At first sight, one could easily confuse the Dirty Banana Drink with a milkshake. But this luscious adult version is much better. It's boozy, rich, creamy, and deliciously sweet.
Perhaps the name is not that intriguing, but taste is king, and that's where the Dirty Banana one shines.
Quick Facts Dirty Banana Cocktail
- Method: blended
- Flavor profile: sweet
- How to serve it: ice cold
- Best glassware: Hurricane glass, Poco Grande
- Alcohol content: ~ 12% ABV, 30 grams of alcohol per serving
Every ingredient contributes to this brilliant flavor bomb. So let's have a closer look at the recipe.
Equipment
- 1 Jigger
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 2 oz Havana Club Especial
- 1 oz Coffee liqueur
- 1 oz Giffard Banane du Brésil
- 2 oz Cream - single cream or half-n-half
- 1 Ripe banana
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a blender with 6 oz of crushed or cracked ice.2 oz Havana Club Especial, 1 oz Coffee liqueur, 1 oz Giffard Banane du Brésil, 2 oz Cream, 1 Ripe banana
- Blend until smooth and pour into a large glass.
- Garnish with a chunk of a banana or some chocolate.
Nutrition
Ingredients for Making a Dirty Banana Cocktail
Here are some details on the ingredients you need for the Dirty Banana and our recommendations for your shopping list:
- Banana: You need one ripe banana to make the Dirty Banana cocktail. If the skin already has some brown spots, it's perfect.
- Banana liqueur: This is the second banana-flavored ingredient. And although this certainly isn't a staple in most home bars, it is pretty damn delicious - at least when using a quality brand. I can recommend the products from Giffard and Bols.
- Coffee liqueur: Kahlúa is the default choice for the coffee liqueur part. However, other excellent options are, for instance, Tia Maria, Mr. Black cold brew liqueur, or Patron's XO cafe.
- Rum: The spirit base of the Dirty Banana is Rum. A slightly aged brown Rum works best with the sweet banana flavors.
- Cream: Many creamy cocktails ask for heavy cream, but the Dirty Banana recipe calls for half-and-half or single cream. The banana already adds a lot of flavor, creaminess, and texture.
- Ice: Use cubes or crushed ice - if your blender can handle cubes, I recommend those.
Tips & Tricks
The Dirty Banana is hard to mess up, still, there are a few things to keep in mind that will make this cocktail truly amazing:
As a general rule, one can say: the riper the fruit, the better. It increases the sugar level of your drink and results in a much stronger banana taste.
The dark spots on its skin are a good sign - if it's all dark, good. Only when the banana starts to feel heavier than it should, it is overripe and not ideal for our drink.
Also, use a quality Banana liqueur. Bols and Giffard are two great products. We prefer the cognac-based Giffard Banane du Brésil over Bols based on rum for the bit of extra complexity.
However, that's up to your individual taste. Both are high-quality products that will get you a perfect Dirty Banana Cocktail.
If you look for the perfect rum, our favorites are Havana Club Especial, Bacardi Reserva Ocho, and Appleton Estate Reserve Blend. Yet, the banana is the star of the show, so the choice of rum is not as important as it is in other rum cocktails.
Variations
There are a number of variations on the base recipe. Most substitute the cream element with something else:
You can use ice cream instead of single cream - vanilla or caramel are great for this recipe. Or perhaps you want to go vegan with some cream of coconut or gear up on the booze and use Baileys Irish cream.
Another way to add some extra flavor is by using some chocolate sauce, which is also a nice upgrade for the visual of the drink.
Related Cocktails
Mix up some more sweet and creamy drinks and try these recipes:
- The Dirty Horchata - same as here, coffee liqueur and rum make this drink dirty.
- The Screaming Orgasm - a blend of Irish cream, coffee liqueur, and vodka
- The Dark Fairy Cream - a mix of chocolate, cream, and absinthe