Vegan Banana Pudding with Homemade Vanilla Wafers (Magnolia Bakery Copycat)
by Olivia Biermann
on March 31, 2025
This homemade vegan banana pudding is the ultimate treat, featuring silky vanilla pudding, coconut whipped cream, and layers of ripe bananas and homemade vanilla wafers for the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
From my research and rigorous recipe testing, I’ve learned that this dessert can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. But my perfect banana pudding features a creamy vanilla pudding and whipped cream layer, sliced ripe bananas, and homemade vanilla wafers. With just the right amount of chill time, to let the wafers soften and the flavours blend beautifully.
Why Is Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding So Popular?
Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding is legendary for its irresistibly creamy texture and perfect balance of flavors. Made with layers of fluffy vanilla pudding, ripe bananas, and softened vanilla wafers, it has a nostalgic, homemade feel. Its cult following and social media buzz have only added to its iconic status, making it one of the most famous banana puddings in the world!
As you can probably tell from the description above, Magnolia’s banana pudding is not vegan. Their signature recipe relies on dairy-based ingredients like sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and Nilla Wafers, which are also not plant-based.
But don’t worry—you can still enjoy an equally creamy, dreamy banana pudding without the dairy! By making a homemade vegan version, you can swap in plant-based alternatives like homemade vegan vanilla wafers (recipe below!) and vegan whipped cream. The result? A delicious, rich, and indulgent banana pudding that’s just as satisfying as the real thing.
What dish size I recommend for banana pudding
As this recipe is similar to a trifle/parfait with its beautiful layers, a smaller-sized, deep casserole dish is what I recommend. I use an old (okay it was my mom’s, so not old old… let’s call it vintage) square casserole dish that is 6.5 x 6.5 x 3 inches. You can use any similar sized dish.
Making this for an event?
If you want maximum wow factor for serving this at a dinner party or potluck, use a glass dish so everyone can admire your hard work and beautiful layers.
Making your own vanilla wafers
Classic Nilla Wafers may be a staple in traditional banana pudding, but unfortunately, they’re not vegan. That’s why I love making my own! With just a few simple plant-based ingredients, you can create crispy, buttery vegan vanilla wafers that are even better than store-bought. Plus, homemade cookies let you have more control (like being gluten-free if needed, or less sweet) making them the perfect addition to any vegan banana pudding.
Storing and freezing tips
This recipe is one of those gems that gets better as it sits. However, like anything, it has its limits! This homemade banana pudding is best enjoyed within 2–3 days, as the bananas will start to soften and brown over time. Store it covered in the refrigerator to keep the flavors fresh and the texture just right. If you prefer your cookies to still have some crunch, enjoy it the same day, but for a classic, soft pudding texture, let it chill overnight. Freezing isn’t recommended, as it can affect the consistency of the cream and bananas.
If you want to save some time by making the cookies ahead of time, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The cookies can also be frozen in a zip top bag or airtight container for up to 2 months.
Flavour Combos & Fun Additions
We all know bananas and chocolate are a winning combo (like in these chocolate-studded banana date muffins). Add a handful of chocolate chips to each cookie layer for a delicious crunch and rich flavour.
Dust some matcha powder on top just before serving for a gorgeous vibrant pop of colour!
Add some dollops of peanut butter to the cookie layer or stir some into the pudding and whipped cream mixture itself.
Another insanely delicious combo is banana and caramel. You can’t go wrong! Drizzle homemade caramel sauce on top just before serving.
Vegan Banana Pudding with Homemade Vanilla Wafers (Magnolia Bakery Copycat)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 mins + 4 hours up to overnight chilling
- Yield: serves 4-6
Description
This homemade vegan banana pudding is the ultimate treat, featuring silky vanilla pudding, coconut whipped cream, and layers of ripe bananas and vanilla wafers for the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Banana Pudding:
- 1 batch (approx 28 cookies) vegan vanilla wafers
- 1 cup vegan heavy cream (or store-bought coconut whipped topping)
- 1 box (30g) vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup cold water or soy milk
- 2–3 ripe bananas
- optional: extra vegan whipped cream for serving.
Vegan Vanilla Wafers:
- 1/4 cup softened vegan butter or margarine
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp soy milk
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together vegan butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add soy milk and vanilla and mix. *It probably won’t completely ‘mix’, but just stir it as well as you can.
- Add the flour and baking powder and stir until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until no dry ingredients remain.
- Use approximately 1 ½ tsp of dough for each cookie (this should give you 28 cookies). Roll into a ball, then flatten slightly with your finger. Space a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will still be very light in colour. I like to turn on Broil for a few minutes to get them more deeply golden on top so they look the most authentic and contrast nicely with the banana pudding. However, they will taste great no matter what colour they are.
- Let cool and firm up on the tray 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, if using vegan heavy cream, whip until soft peaks form. If using pre-whipped coconut topping, proceed to next step.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together pudding mix and water until no lumps remain. Add whipped cream and fold together until just combined.
- Slice the bananas into even-sized coins. I like to leave this step until the last minute so they don’t turn brown.
- Layer ⅓ of the pudding mixture into the bottom of your serving dish (see above section for which type of serving dish to use). Add ½ of the cookies in an even layer (reserve a couple to decorate the top, if desired). Add ½ of the bananas in an even layer. Add another ⅓ of the pudding mixture in a layer, smoothing out to make it even. Add the remaining cookies and banana slices. Add the rest of the pudding mixture and spread evenly. Decorate the top with crumbled extra cookies, if desired.
- Cover and let sit in the fridge for 4 hours, up to overnight. When ready to serve, remove from fridge and spoon into bowls. Top with and extra dollop of whipped cream on top, is desired.
What brand of pudding mix do you recommend?
The Jello brand fat-free vanilla is dairy-free! 🙂 That’s what I used.