The “Beloved” Southern Frozen Dessert I’m Definitely Bringing to Thanksgiving This Year (It’s Finally in Stores!)

Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding is famous for its creamy pudding studded with vanilla wafers and fresh banana slices. The fandom runs so deep, it inspired the bakeshop to launch a pudding of the month club (members get monthly deliveries of new flavors to their doorstep), banana pudding cookies (in three different flavors!), and even a banana pudding scented candle (so your home can smell like dessert while you snack).

If you don’t live near a Magnolia Bakery, the easiest way to get the beloved puddings would be to order it online (at a hefty price). That is, until now. Ahead of the holidays, the bakeshop announced it’s dropping a new line of frozen banana puddings in grocery stores. I got my hands on some ahead of the launch to see how they stack up to the freshly made stuff.

The team at Magnolia Bakery spent three years (yes, really!) creating the recipes for these new frozen banana puddings. Their goal? Ensure the classic creaminess wasn’t compromised in the thawing process. 

The puddings come in three flavors — Wafer Cookie Bits, Red Velvet Cookie Bits, and Chocolatey Hazelnut Swirl — and are ready to eat after thawing for two or three hours in the fridge. Plus, you can refreeze any leftovers for later and thaw again. It doesn’t affect the texture one bit!

Each flavor contains a banana pudding base (heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, banana puree). The Wafer Cookie Bits is whipped with vanilla wafers, as is the Chocolatey Hazelnut Swirl (and a chocolatey hazelnut swirl); the Red Velvet Cookie Bits is made with red velvet cookies, naturally, and chocolate chunks.

The banana puddings hit shelves November 18 — just in time for Thanksgiving — and are sold in 14-ounce cups. You can find them at DoorDash, GoPuff, Amazon Fresh, Wonder (check availability in your local area), and select airports starting at $9.99.

Eager to get to sampling, I popped the Wafer Cookie Bits container in the fridge to thaw, and two hours later it had softened to spoonable consistency. (I could tell just by picking it up.) Chunks of vanilla wafer peeked out through the pudding. I dug my spoon in for a taste and was surprised by how light and airy it was. If I didn’t thaw it myself, I’d never know it was frozen.

One bite in, and I was sent to creamy, dreamy bliss. The banana pudding is sweet, rich, and silky (a few bites were more than satisfying!), and the little vanilla wafer bits add texture and buttery flavor. The cookies held up well, and there was no separation of ingredients or watery pockets. (My mom agreed and was equally impressed.) 

And while there’s no fresh banana pieces, which you’ll find in the puddings sold at the bakeshops, there’s plenty of banana flavor, no doubt thanks to the puree. In fact, it’s shockingly similar to the OG. 

I also tried the Chocolatey Hazelnut Swirl and Red Velvet Cookie Bits. The hazelnut flavor wasn’t as prominent as I’d hoped, but I did enjoy the chocolate ribbons running throughout. My sister was a big fan of the red velvet, although she did say it masked some of the banana flavor. You can be the judge of that. 

Buy: Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding Wafer Cookie Bits, $10.99 for 14 ounces on Go Puff 

Have you tried Magnolia Bakery’s new frozen banana puddings? Let us know in the comments.