Name: gingerbread banana pudding
Prep time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups water; 1 3.4oz vanilla instant pudding mix (i like jello brand); 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk; 1 tbsp molasses; 3 cups heavy cream; 1 box gingerbread cookies (about 16oz); 4-5 bananas (sliced)

last updated on October 30, 2026

For day 2 of my 12 Days of Christmas Recipes we are making gingerbread banana pudding aka Christmas banana pudding! If you have had Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding, this is similar, but with a few Christmas changes!

Magnolia Bakery has released their recipe to the public, so that is the base recipe we are using here. It is incredibly simple but insanely delicious. It has become very famous and iconic — you can now even ship it directly to your home, though it is pretty pricey and you can make it just as good at home! If you want the plain banana pudding recipe, I have a post all about it that you can check out! But let me tell you, this gingerbread version is so good and just perfect for the holiday season.

ingredients needed for gingerbread banana pudding

1 1/2 cups water
1 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix I use Jello brand
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp molasses
3 cups heavy cream
1 box gingerbread cookies
4-5 bananas

what kind of gingerbread cookies to use

For this pudding, the best kind of gingerbread cookies to use are really hard, crunchy ones. They will soften up immensely in the pudding, so hard cookies are the best! Think store-bought gingerbread cookies that are in the shape of gingerbread. I love the ones from Trader Joe’s because they have white chocolate on the back that I think tastes amazing in this pudding!

how to make gingerbread banana pudding

This pudding is easy to make, but it takes plenty of chill time, so make sure you plan for that! We start by combining the water, vanilla instant pudding mix, sweetened condensed milk, and molasses. Make sure you are using instant vanilla pudding mix, or this pudding won’t work! Whisk the mixture until it’s smooth, cover, and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight!

After it has chilled, pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and whip until still peaks form. Add about 1/3 of the whipped ream to the pudding mixture and carefully fold it in. Add the rest of the whipped cream and fold in until you have a smooth mixture.

Either into a large bowl or a several cups, layer the pudding — add a layer of the pudding mixture, then a layer of bananas and gingerbread cookies, then repeat until you’ve used up all the pudding. Transfer to the fridge for 30 minutes and then enjoy!

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
1 3.4oz vanilla instant pudding mix i like jello brand
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp molasses
3 cups heavy cream
1 box gingerbread cookies about 16oz
4-5 bananas sliced

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the water, vanilla instant pudding mix, sweetened condensed milk, and molasses. Whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Once the mixture has chilled, add the heavy cream to a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks have formed. Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the bowl with the pudding. Gently fold it in. Add the remaining whipped cream to the bowl and mix until smooth.
Either in a large bowl or several cups, layer the pudding — add a layer of the pudding mixture, then top with some sliced bananas, then some gingerbread cookies. Repeat until all the pudding is used.
Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Enjoy!!