Magnolia Bakery’s Famous Banana Pudding Recipe
Discover the iconic Magnolia Bakery’s Famous Banana Pudding, a luscious layered dessert featuring creamy vanilla pudding, whipped cream, ripe bananas, and classic Nilla Wafers. This no-bake treat is chilled to perfection, making it a comforting and crowd-pleasing dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 15 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Pudding Mixture
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups ice cold water
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
Whipped Cream
- 3 cups heavy cream
Assembly
- 4 cups sliced barely ripe bananas
- 1 (12 oz) box Nilla Wafers
Instructions
- Prepare the pudding base: In a large bowl, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and 1 ½ cups ice cold water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the instant vanilla pudding mix and continue beating for about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 3-4 hours or overnight to allow it to set properly; this step is crucial as the pudding will be watery if not given enough time to thicken.
- Whip the cream: In a large bowl, whip the 3 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat to avoid turning it buttery.
- Fold the whipped cream into the pudding: Gently fold the whipped cream into the refrigerated pudding mixture until there are no visible streaks, creating a light and fluffy pudding cream.
- Assemble the dessert: Choose whether to assemble the pudding in individual servings or in one large glass bowl with a 4-5 quart capacity, such as a 9×13 inch dish. Start by arranging one-third of the Nilla Wafers on the bottom, overlapping if necessary. Then add one-third of the sliced bananas evenly on top, followed by one-third of the pudding mixture. Repeat these layers two more times, finishing with wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer for garnish.
- Chill: Cover the assembled dessert tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours before serving. Avoid longer chilling to prevent the bananas from browning. For best results, use barely ripe bananas and consider techniques from the notes to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use barely ripe bananas for the best texture and flavor; overly ripe bananas can become mushy and overly sweet.
- To prevent bananas from browning, toss the slices in a little lemon juice before layering.
- The pudding mixture requires adequate chilling time (3-4 hours or overnight) before folding with whipped cream to ensure proper thickness.
- This dessert does not require baking and is best served chilled.
- Can be made in individual portions or a large dish for easy serving.