last updated on October 30, 2026
This strawberry shortcake pudding is the perfect dessert. It starts with a creamy, smooth vanilla pudding layered with oven roasted strawberries and vanilla wafers. It comes together quick and is an easy way to please a large crowd.
This recipe is based on a Magnolia Bakery pudding. They are best known for their banana pudding (which I have a copycat of as well), but they have started doing seasonal pudding flavors like peach crisp pudding and pumpkin pudding. Their most recent flavor was a strawberry shortcake pudding and I knew right away I needed to recreate it. And my instincts were right, this flavor is incredible.
ingredients needed for strawberry shortcake 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
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 lb fresh strawberries
- 1 box vanilla wafers
variations
There are a few ways to switch up this pudding if you want something a little different. The first is using graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers. I tried this variation and it was actually unreal. It made it taste like a strawberry cheesecake instead of shortcake. So depending on what vibe you are going for graham crackers might be the right move!
Next is switching up the fruit. If you have another summer berry on your hands, use that instead! If you wanted to make this for the 4th of July, you could use a combination of strawberries and blueberries for the classic red, white, and blue vibes.
other recipes you will love
- magnolia bakery banana pudding
- peach crisp pudding
- single serve biscuit with strawberries and cream
- strawberry coconut cake
strawberry shortcake pudding
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix I use Jello brand
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 lb fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 box vanilla wafers
Instructions
- Add the water and vanilla pudding mix to a bowl. Whisk until fully combined and smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk and whisk again. Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to set up completely.
- While the mixture is chilling, preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the strawberries into bite-sized pieces and transfer them to a pan lined with parchment paper. Add sugar and toss until well combined. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15-25 minutes, until the strawberries have released some of their juices and are soft and tender. Transfer the strawberries to another pan or plate to cool completely.
- When the strawberries are cool and the pudding is finished chilling, add the heavy cream to a large bowl. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to whip until soft peaks form.
- Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the bowl with the pudding mixture. Gently stir until the whipped cream is fully incorporated. Add the remaining whipped cream and gently mix until smooth and combined.
- Now time for layering. Add a couple scoops of pudding to a large bowl, then a layer of strawberries, then pudding, then vanilla wafers. Repeat until all of the pudding and strawberries have been used up.
- Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. Serve and enjoy!
Could you use frozen berries instead of fresh?
yes! just let them warm up/defrost enough that you can slice through them, then roast them normally according to the instructions.
Hi there I noticed in the listed of ingredients you have 3 cups of heavy cream but In the instructions you have whipped cream so which one do I use.
sorry for the confusion! you whip the heavy cream to turn it into whipped cream. i edited the recipe so it is clearer now.
My water, pudding, condensed milk mixture didn’t set up—is there a trick to it?
hi! did you use instant pudding mix? if you used the “cook & serve” variety it won’t set up. i would guess that is what went wrong.
Can you use Peaches
yes, totally!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. It looks scrumptious ?
can’t wait for you to try it!
This looks amazing! In your IG reel, it looks like you sprinkle sugar over the strawberries before baking, but I don’t see it in the recipe. Just curious ?
hi! yes, sorry i just realized that i didn’t add that in the written recipe. you can roast them without the sugar, which is why i didn’t initially add it to the written recipe. but to have it match the video i just updated the recipe to add sugar! hope that clears up the confusion!
Thank you! I can’t wait to try!
Just saw your TikTok did you add sugar to the strawberries before roasting?
hi! yes, sorry i just realized that i didn’t add that in the written recipe. you can roast them without the sugar, which is why i didn’t initially add it to the written recipe. but to have it match the video i just updated the recipe to add sugar! hope that clears up the confusion!
I just made this and it is fantastic! Quick question though how long will this keep in the fridge ?
hi! sorry i am just seeing this. it will stay good for 2-3 days until it starts to get a little too soggy.
Please tell me how you got yours to set! I used instant pudding and it did not set firmly! it’s so watery.
Oh no! Mine is currently setting in the fridge! All the stores were out of instant!! I figure it would still work.
