Banana Pudding in a Jar

One of the very first recipes we posted and one of my all-time favorites on the blog is my sister-in-law’s recipe for Banana Cream Pie. It has become the base for more creamy pie-like recipes here on Our Best Bites and in our books and I even used it as my inspiration for my entry in the Private Selection ice cream contest two years ago.

So imagine my surprise when I had Magnolia Bakery’s famous banana pudding and then stumbled into a recipe for it in their cookbook and it was basically this recipe I’ve been using for years and years and years. I imagine it’s probably one of those things that’s been floating around in church cookbooks and 3×5″ recipe cards for years and years before it hit the big time.

So. If you’ve got a hankering for Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding, we’ve got you covered.

To start, you’ll need a 4-serving package of instant vanilla pudding, sweetened condensed milk, water, and whipping cream.

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, cold water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well and place in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.

In another bowl, whip 1 cup of whipping cream until soft peaks form.

Gently fold into the pudding mixture. 

Slice the bananas into 1/4″ slices.

In 6-8-ounce jars*, spread 1/4 cup of the pudding mixture over the bottom. Add 3-4 Nilla wafers, a few banana slices, then top with another 1/4 cup of pudding. Top with more Nilla wafers (and bananas, if desired).

Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. Immediately before serving, whip the remaining pint of whipped cream with the powdered sugar and dollop it on top of the puddings. Garnish with an additional 1-2 Nilla wafers.