Featured Comment
From Stephanie: “Loved it, perfect banana pudding!!”
From Amy: “I made this two weeks ago, then made it again to take to a friend and she and I both agreed it’s impossible to stop eating it! I may need to make it every two weeks until further notice. It’s deceptively easy to make but tastes remarkably decadent.”
From Heidi: “Another win! You’d never know this is gluten free, thank you so much! It was a huge hit at our son’s party!”
⏱️ Time to Taste: 8 hours 30 minutes (only 30 minutes active prep time + 3–4 hours chilling the pudding + 4 hours chilling the assembled treat)
✨ Texture: Creamy, rich, and fluffy with layers of smooth vanilla pudding, soft gluten-free vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and homemade whipped cream
🥣 Ease: This no-bake dessert is simple to make with a few easy steps. The hardest part is waiting for the pudding to chill and set before assembling the layers.
🌾 Gluten-Free Ingredient: Gluten-Free Vanilla Wafers
🍽️ Equipment Needed: Stand mixer or hand mixer, mixing bowls, and a trifle dish or serving bowl
🎉 Best For: Summer BBQs, holidays, potlucks, and family gatherings
❤️ Why You’ll Love It: This gluten-free banana pudding has all the classic flavors and textures of the famous Magnolia Bakery dessert, but it’s easy to make ahead and perfect for serving a crowd.
This easy recipe uses a boxed pudding mix to save time, but you would never know it from the taste! I combined the vanilla pudding mix with sweetened condensed milk for extra rich and silky pudding. It’s the same secret ingredient used in the famous Magnolia Bakery banana pudding in New York City.
I love serving this gluten free banana pudding in a trifle bowl for an extra wow-factor. Everyone is always impressed with the beautiful layers, but little do they know it’s actually so easy to make! I even use the same trifle dish for my gluten-free strawberry trifle.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free banana pudding. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free vanilla wafers: You can use any gluten free wafer cookies. Kinnikinnik vanilla wafers are my favorite!
- Bananas: I like to use bananas that are just barely ripe, maybe even a tiny bit green. Slightly firm bananas hold their shape better and are less likely to brown or become mushy than overripe bananas.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Any brand of sweetened condensed milk will work for this recipe. This is the secret ingredient that makes the pudding extra creamy and rich.
- Vanilla pudding mix: Be sure to use instant vanilla pudding mix, not cook-and-serve pudding mix. I like Jell-O brand, which is naturally gluten-free.
- Heavy cream: Fresh whipped cream makes this banana pudding light and fluffy. Avoid replacing it with Cool Whip or milk-based substitutes.
How to Make Gluten-Free Banana Pudding
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Make the pudding: Cold water and sweetened condensed milk are the key to a rich, creamy pudding. I always plan for 3–4 hours of chilling time so the pudding can fully set. Otherwise, it may be too thin.
Make the Whipped Cream: I prefer using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, but a hand mixer works too. Stiff peaks create a stable whipped cream that can better handle the next step.
Combine: Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding to keep it light and fluffy. I stop as soon as no streaks of pudding remain.
Assemble: I prefer to use a trifle dish to show off the layers. After adding the layers, cover and chill it for at least 4 hours. This gives the flavors time to come together!
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: This gluten-free banana pudding is best eaten within 8 hours of preparing. If you wait longer, the bananas will start to brown.
To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Just keep in mind that the bananas will brown and the wafers will soften over time.
To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. The pudding texture would change after thawing and the bananas would become soft and watery.
What Does Gluten-Free Banana Pudding Taste Like?
This gluten-free banana pudding tastes just like the classic version you know and love. It’s rich and creamy with sweet vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices, buttery gluten-free vanilla wafers, and light homemade whipped cream.
How Do You Keep Bananas From Turning Brown?
It’s important to use barely-ripe bananas to prevent browning. Bananas with any brown speckles will brown at a much faster rate! You can also lightly coat banana slices with lemon juice or soak them briefly in club soda to help prevent browning.
Can I Make This in Individual Cups?
