Copycat Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

Copycat Magnolia Bakery banana pudding, layered with vanilla wafers and bananas.

A few years ago I was in my office at work and got some not-so-good news, and I suggested that some of my team take the rest of the afternoon off.

Well — they opted to stay at work. And I immediately thought, what kind of comfort food can I have delivered to them?

To my surprise, there was a Magnolia Bakery not far from my office.

Why Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery is known for their banana pudding. The bakery was made famous by the show Sex and the City — people still watch that show today. I actually had a binge-watching session of it when I visited my dearest girlfriend in Arizona.

But I know Magnolia Bakery from one of my favorite movies, The Devil Wears Prada.

Anyway — I got the banana pudding delivered, and my colleagues enjoyed it so much. And as I enjoyed it, I thought with the very first taste:

Oh my goodness. This is the best banana pudding I have ever eaten.

It was the best banana pudding I’d ever tasted in my life.

The second thing I said was: this tastes just like my banana pudding.

Cooked or not cooked

There is a group of people who are so passionate about having banana pudding only if it is cooked.

I like cooked banana pudding too. But I have to say, it does not compare to this. My personal opinion.

This recipe is just entirely too easy and too quick for you not to make it.

And if you make it and you don’t like it, come back and tell me I was dead wrong.

Why this time of year

There’s something about this time of the year that just makes me want to bake and cook and share, and bring all of these amazing flavors into my kitchen.

I hope that you will bring some of these things — some of your favorite flavors, and some of your favorite things — into your home over the holiday season.

Easy No-Bake Banana Pudding

Layers of vanilla wafers, ripe bananas and a fluffy vanilla pudding that tastes just like the bakery version. No baking at all — just chill it and let the cookies soften.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
6 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5 cups very cold vanilla pudding store bought, cooked or instant — whatever is easy
  • 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 container Cool Whip from the tub; homemade sweetened whipped cream also works
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 ripe bananas sliced
  • 1/2 box vanilla wafers

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, add your made cold vanilla pudding. This can be store bought premade, cooked, instant — whatever is easy.
  2. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix well.
  3. Add the sweetened condensed milk along with another teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix well.
  4. Gently fold in the Cool Whip, being careful to keep it fluffy. You can also sub in homemade sweetened whipped cream here.
  5. In a medium bowl or casserole dish, add a layer of vanilla wafers, top with a layer of bananas, and add a layer of the pudding to cover. Repeat.
  6. Finish with a final layer of the pudding mixture and top with more vanilla wafers to make it look yummy.
  7. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours to allow the flavors to come together and the cookies inside to soften.

Notes

This stuff right here — it is essentially comfort in a bowl.

Tell me: are you someone who loves banana pudding, or hates banana pudding? And share this with someone you know who loves it.

I will be praying for you.