Magnolia Bakery debuts frozen-to-thaw Banana Pudding

The pudding can cycle between a freezer and refrigerator.

Courtesy of Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery recently launched its new line of frozen-to-thaw banana puddings, a whipped frozen dessert that’s made with real bananas, naturally flavored, and reportedly does not melt when thawed from frozen in the refrigerator. The company says it expects the new line to contribute 15%+ of its annual revenue.

To bring this product to market, the Magnolia Bakery team worked for over three years to create a banana pudding that met the brand’s high product standards and also met consumers' needs. Magnolia Bakery's fresh banana pudding sold worldwide cannot be frozen or kept for later because banana slices cannot be frozen and thawed without turning brown and changing texture. Therefore, the company innovated a new formulation, still using real bananas, but that allows the product to be frozen and thawed. The result: a banana pudding that can cycle between a freezer and refrigerator.

Some of the company's launch plans include:

All three 14-oz flavors going live in hundreds of cities through DoorDash, Wonder, Amazon Fresh, and GoPuff starting this month
A co-branded 3-oz cup of the Wafer Cookie Bits flavor will be served onboard United Airlines’ domestic first-class meal program beginning December 1. The pudding will retail for $9.99-$10.99 per 14-oz cup.
Availability in airports in partnership with OTG and WHSmith.

The banana pudding flavors include Wafer Cookie Bits, Chocolatey Hazelnut Swirl, and Red Velvet Cookie Bits. As of December 1, a 3oz version of Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding - Wafer Cookie Bits will also be served onboard United Airlines’ domestic first-class meal program.

Last year, Magnolia Bakery sold more than 2.2 million cups of the dessert and fans have been asking for wider availability. A recent brand survey found that 67% of responders said they're "very likely" to purchase banana pudding if it was available more often.

"The launch of this new frozen-to-thaw Banana Pudding product line will be a cherished milestone in Magnolia Bakery’s storied history," shares Bobbie Lloyd, CEO and chief baking officer, Magnolia Bakery. "As we continue to build towards the future on our successful 28-year foundation as one of America’s most beloved bakeshops, our new Banana Pudding innovation will not only elevate the experiences of our loyal customers but also introduce new ways for people to connect with our brand. This has been a career-long dream for me and I’m so proud that we developed a product that is true to our brand DNA."

Eddie Revis, chief commercial officer, Magnolia Bakery says: "This marks an exciting time as we launch our newest product—frozen-to-thaw Banana Pudding, crafted with our consumers', customers', and the category's needs and desires in mind. We knew we had an opportunity to develop a product line that delivered on what is expected of our brand while also driving incremental growth and excitement for the frozen desserts category. In development for over 3 years, we listened carefully to our consumers, our customers and most importantly—ourselves—in developing a new product that not only felt novel, but complimentary to everything we do."