Simply by Maha
0
DessertBanana pudding layered with vanilla wafers, fresh bananas and whipped cream
American · Dessert

Homemade Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

This homemade banana pudding is creamy, light, and layered with fresh bananas and vanilla wafers for the perfect no-bake dessert. It’s rich, fluffy, and somehow even better after it chills.

5.0 (4 reviews)
30m
Prep
30m
Total
12
Serves
easy
Level
Jump to recipe ↓
▶ Watch on TikTok

How to Make Homemade Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

  1. Make the pudding base
    In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, ice cold water, and instant vanilla pudding mix until very well combined. Place it in the fridge for about 1 hour so it can fully set. This step is important so the pudding doesn’t end up too runny.
  2. Whip the cream
    In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream using a hand mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
  3. Fold together
    Once the pudding mixture has set, gently fold it into the whipped cream until combined. Be careful not to overmix so the mixture stays light and fluffy.
  4. Assemble the pudding
    In your serving dish, add a layer of the cream mixture, then a layer of crushed vanilla wafers, followed by sliced bananas. Repeat the layers until everything is used up.
  5. Chill
    Place the banana pudding in the fridge for at least 1 more hour before serving so it can set properly and the flavors can come together.

Made this?

Tap a star and let the next cook know how it turned out.

5.0 (4 reviews)

About Homemade Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

This is the famous no-bake banana pudding, the one made cult-famous by Magnolia Bakery in New York. It's layers of vanilla wafers, fresh banana, and the silkiest vanilla pudding, and the magic is that you make it the day before. Overnight in the fridge, the wafers soften into something between cake and cookie, and the whole thing turns into one creamy, spoonable cloud.

The trick that sets this version apart from a basic pudding is folding instant vanilla pudding and sweetened condensed milk into freshly whipped cream. That gives you a filling that's rich and stable but still light, instead of the heavy, grainy pudding you might remember from a box. It holds its layers, it scoops beautifully, and it tastes like a bakery made it.

I make this whenever I need a dessert that feeds a crowd and looks impressive for almost no effort. There's no oven, no fussy steps, just a bit of patience while it chills. It's the dessert people go quiet over at the table, then come back for seconds.

Per serving
  • 450Calories
  • 6gProtein
  • 22gFat
  • 58gCarbs
estimated

Homemade Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Tips and Notes

Why you'll love it

  • No-bake and genuinely easy, with no oven and no cooking the pudding from scratch.
  • Make-ahead by design: it's actually better the next day.
  • Feeds a crowd from one big dish, perfect for potlucks and holidays.
  • That bakery-style texture where the wafers turn soft and cake-like.
  • A nostalgic, crowd-pleasing flavour almost everyone loves.
  • Easy to scale up or layer into individual cups for parties.

Ingredient notes

Vanilla wafers: Nilla wafers are the classic. They soften into the cake-like layers, so don't swap them for something too hard or too sweet.

Instant vanilla pudding mix: use instant, not cook-and-serve. It's what thickens the filling without heat.

Sweetened condensed milk: not the same as evaporated milk. It adds the sweetness and richness, so don't substitute.

Heavy cream: whip it cold to stiff peaks for the lightest, most stable filling.

Bananas: use ripe but still firm bananas with no brown spots inside. Overripe bananas turn mushy and grey in the layers.

Tips & tricks

Chill the filling base before folding in the cream. Mixing the pudding and condensed milk first, then letting it firm up, gives a thicker, more stable result.

Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold gently. Stir too hard and you knock the air out and lose the lightness.

Assemble the layers tightly, pressing wafers right up to the edge of the dish so every scoop has all three layers.

Give it a full overnight in the fridge. The wafers need that time to soften into the signature texture.

Storage & make-ahead

Fridge: cover and chill for up to 3 days. The texture is best between 12 and 48 hours.

Slow the browning: lightly toss banana slices in a little lemon or orange juice before layering, or add the top layer of bananas just before serving.

Freezing isn't recommended: the bananas and whipped filling turn watery and grainy once thawed.

Variations

Individual cups: layer it into mason jars or clear cups for parties and easy serving.

Chocolate: add a layer of chocolate wafers or a drizzle of melted chocolate between the pudding and bananas.

Peanut butter: swirl a few spoons of peanut butter into the pudding base for a banana-PB version.

Caramel: a thin drizzle of salted caramel over the top adds a bakery-counter finish.

Homemade Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding FAQs

The most common causes are using cook-and-serve instead of instant pudding mix, under-whipping the cream, or not chilling long enough. Use instant pudding, whip the cream to stiff peaks, and give the assembled pudding several hours (ideally overnight) to set.
Yes, and you should. It's a make-ahead dessert by design. Assemble it the day before so the wafers soften into the cake-like texture. It's at its best between 12 and 48 hours after assembling.
Toss the banana slices in a little lemon or orange juice before layering, keep them fully covered by the pudding (air is what browns them), and for the prettiest top, add the final banana layer just before serving.
The classic is Nilla vanilla wafers. They soften over time into the signature cake-like layers, which is a big part of what makes this pudding taste like the bakery version.
It's not recommended. Freezing makes the bananas mushy and the whipped filling watery and grainy once thawed. This dessert is best made fresh and kept in the fridge.
Instant pudding thickens cold, just by mixing, which is exactly what this no-bake recipe needs. Cook-and-serve has to be heated and will not set the same way when folded into the cream, leaving you with a loose filling.
Up to a day or two ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge and add any decorative top banana layer right before serving so it looks fresh.
The sweetness mostly comes from the condensed milk and wafers, which are part of the classic flavour. For a slightly lighter result, use a touch less condensed milk, but don't omit it entirely or the filling loses its richness and stability.
Join in

Reviews & Tips

Loading reviews…
Cook next

You might also like

Double Chocolate Chip CookiesDessert
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

These double chocolate chip cookies are rich, soft, and full of chocolate in every bite. They have a deep chocolate flavour from the cocoa powder, lots of semisweet chocolate chips, and bake up perfectly thick after chilling.

30 minAmerican
Cinnamon Roll Carrot CakeDessert
Cinnamon Roll Carrot Cake

This cinnamon roll carrot cake loaf is soft, cozy, and packed with warm spice. It has a cinnamon sugar swirl all through the middle and gets topped with a rich cream cheese icing that makes it so good.

120 minAmerican
Fudgy Chocolate BrowniesDessert
Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

Nothing beats a classic chewy chocolate brownie. These fudgy brownies are rich, chocolatey, and perfectly soft in the center with melted chocolate in every bite.

45 minAmerican