There is nothing more enjoyable after a long day in the city than stopping to pick up Magnolia Bakery’s fresh banana pudding before the train ride home. In 1996, founders  Allysa Torey and Jennifer Appel opened their first location in the West Village of New York City, selling a variety of goods. However, Magnolia Bakery took the world by storm in 2000 after its red velvet cupcake appeared on the popular TV show ‘Sex and the City’, making it a must-try attraction. The attention and long lines led to the opening of more locations, including my personal favorite, Grand Central Terminal.  As the line grew, people began exploring the bakery's other dessert options, leading to a rise in popularity for their banana pudding. Unfortunately, sometimes it is not convenient to travel to the city just to get banana pudding, so I learned to make it myself, and now I can share it with even more people so they can enjoy this delicacy. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

• 1.5 cups of ice-cold water

• 1 (3.4 oz) box of instant vanilla pudding mix

• 3 cups of heavy whipping cream

• 4 cups of sliced bananas

• 1 (12 oz) box of Nilla Wafers 

Instructions: 

1. In a large bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk and ice-cold water until well combined. Add the pudding mix and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, until the pudding mixture sets. 

2. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. When finished, gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture. 

3. The dessert can be either made in individual portions or in one large dish (I use a 9x13 baking dish)

4. To assemble, add ⅓ of the Nilla wafers to cover the bottom of your dish. Next, layer ⅓ of the bananas, then ⅓ of the pudding mixture. Repeat these steps twice more until you finish all the ingredients. 

5. Optional, but you can garnish the pudding by adding wafer crumbs on top. 

6. Cover the dish tightly and chill in the fridge for at least four hours

7. Serve and enjoy!