Description

Magnolia Bakery’s Famous Banana Pudding is a creamy, layered dessert featuring a luscious vanilla pudding made from instant mix and sweetened condensed milk, whipped heavy cream, fresh sliced bananas, and classic Nilla Wafers. This no-bake, refrigerator-set treat is perfect for gatherings and offers a delightful combination of smooth pudding, crunchy wafers, and fresh bananas.

Ingredients

Scale

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

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Instructions

Make the pudding base: In a large bowl, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and ice cold water for about 1 minute until fully combined. Add the instant vanilla pudding mix and continue beating for about 2 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight to allow the pudding to properly set and avoid a watery consistency.
Whip the cream: In a separate large bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. This will add lightness and volume to the pudding mixture.
Combine pudding and whipped cream: Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled pudding mixture until fully blended and no streaks remain, creating a smooth and airy mixture.
Prepare serving dish: You can assemble this dessert in individual portions or in a large glass bowl with a 4-5 quart capacity, such as a 9×13 baking dish.
Layer the dessert: Start by arranging one-third of the Nilla Wafers to cover the bottom, overlapping as needed. Next, add one-third of the sliced bananas evenly over the wafers, then spread one-third of the pudding mixture on top. Repeat these layers two more times, finishing with wafers or wafer crumbs on the top.
Chill to set: Cover the assembled dessert tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 8 hours. Avoid chilling longer to prevent the bananas from browning. For best freshness, consider tips on preventing banana browning such as lightly tossing them with lemon juice before layering.

Notes

Use barely ripe bananas; overly ripe bananas will turn brown and soften too much during chilling.
To prevent banana slices from browning, gently toss them with a small amount of lemon juice before layering.
This dessert is best enjoyed within 8 hours of assembling for optimal texture and appearance.
You can prepare the pudding base a day ahead to save time on assembly day.
The Nilla Wafers provide a classic crunch; however, for a twist, you can substitute with vanilla cookies if desired.