After visiting New York City, I had to try the famous Magnolia Bakery banana pudding that everyone was raving about. While it was good, it wasn’t quite what I expected. I think as it’s become more commercialized, it’s lost a little of that homemade charm.

On the way home, I knew I wanted to recreate it myself—using simple ingredients, making it easy, and giving it that fresh, homemade taste. Now you can enjoy a delicious banana pudding without spending $15 on a single cup, and you’ll have enough to share with your entire family!

Recipe

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Cake

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This homemade banana pudding is creamy, fluffy, and layered with fresh bananas and vanilla wafers for an irresistible classic dessert. Inspired by the famous Magnolia Bakery version, it’s easy to make with simple ingredients and perfect for sharing with the whole family.

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Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

1 box vanilla cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups milk divided: 1 cup for cake batter + 1 cup for soaking
1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

Banana Pudding Layer

3/4 cup cold milk
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 box 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream divided: 2 cups for folding into pudding, 1 1/2 cups for topping
3 bananas sliced
Nilla wafers whole and crushed for topping (optional)

Instructions

Bake the Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and 1 cup milk. Add cake mix and beat 2 minutes until smooth.
Pour into a 9×13 pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 30–35 minutes or until golden and set. Cool cake for 10–15 minutes.

Soak the Cake

Poke holes all over the warm cake with a straw or skewer.
Mix together 1 cup milk and the remaining condensed milk. Pour evenly over the cake and let it soak in completely.
Add a layer of sliced bananas on top.

Make the Pudding Cream

In a bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup condensed milk, and the instant pudding mix. Whisk 1 minute — it will still be thin. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour until thickened.
Whip 2 cups heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold pudding into whipped cream to create a fluffy banana pudding mousse.

Assemble

Spread pudding mousse over the bananas. Whip the remaining 1 1/2 cups heavy cream to stiff peaks and spread on top.
Decorate with more banana slices and crushed or whole Nilla wafers.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight for best texture. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Connie’s notes

You can use milk if you prefer, but I found that using water gives it a flavor that’s much closer to the original. The longer it chills in the refrigerator, the better the flavor becomes, making it even more delicious the next day.

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