Banana Pudding just like the Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery in NYC.
Sometimes the sweet treat you crave is a red eye flight away. For me, it’s Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding. It’s the best! It’s a must order next time you’re in NYC. It’s the perfect banana flavor without being too much. My favorite part is how the Nilla wafer cookies turn soft like cake in the pudding. Good News, you don’t have to fly to New York to enjoy this decadent dessert, you can make it at home!
Here’s the fun part, you can make small servings like these cute mini glass trifle bowls…or you can serve it in a big dish to serve a crowd.
Pure Comfort Food:
This recipe always gains in popularity during the holiday season, I think because it’s pure comfort food. The best part is that it’s very customizable. Make single servings or one big pan to share with family or friends.
The ingredients are so simple! This recipe comes from the Magnolia Bakery cookbook.
Ingredients:
- 1 3.4oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3/4 cup cold water filtered
- 1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 box Nilla Wafer Cookies
- 4 medium bananas
Do you need banana flavored putting for banana pudding?
Oddly no, only fresh bananas are needed. You don’t need banana flavored pudding, just bananas for this recipe.
You’ll have to make the jello pudding a day ahead and allow it to set in the fridge overnight.
How to make Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding:
- In a medium sized bowl add the cold water and the pudding mix together, whisk to combine. Now add the sweetened condensed milk to the pudding mix and continue whisking to combine.
Cover this bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours (or overnight). - After the pudding mixture has chilled and is firm, whip the cold whipping cream in a separate bowl with an electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer) until the heavy cream is fluffy and holds a stiff peak.
Use a spatula to gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream (add the pudding to the whipped cream in two batches). Fold (gently stir) just until the pudding is combined with the whipped cream. - Depending on the serving dishes you choose to use. Begin to layer this dessert. You can serve in small individual servings or in a glass trifle bowl or a 9×9 square glass casserole dish.
- Add a thin layer of the pudding mixture to the bottom of your serving dish. Follow with a layer of wafer cookies and sliced bananas. Repeat these layers of: pudding, cookies and bananas until you fill your serving dish (or dishes).
- Reserve 1 banana (unsliced in the peel) to be sliced right before serving.
- Chill assembled dessert(s) for at least 2 -6 hours or overnight to allow the cookies to soften in the pudding and become cake like.
- Shortly before serving, add a garnish of more sliced bananas and more wafer cookies. Enjoy!
We made a short video so you can see just how easy it comes together.
Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding -We love this homemade version of our favorite NYC treat. The Nilla wafer cookies get soft like cake in the pudding... this recipe is so good.
Ingredients
- 1 3.4oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3/4 cup cold water filtered
- 1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 box Nilla Wafer Cookies
- 4 medium bananas
Instructions
-
In a medium sized bowl add the cold water and the pudding mix together, whisk to combine. Now add the sweetened condensed milk to the pudding mix and continue whisking to combine.
-
Cover this bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours (or overnight).
-
After the pudding mixture has chilled and is firm, whip the cold whipping cream in a separate bowl with an electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer) until the heavy cream is fluffy and holds a stiff peak.
-
Use a spatula to gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream (add the pudding to the whipped cream in two batches). Fold (gently stir) just until the pudding is combined with the whipped cream.
-
Depending on the serving dishes you choose to use. Begin to layer this dessert. You can serve in small individual servings or in a glass trifle bowl or a 9x9 square glass casserole dish.
-
Add a thin layer of the pudding mixture to the bottom of your serving dish. Follow with a layer of wafer cookies and sliced bananas. Repeat these layers of: pudding, cookies and bananas until you fill your serving dish (or dishes).
-
Reserve 1 banana (unsliced in the peel) to be sliced right before serving.
-
Chill assembled dessert(s) for at least 2 -6 hours or overnight to allow the cookies to soften in the pudding and become cake like.
-
Shortly before serving, add a garnish of more sliced bananas and more wafer cookies. Enjoy!
Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!
How to prevent bananas from turning brown:
- Lemon Juice or Club Soda – both lemon juice and or club soda can help peeled and sliced bananas from turning brown.
- Keep them completely covered with the pudding/whipped cream mixture, this will help them from oxidizing. The bananas in the pudding will be ok during the set time in the fridge, but for the bananas on top, it helps to slice up a fresh banana right before serving. You can also brush a little lemon juice or club soda on them before adding them to the top.
