Magnolia Bakery's Famous Banana Pudding Recipe
Magnolia Bakery's Famous Banana Pudding is a classic, creamy, and indulgent dessert featuring layers of instant vanilla pudding, whipped cream, sliced bananas, and crunchy Nilla Wafers. This no-bake treat is chilled to perfection, making it a refreshing and crowd-pleasing dessert perfect for gatherings or family meals.
- 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
Other Ingredients
- 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. Then add the instant vanilla pudding mix and continue beating for about 2 minutes. Cover this mixture and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight to allow it to properly set. This step is crucial as the pudding mixture will be watery if it does not set long enough.
- Whip the cream: In a separate large bowl, whip the 3 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the chilled pudding mixture gently until no streaks remain, creating a light and creamy filling.
- Prepare the serving dish: You can assemble the dessert either in individual portions or in a large glass bowl with a 4-5 quart capacity (a 9x13 baking dish also works well).
- Assemble the banana pudding: Start by arranging 1/3 of the Nilla Wafers to cover the bottom, overlapping as needed. Add 1/3 of the sliced bananas on top of the wafers, and then spread 1/3 of the pudding mixture over the bananas. Repeat this layering process two more times, finishing with a layer of wafers or wafer crumbs on top.
- Chill before serving: Cover the assembled dessert tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld and the wafers to soften perfectly. Do not chill longer than 8 hours to prevent the bananas from browning excessively.
Notes
- Use barely ripe bananas for the best flavor and to minimize browning.
- To prevent bananas from browning, you can toss them lightly with lemon juice before layering.
- The pudding mixture must be refrigerated adequately to set properly to avoid a watery texture.
- This dessert is best consumed within 8 hours of assembly for optimal freshness and texture.