Definitely! Layer the pudding in small mason jars, dessert cups, or glasses for easy-to-serve individual portions. They’re perfect for parties, picnics, and potlucks.
Can I Use Banana Pudding Mix Instead of Vanilla?
Yes! Banana pudding mix adds even more banana flavor, but vanilla pudding lets the fresh bananas shine and is closer to the famous Magnolia Bakery-style banana pudding.
More Gluten-Free Banana Recipes
Gluten-Free Banana Pudding (Magnolia Bakery!)
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can (397g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) cold water
- 1 (3.4-ounce) box (96g) vanilla instant pudding mix
- 3 cups (720ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 (6.3-ounce) boxes (357g) gluten-free vanilla wafers
- 4 cups (600g) sliced barely ripe bananas
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk and cold water. Using a hand mixer, beat together on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla pudding mix for another 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. This is very important! The pudding needs to be set for the right consistency.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4-5 minutes.
- Gently fold the fresh whipped cream into the pudding mixture until no streaks of pudding remain.
- Place ⅓ of the gluten-free vanilla wafers in the bottom of a 3-quart trifle dish, overlapping if necessary.
- Next, layer ⅓ of the bananas and ⅓ of the pudding mixture. Repeat twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours. I don’t recommend making this more than 8 hours in advance or the bananas will start to brown.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in June 2023. It was updated with new photos and instructions in July 2026.
Can you use instant banana Jello pudding instead of vanilla?
Hi Dana! That should work well. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi,
Question, for the vanilla pudding mix, you dont use milk? You only mix with the sweetened condensed milk and ice water?
Hi Marquis, that’s correct!
Hello! Is one 30 gram container of the jello pudding mix sufficient to make this?
Hi Teagan! This recipe uses a 3.4 oz box of jell-o mix. It looks like the box says net wt 3.4 oz (96g). We hope this helps!
Just finished making this recipe. Curious do you use 3 cups heavy cream or 3cups whipped heavy cream. I used 2 cups heavy cream and it made more whipped cream but I folded it all in, tasted good. I also needed to run to the store to buy another box of gluten free cookies for the pan I was using. I used Partake vanilla wafers from Sprouts, could find the ones you recommended nearby. Hoping it tastes good when I serve it later tonight.
Hello! We use 3 cups of heavy cream to make the whipped cream that then gets folded into the pudding mixture. We hope you enjoyed the banana pudding!
I accidentally purchased regular vanilla pudding, not instant anyway I can still use this
Hi Alison, this recipe is designed for instant pudding which doesn’t require heat. The regular pudding will require cooking before it can be used. We haven’t tried the cook & serve pudding with the sweetened condensed milk/water mixture unfortunately. For best results, we’d recommend using instant pudding. Thank you for your question! We hope you enjoy the banana pudding!
Can you use sweetened condensed oatmilk and coconut heavy cream as substitutes for those with dairy allergies?
Hi there, we haven’t tried to make this one dairy-free before. Those sound like decent swaps to try though. If you decide to test it out, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Loved it , perfect banana pudding !!
Can you make the pudding the day before and then assemble with cookies and bananas the following day?
Hi Vicki, yes that will work! The pudding by itself should keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I made this two weeks ago, then made it again to take to a friend and she and I both agreed it’s impossible to stop eating it! I may need to make it every two weeks until further notice. It’s deceptively easy to make but tastes remarkably decadent.
We love to hear how much you both loved the banana pudding, Amy! Thanks for sharing your kind words!
My gosh this was good! I made this because my husband isn’t a fan of meringue- I was shocked by how the condensed milk and pudding mix came together to make almost like a crème pat, I’ll definitely be making this again.
Yay! We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed the banana pudding. Thanks for the 5-star review!
Hi, I read somewhere that GF wafers don’t soften in the pudding. Have you had that problem with the brand you use?
I have noticed they don’t seem to soften as quickly as regular GF wafers! They will still soften with time. I use Kinnikinnick!
Another win! You’d never know this is gluten free, thank you so much! It was a huge hit at our son’s party!
What brand of instant vanilla pudding do you use?
Thank you!
I use Jello Brand!