Easy Vegan Banana Pudding (Magnolia Bakery Copycat)
Sep 03, 2020 • Updated Dec 12, 2023
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A delicious and decadent High Protein Vegan Banana Pudding adapted from Magnolia Bakery’s traditional banana pudding! This plant-based take makes a creamy, vegan vanilla pudding loaded with soft vanilla wafer cookies, chopped pecans, and sweet banana slices. A classic southern dessert made with simple ingredients and completely dairy-free!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve been teasing this high-protein, creamy Vegan Banana Pudding recipe for a while, and I’m so excited to share it with you today! It has taken a few different tests and also taste tests (from trusted friends and fam). Finally, I present to you a decadent but secretly healthy creamy banana pudding with mini vegan vanilla wafer cookies, banana slices, and toasted pecans. Think Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding but vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and nutritious AF!
Now, I have to admit that before I went vegan, I had never tried Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding, so my sister, who has tried it, helped me tweak this recipe to get the flavors right. I based it off of the ACTUAL Magnolia Bakery recipe from their cookbook that The Girl Who Ate Everything shared on her blog. It’s actually quite a simple recipe involving canned condensed milk, instant pudding mix, heavy cream, Nilla Wafers and banana.
To create my vegan version of this recipe, I used a base of smooth tofu and cashew butter-based pudding (I know it sounds weird, but trust me!) sweetened with maple syrup, which really packs in the protein. Folded in are tiny homemade vanilla wafers that come together in 10 minutes with sweet banana coins throughout. To the top of the pudding, crunchy chopped pecans. Altogether, it creates the most delicious vegan banana pudding slash cake texture with softened cookie bits.
There are a few steps involved in making this recipe, but the end result is worth it! Also, you can veganize the original recipe to the T if you prefer, using a boxed pudding mix, coconut condensed milk, and so on.
Ingredient Notes
Mini “Nilla Wafer” Style Cookies
These gluten-free vanilla wafers are adapted from my Maple Tahini Cookie recipe. They’re pretty simple vanilla wafer cookies that soften and add such a nice texture and flavor to the pudding.
- Almond and coconut flour
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Cashew butter
Vanilla Pudding
Rather than using a store-bought option or instant vanilla pudding mix, this homemade pudding is actually high-protein and super creamy, and it makes such a lovely, creamy dessert.
- Firm tofu
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Cashew Butter
Layers & Topping
- Fresh bananas: You want these to be super ripe bananas– like brown spots on the peel sort of ripe. That’s what makes the sweet banana slices so heavenly!
- Pecans
- Whipped Topping: If desired, make a batch of homemade vegan whipped topping from a can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream. Or you can buy a can of vegan whipped cream.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and start by making your mini Nilla Wafer-style cookies. Whisk together cashew butter or tahini along with maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. Add almond flour, coconut flour, and baking powder and mix with a spatula until a dough forms. Start with 1/2 cup almond flour, adding more as needed until you achieve a rollable dough consistency.
- Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and scoop teaspoon-sized balls of dough to form cookies. Roll into a small ball, then press down lightly to form into a disc shape. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and allow to cool.
- Next, prepare your pecans by chopping them into large pieces and lightly dry toasting on medium heat in a small frying pan. Continuously shake the pan or toss using a spatula until fragrant and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- To make pudding, gently press tofu wrapped in a kitchen linen or paper towels to remove excess water. Add to a high-speed blender along with maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cashew butter, and blend until completely smooth. You should not need to add extra liquid, but if you do, you can add soy milk or other non-dairy milk by the tablespoon as needed. Taste and add maple syrup as needed, but keep in mind the cookies and banana will sweeten the overall pudding once it is ready to eat.
- Slice bananas into coins and prepare to assemble. Transfer pudding mix into a piping bag with a large tip (or use a spoon) to layer pudding, followed by a layer of cookies and a layer of banana slices. Repeat until the serving glass is full, and top with additional banana slices, cookies, and pecans.
