This Magnolia Bakery banana pudding copycat recipe has layers of fresh bananas, vanilla wafers, and their signature fluffy vanilla pudding with a swirl of salted caramel to make it extra special.
The first Magnolia Bakery opened its doors in 1996 in the West Village, New York City. Very quickly they became known for their red velvet cupcake and, of course, their fresh banana pudding.
Due to its popularity, they expanded their brand into locations across the city before venturing into California, Illinois, and even overseas to places like India, the UAE, and Turkey.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t have access to the real deal, so we have to make this famous banana pudding for ourselves!
This dessert has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy, and it’s easy to execute from your home kitchen.
Why you will love this Banana Pudding recipe…
Salted Caramel Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Copycat
Ingredients
For the Pudding:
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups ice-cold water
- 1 (3.4-oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
For the Salted Caramel:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp sea salt
For Assembly:
- 1 (12-oz) box Nilla wafers (or Biscoff cookies for extra caramel flavor)
- 4-5 ripe bananas, sliced
- Extra sea salt for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Ingredients
- In a dry saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar, stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula until it turns into a deep amber color.
- Carefully whisk in the butter (it will bubble up!). Once melted, slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking continuously.
- Remove from heat and stir in the sea salt. Let it cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and ice-cold water until combined.
- Add the vanilla pudding mix and whisk for about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) until thickened.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold it into the pudding mixture until smooth.
- In a trifle dish (or individual cups), spread a layer of Nilla wafers.
- Add a layer of sliced bananas, followed by a generous drizzle of salted caramel.
- Spread a layer of the vanilla pudding mixture over the caramel.
- Repeat the layers until you reach the top, finishing with pudding.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better) to allow the flavors to meld.
- Before serving, drizzle with extra salted caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt for a beautiful sweet-salty contrast.
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
This banana pudding is ideal served as a dinner party dessert in individual portions or one large trifle dish. It’s also a welcome addition to a dessert buffet. Serve with a cup of tea or coffee.
Expert Tips🧑🍳
Storage Suggestions
Banana Pudding FAQs
Why is Magnolia Bakery banana pudding famous?
The banana pudding started as a favorite with the employees before the customers realized how delicious it was. It slowly gained in popularity from the early 2000s and now there are 26 flavor options available.
What keeps bananas from turning brown in banana pudding?
The bananas are layered underneath the vanilla pudding, which doesn’t allow air to come into contact with them. Air is what oxidizes (browns) the bananas so the vanilla pudding is a protective layer. However, if you top the dessert with bananas these are likely to brown over time.
Can you freeze banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery?
The original and this copycat recipe for the banana pudding is not suitable for freezing.
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