies (about 30 wafers).

PRO TIP:

For presentation, use either a large serving bowl, trifle bowl, or a compote dish.

STEP SIX: Evenly layer 1½ cups of the sliced bananas on top of the wafers.

STEP SEVEN: Top banana slices with ⅓ of the pudding mixture.

STEP EIGHT: Repeat layers until there are three layers of wafers, bananas, and pudding.

STEP NINE: Crush the reserved five to six wafers.

STEP TEN: To finish, sprinkle the top of the final layer of pudding with the crushed wafers. Y

ou may also use any leftover crumbs from the wafer box. Cover and keep refrigerated until serving.

How To Serve

Magnolia Bakery’s famous banana pudding has people flocking from all over, lining up to have a taste, and now you can sit back and enjoy it at home.

Serve it for dessert with a homemade pumpkin spice latte or whipped hot chocolate for a truly heavenly treat.

If you love a good banana dessert, also be sure you check out our banana split cake recipe.

You’ll also really enjoy this amazing banana bread pudding for another delicious way to end a meal.

MORE BANANA RECIPES

Quick Breads

Banana Bread Made With Buttermilk

No Bake Desserts

Chessman Banana Pudding

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Cover the banana pudding with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container.

Store the pudding in the refrigerator for up to three days.

IN THE FREEZER: Freeze the pudding in an airtight container for up to two months.

MAKE-AHEAD: To make this recipe ahead of time to have it ready to serve later, whip up the vanilla pudding portion of the recipe a few hours before you put the whole banana pudding together.

Cover and refrigerate overnight so it’s ready to serve the next day. The vanilla wafers will be extra soft when the pudding is made ahead.

If you love all things Magnolia, you’ll really be a fan of our copycat Magnolia banana pudding recipe — a really wonderful, refreshing treat filled with banana and creamy vanilla flavors. This easy-to-make dessert will delight everyone, and we’re sure it will be the best banana pudding recipe you’ve ever made!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I make this recipe in advance?

This iconic recipe can be partially made in advance. We’d advise making the pudding ahead of time and waiting to assemble the layers until close to when you are ready to serve, as the bananas will start to brown, and the wafers will become soggy.

How do I keep my banana slices from turning brown?

Dip or brush your banana slices in lemon juice to keep them from turning brown too quickly.

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Copycat Magnolia Banana Pudding

5 from 6 votes

If you love all things Magnolia, you’ll really be a fan of our copycat Magnolia banana pudding which is a heavenly dessert filled with banana and creamy layers of vanilla pudding.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16

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Ingredients

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
½ cup water, very cold
1 cup milk, very cold
3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding
3 cups heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
12 ounces vanilla wafers, reserve 5 to 6 wafers and crumbs from box
5 barely ripe bananas, sliced

Instructions

Using either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, combine the sweetened condensed milk, cold water, and cold milk. Mix on low-medium for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla pudding mix and beat on medium for 2 minutes. The pudding mixture should just start to thicken.
Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to ensure the pudding completely sets.
Using either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, combine the heavy cream and vanilla flavoring, and beat until the cream is stiff.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the fully set pudding. Fold until the cream and pudding is completely combined and uniform in color, with no visible streaks.
For presentation, use either a large serving bowl or a compote dish. Line the bottom of the bowl with ⅓ of the vanilla wafers (about 30 wafers).
Evenly layer 1½ cups of the sliced bananas on top of the wafers.
Top banana slices with ⅓ of the pudding mixture.
Repeat until there are 3 layers of wafers, bananas, and pudding.
Crush the reserved 5 to 6 wafers.
Sprinkle the top of the pudding with crushed wafers. You may also use any leftover crumbs from the wafer box. Cover and keep refrigerated until serving.

Notes

Make sure you are using ice-cold water and milk in this recipe, as this is what the official recipe calls for.
For presentation, use either a large serving bowl, trifle bowl, or a compote dish.
If you plan to leave your dessert in the fridge for longer than 8 hours, we’d recommend brushing your banana slices with lemon juice, so they don’t turn brown.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie KeepingPublisher
Layne KangasMarketing
Rhadonda SedgwickCreative Director
Lexus MonroeEditorial Assistant
Teresia ShrumRecipe Developer