- Allow the pudding mixture to sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to allow the cookies to soften and the pudding to chill before enjoying.
Secrets to Success
- To save time, the best order of operation is to start with the cookie, move on to the pudding while the cookies are in the oven, toast pecans, and then slice the bananas last. Since bananas can brown over time, I recommend slicing just before placing, though I do find that when they’re covered in pudding, they don’t brown too much. When left on the surface, however, they will brown naturally, so you may want to save your garnish slices until you actually serve.
- For best baking results when making the mini cookies, I highly recommend a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper so you can easily peel them off the sheet once cooled! I also used a high-speed blender for smooth pudding consistency. Be sure that everything is completely blended–we don’t want chunks in our pudding!
- I’ve found that almond flour can vary by brand, so I recommend you start with 1/2 cup and add more as you need until a workable dough forms.
- You can assemble this creamy pudding into individual servings and then chill it, so it’s easier to serve to a group.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 48 hours. I recommend using individual serving dishes with lids or using plastic wrap to cover and store them.
More Delicious Vegan Desserts
Best Ever Vegan & GF Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.
Easy Vegan Banana Pudding (Magnolia Bakery Copycat)
Ingredients
- 2-3 super ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup pecans
- Mini "nilla wafer" style cookies
- 1/2-1 cup almond flour*
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 cup cashew butter or tahini it should be smooth and runny
- 3-4 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vanilla pudding
- 15 oz firm tofu
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
Instructions
- Preaheat your oven to 350F and start by making your mini Nilla Water style cookies. Whisk together cashew butter or tahini along with maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. Add almond flour, coconut flour and baking powder and mix with a spatula until a dough forms. Start with 1/2 cup almond flour, adding more as needed until you achieve a rollable dough consistency.
- Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and scoop teaspoon size balls of dough to form cookies. Roll into a small ball, then press down lightly to form into a disc shape. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and allow to cool.
- Next, prepare your pecans by chopping into large pieces and lightly dry toasting on medium heat in a small frying pan. Continuously shake pan or toss using a spatula until fragrant and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- To make pudding, gently press tofu wrapped in a kitchen linen or paper towels to remove excess water. Add to a high speed blender along with maple syrup, vanilla extract and cashew butter and blend until completely smooth. You should not need to add extra liquid, but if you do, you can add a soymilk or other non-dairy milk by the tablespoon as needed. Taste, and add maple syrup as needed but keep in mind the cookies and banana will sweeten the overall pudding once ready to eat.
- Slice bananas into coins and prepare to assemble. Transfer pudding mix into a piping bag with large tip (or use a spoon) to layer pudding, followed by a layer of cookies and a layer of banana slices. Repeat until the serving glass is full, and top with additional banana slices, cookies and pecans.
- Allow pudding mixture to sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to allow cookies to soften and pudding to chill before enjoying.
Notes
Secrets to Success
- To save time, the best order of operation is to start with the cookie, move on to the pudding while the cookies are in the oven, toast pecans, and then slice the bananas last. Since bananas can brown over time, I recommend slicing just before placing, though I do find that when they’re covered in pudding, they don’t brown too much. When left on the surface, however, they will brown naturally, so you may want to save your garnish slices until you actually serve.
- For best baking results when making the mini cookies, I highly recommend a nonstick silicone baking mat or parchment paper so you can easily peel them off the sheet once cooled! I also used a high-speed blender for smooth pudding consistency. Be sure that everything is completely blended–we don’t want chunks in our pudding!
- I’ve found that almond flour can vary by brand, so I recommend you start with 1/2 cup and add more as you need until a workable dough forms.
- You can assemble this creamy pudding into individual servings and then chill it, so it’s easier to serve to a group.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 48 hours. I recommend using individual serving dishes with lids or using plastic wrap to cover and store them.Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post may contain affiliate links.
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