October 23, 2025
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If you’re looking for the best banana pudding recipe, you’ve come to the right place. This creamy, dreamy dessert is a copycat of Magnolia Bakery’s famous banana pudding, known for its perfectly layered goodness. Made with a rich pudding mixture mixed with vanilla wafer cookies, ripe bananas, and fluffy homemade whipped cream, this recipe brings the iconic New York treat to your kitchen.
Ingredients needed for banana pudding
Banana pudding is a traditional Southern recipe consisting of layers of pudding, bananas, and vanilla wafer cookies. But this recipe can now be found everywhere. It’s easier to buy ready-made, but it tastes even better when you make it yourself. Here’s what you need to make my banana pudding recipe yourself.
Fresh bananas: This recipe calls for ripe bananas. FYI: The longer you let the banana pudding sit, the more likely the bananas will turn brown. The best way to keep the bananas from turning brown is to completely cover them with the pudding mixture and avoid exposing them to air. (Brown bananas are still safe to eat, but they don’t look very appetizing.) Sweetened condensed milk: Adds a rich sweetness and smooth texture to the pudding base. Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix: The basis for this quick and easy recipe. Heavy Whipped Cream: Whip until stiff peaks form for the ultimate homemade whipped cream. Vanilla Wafer Cookies: A classic crunch with every bite.
Trifle Bowl vs. Shallow Serving Dish
It’s very traditional to serve layered desserts like banana pudding on a simple plate to see all the beautiful layers. It’s certainly an argument, but it’s not required. I actually prefer making this in 9×13 for easier transport and storage. It also takes up less space in the refrigerator.
Feeling festive? Try my Pumpkin Ginger Snap Banana Pudding.
How to make banana pudding
You’ll love how easy this recipe is to make. All it takes is a little mixing, a little layering, and a few hours of chilling to create the perfect dessert. For recipe details, including required ingredients and quantities, please see the printable recipe card below.
1. Make the pudding mix
In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined (about 1 minute). Add the pudding mix and mix well with an electric mixer.
Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight until set and very thick.
2. Whip the cream and mix.
Place the cream in a large bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cold pudding mixture until no streaks of pudding remain.
3. Slice the banana
Just before assembling, peel and slice 4 bananas. Ripe bananas with some brown spots are the best bananas to use. Sweet, soft and ripe.
4. Assemble the banana pudding
Add 1/2 of the chive wafers to the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Then add a layer of sliced bananas and 1/2 of the pudding mixture. Repeat these layers again. Top with pudding and a few crushed wafers for a bakery-style look.
Pro tip: If using a trifle bowl, divide the vanilla wafer, banana, and pudding mixture into thirds and layer in three layers instead of two.
4. Cover tightly and chill.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. The longer you leave them, the softer and pudding-like the cookies will become.
Tips for recipe success
Make sure the pudding base is fully chilled…it will take some time to thicken properly. Be sure to use cold cream for whipping. Slicing the bananas just before layering them will keep them fresh. Cover bananas completely with pudding to prevent discoloration.
This homemade banana pudding is just as dreamy as the famous Magnolia Bakery version, but only you can be proud of making it yourself. One spoonful and you’ll see why this recipe doesn’t last long. Printable recipe cards can be found below. Have a great day, friends!
Homemade banana pudding (Magnolia Bakery copycat)
Perfectly sweet and delicious, this banana pudding recipe will make you never want dessert again. Perfect for holidays or potlucks.
material
US metric system
1x2x3x
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined (about 1 minute). Add pudding mix and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. It is very important to allow the appropriate amount of time for the pudding mixture to set. If you don’t let it sit long enough, it will become watery.
Place the cream in a large bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until no streaks of pudding remain.
To assemble the dessert, use a 9×13 glass dish.
Arrange 1/2 of the vanilla wafers to cover the bottom, overlapping as needed. Then layer with 1/2 of the banana and 1/2 of the pudding mixture. Repeat one more time and garnish the top layer with additional wafers or wafer crumbs. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
Precautions
If you want to use a trivial dish, divide the vanilla wafer, banana and pudding mixture into thirds and layer them in three layers instead of two.
Precautions for storage
Banana pudding tastes best within 24 hours of assembly, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Cover tightly. The bananas will turn a little brown, but the taste will remain the same. To make ahead, prepare the pudding and whipped cream separately and assemble several hours before serving. Freezing is not recommended as the texture will change.
nutrition
calorie: 344kcalcarbohydrates: 39gprotein: 3gfat: 20gSaturated fat: 11gcholesterol: 62mgsodium: 154mgpotassium: 246mgfiber: 1gsugar: 26gVitamin A: 665IUVitamin C: 3.7mgcalcium: 91mgiron: 0.1mg
variations
There is one disclaimer regarding the use of substitutions. This recipe is essentially a copy of Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding recipe, so substituting or substituting anything won’t get you that close to that recipe. But as always, feel free to make it however you like.
Banana pudding instead of vanilla pudding. If you like the lovey-dovey banana flavor, try using a banana-flavored pudding mix or mixing a little banana extract into your vanilla pudding. Adding cream cheese: Stir softened cream cheese into the pudding mixture for a richer texture. Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free cookies instead of traditional wafers. Cool Whip: When you need a little break, you can use Cool Whip in place of homemade whipped cream. Topping ideas: Garnish with banana slices, crushed cookies, or a drizzle of caramel to jazz it up.
FAQ
If your banana pudding is liquid, the pudding may not have had enough time to set. Or your bananas may be too ripe. Try putting it back in the fridge until it’s completely solidified.
Make sure the bananas are completely covered with the banana pudding mixture to prevent them from turning brown. As an additional precaution, you can also soak the banana slices in lemon juice first, but be aware that this will change the flavor.
Yellow bananas with some brown spots are the best bananas to use in banana pudding. Sweet, soft and ripe.
Banana pudding needs at least 4 hours in the refrigerator to fully set, but it tastes even better if left overnight. This extra time thickens the pudding, softens the cookies, and allows all the flavors to blend perfectly.
More recipes I want to try
If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you could give me a star rating or leave a review in the comments! If you have a photo of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.
