Dirty Banana Cocktail

A blended Dirty Banana Cocktail is a fun and delicious treat for banana lovers. Made with banana and coffee liqueurs, dark rum, and a banana, this frozen cocktail strikes a nice balance between complex and sweet.

This one’s for the banana lovers

When there’s no time to bake an entire Banana Cake or a summery Blueberry Galette, grab your blender and pour your dessert into a glass instead!

This delicious, sweet, and rich Dirty Banana Cocktail is so much fun to make and drink. A mix of banana and coffee liqueurs, dark rum, bananas, and milk are blended together to create a well-balanced cocktail you can sip on by the pool or for a sweet treat after dinner. If you think Mudslides are the best liquid dessert, you’re going to love this dirty banana frozen drink as well!

My version of this banana liqueur drink is a little different from the traditional recipe. It’s an easy cocktail to make your own, so I opted to make it extra “banana-y” by using both real bananas and banana liqueur. It turned out super creamy but not overly sweet thanks to the coffee liqueur and depth from the dark rum.

I think you’re really going to love sipping on this sweet treat all summer long. Once you have all of the ingredients, it’s so easy to put together!

What is a dirty banana cocktail?

No, this drink is not made with dirty fruit! The name “dirty banana” comes from the addition of coffee liqueur and dark rum. Blended together with milk, bananas, and banana liqueur, you get a milky and sweet frozen drink that’s perfect for the banana lovers of the world.

You’ll likely find this cocktail at a resort in the Caribbean. Served ice cold, the smooth mix of blended frozen fruit and liqueur make this drink extra refreshing under the sun and tastes just like dessert in a glass. You can even add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it more decadent!

Dirty banana ingredients

A handful of liqueurs, fruit, rum, and dairy are needed to make this tropical, creamy, and complex cocktail:

Banana liqueur

You can use banana liqueur to transform cold blended cocktails into a tropical and fruity dream. Make a banana-flavored daiquiri, piña colada, or to help your Frozen Mudslide cocktail taste like a banana split. 

If you can’t find banana liqueur or don’t want to use it, you can substitute it for an extra 1 ½ bananas and 1 tablespoon of simple syrup. The liqueur really helps to balance out the flavors and the drink will lose some complexity if you don’t use it.

Coffee liqueur

A little coffee liqueur will make each sip extra smooth and rich. Kahlua is the most popular choice but Patron XO Cafe will give the cocktail a real flavor boost (while adding in a little tequila as well). Feel free to sip on a few brands to see what you like or explore a few more options.

Dark rum

Dark rum gets its rich and deep flavors from its long aging process. Sometimes it has molasses or caramel color added, unlike clear rum. Both of these qualities lend sweet notes of vanilla or toffee in each sip, making it the preferred choice in sweet, blended drinks like this dirty banana.

You can use your leftover rum in more blended drinks or to transform this Pineapple Ginger Beer Mocktail into a cocktail. The flavors pair well with pineapple, caramel, citrus, dark berries, and ginger beer. You could even use it in my Hot Buttered Rum when the weather starts to turn.

Milk

Because it wouldn’t be a creamy cocktail without milk! Use any kind of milk or cream you have in your fridge. It’s also really easy to make dairy-free! Just replace the dairy with your favorite non-dairy milk substitute.

Bananas

I recommend using a frozen banana to help your cocktail taste ultra-smooth and ice cold. Fresh, unfrozen bananas can be used when you’re in a rush. Just make sure to add an extra one or two ice cubes.

How to make a frozen dirty banana cocktail

The only equipment you need to make these banana rum drinks is a high-speed blender. My Vitamix crushes ice and frozen fruit in a pinch for a silky smooth texture, but feel free to use any kind of blender you have at home. Here’s how it’s done, step by step:

Tips and tricks

Customize your cocktail any way you like or prepare it ahead of time using these helpful recipe tips:

Serving suggestions

To make this frozen banana cocktail extra delicious and appealing, drizzle a little chocolate syrup or caramel sauce inside of the glass (a hurricane glass is best) before pouring the drink. Top it off with whipped cream (or dairy-free coconut whip), a maraschino cherry, and a banana slice for a garnish.

Can it be made without alcohol?

Of course! A dirty banana mocktail can easily be made without the rum and liqueur. Instead, add in an extra 1 ½ frozen bananas, 1 tablespoon of simple syrup, and 2 ounces of milk or cold coffee.

Make it ahead of time

To make this cocktail ahead of time, simply blend everything together and keep the mix in a sealed airtight container in the freezer. Give it a good stir before pouring it into glasses to serve.

It's time to start blending!

Okay, friend, it's your turn to make a batch of this cocktail. It will be great for your next party. When you do, leave a comment below so we can hear what you think!