- For this recipe it helps to start with bananas that are UNDER-RIPE. If they are almost on the green side, even better. The more ripe bananas are, the quicker they turn brown.
Tips and Tricks for recipe success:
- Start with under-ripe almost green bananas (they are slower to brown).
- Plan ahead the time needed to allow the pudding to set and the Nilla wafers to turn cake like during the chill time in the fridge.
- Stick with all the full fat ingredients listed (no low fat or no fat substitutions here).
- If you plan to feed a crowd, offer smaller portions…about 1/2 cup in size. This dessert is pretty rich, and they can always come back for more.
Trouble Shooting:
This recipe has been updated. We have changed the water amount when making the pudding mixture. The vanilla pudding should be thick once set before folding in the whipped cream. The original recipe called for 1 1/2 cups water and we reduced it down to 3/4 cup so that they pudding would properly set before folding in the whipped cream. Please adjust the water as needed before folding in the whipped cream.
If you love bananas, you will love our other banana recipes:
- One Bowl Banana Bread
- Banana Raspberry Ice Cream
- Buttermilk Banana Bread Bars
- Sour Cream Chia Banana Bread
- Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Frozen Banana Bites
- Gluten Free Banana Pancakes
Lori says
If you plan on having this around for more than a day or two the banana slices can be dipped in lemon juice to keep them from getting dark.
Barbara Calkins says
I like to use pineapple juice to dip bananas in, as it is not quite so tart.
Amy says
Great idea! Tropical 👍🏻
Freda Marie says
Easy and so good if you’re a banana pudding lover like me. Thanks for posting!
Heather says
Definitly making this again, but I could do without so much whip cream. I felt that the 3 cups made too much going to cut back next time.
Debbie says
I make this all the time and never let the pudding mixture set overnight or 4 hours and it turns out fine.
Connie says
Sounds good. But I’m sorry the best banana pudding can not be made with boxed pudding…Gotta make that custard.I have used Eagle brand as part of the milk in my home made custard. Was good. Lol
Kim says
My mother has been making this exact recipe for 30+ years. It’s the best
Debbie Brocco says
Been making banana pudding for 45 years…..why is there water in it?
Alexis Lisa says
Hi! I love banana pudding and have had a hard time finding a good recipe… would you be able to tell me how you do it
Erica says
I’ve had my pudding mixture in the fridge for way over 4 hours and it’s still not set, still very watery. Can I go ahead with the recipe or does it need to set overnight?
Kami says
Hi Erica! That’s strange! I wonder if your whipped cream is really thick before you combine the pudding mixture with the whipped cream…if that will help it thicken up more. Ultimately I wouldn’t worry, because the cookies will help absorb any excess liquid if the pudding is not set.
Kami says
Hi Erica! So I made this again, and I have reduced the water amount in the recipe. It’s so strange the first few times the pudding set fine, but this last time the vanilla pudding did not set before adding in the whipped cream. I hope this helps with success for you. so sorry for the confusion and hassle.
Monica says
I’ve made this twice now, and neither time did it set up. The pudding mixture was set, but I never can get the heavy whipping cream to thicken enough. How long do you have to mix the whipping cream to get it to thicken? It’s very delicious though. Just wish I could get it to set up more.
Kami says
Hi Monica!
I wonder if you need to whip the cream longer?? Sorry I’m not great at trouble shooting a recipe.
Kami says
Hi Monica! So I made this again, and I have reduced the water amount. It’s so strange the first few times the pudding set fine, but this last time The vanilla pudding did not set before adding in the whipped cream. I hope this helps with success for you. so sorry for the confusion and hassle.
deb says
Try substituting cheesecake or white chocolate flavored pudding. Either one makes a richer taste. I would not use water, whole milk is best for this delicious recipe.
Kami says
Great idea! I will try that!
Tami says
Do you measure 3 cups of heavy whipping cream before whipping it or is it three cups of whipped heavy cream?
Kami says
Hi Tami! You Measure the whipped cream before you whip it.
Ashley Jones says
You need to update this video for the deaf to read closed captions! I’m very disappointed!!!
Angela M Morris says
This is the best recipe. I use banana cream pudding instead of vanilla pudding.