If I use graham crackers do I crush them?
yes! i’d crush them into smaller pieces. not into crumbs, but smaller chunks!
Hi, I’m a little confused- do you use 1.5 cups of water with 3.4 oz of pudding mix?
hi! yes, you’ll whisk together 1.5 cups of water with the entire 3.4 oz of pudding mix. i specify 3.4 oz because there are different sizes of pudding mixes you can purchase, but 3.4 oz is a standard size, so look for that one. and make sure it’s the instant kind!
Hi, the 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk is confusing. Do you use 1 1/4 or 1 1.4 oz??
1 can that contains 14 oz!
How long can this sit out at a party?
hi! i wouldn’t let it sit out more than 2 hours. i’d shoot for closer to 1 hour if possible.
This looks so good! What a great combination flavors!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days!
Hey there! So excited to try this, have you ever tried it without roasting the strawberries? Or is that pretty pivotal? Thanks for the help!
you can totally skip roasting the strawberries! roasting the strawberries makes them much softer and helps release juices that blend into the pudding, but isn’t necessary. the raw strawberries will just have a firmer bite and wont release any juice. but it will still taste great!
I’ve made this twice this week for 2 different events and everyone loves it!
yay i’m so glad everyone loved it!!!
hii love this recipe but it would be great if you had some nutritional information! do you have the cals per serving by chance?
hi! i don’t on my site, but you can paste the recipe into a nutrition website and get the cals per serving.
Can you use other fruits like blueberries or raspberries? Would you recommend roasting them too? Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!
yes you can use any fruit you’d like! if you want them to release the juices like the do with the strawberries, then i’d recommend roasting them too, but you can also use any of them fresh!
Made it the other week and it was a hit! Would it also work with the cheesecake flavor of the pudding mix or should we stick to vanilla?
yay so glad you enjoyed!! you can definitely mix up the flavor. just make sure it’s the right size and is the “instant” pudding.
Looks amazing! Would this work in a trifle bowl ?
yes, for sure!
This looks so! What a great combination of flavors!
you’ll love it!!
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
it will stay good in the fridge for a couple days! so you can make it 1-2 days before serving.
Hello! I stumbled upon this recipe via a coworker! And it was awesome. So awesome that she made it again for my birthday ?. More so, can I substitute the pudding for no bake cheesecake? And still follow the recipe? Because I like a particular French vanilla pudding. And I can’t seem to find it! Please, let me know if this is feasible! I’d like to make this recipe soon! ?!
hi! i don’t think substituting a no-bake cheesecake mix would work here. no-bake cheesecake has dried bakers cheese and i’m not sure how it would do in this pudding. you could definitely give it a try, but no promises it would work!
I made it before with instant vanilla pudding mix and it was AMAZING.
This time around I couldn’t find the instant mix so I have the regular vanilla pudding mix. Should I make the pudding according to the box instructions (heating milk etc) or use your recipe?
hi! unfortunately you need to use an instant pudding mix for this recipe. instant pudding uses modified cornstarch, which thickens without heat, while regular pudding mix uses regular cornstarch that you have to heat to activate. also, it won’t work to make the pudding first according to the box instructions because that will add far too much liquid than the recipe calls for.
I’ve made this a bunch of times since you originally posted it- one of our favorite desserts!!! We usually make it for the 4th with strawberries and blueberries but we had farm fresh strawberries and heavy cream this time- omg DIVINE!!!
I also use gluten free vanilla wafer cookies from kinnikinnick and they work great! I also add vanilla bean paste to the cream while I make it but otherwise we always make it as written!
hi! so glad you love this one!! i’ve also made it with the kinnikinnick gluten free wafers and they are great!! you can’t even tell it’s GF. so glad you enjoy this one over and over!
I’ve made this a few times in a trifle dish and it’s always a crowd pleaser! I use graham crackers instead of wafers and do as many cracker layers as I can. I garnish the trifle with graham cracker crumbs and fresh strawberry slices. Perfection!
love doing this one with graham crackers!! so glad you enjoyed!