DIY Banana Liqueur Recipe (2024)

Banana

When it comes to tropical drinks, the humble banana can taste just as special as coconut or pineapple.

Marcia Simmons

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Marcia Simmons is the author of DIY co*cktails: A Simple Guide to Creating Your Own Signature Drinks (2010).

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Updated March 23, 2023

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Why It Works

Using rum as a base spirit adds depth to the liqueur.
A three-day infusion extracts plenty of flavor from the bananas.
Straining the infused mixture twice ensures the resulting liqueur is relatively clear, with very little sediment.

Bananas don't get much play in the co*cktail world because they're mushy and fibrous, making them impossible to juice and gross to muddle. Even when the blender is out, poor old banana is frequently left out of the co*cktail party. But the vibrant, tropical flavor of bananas tastes amazing in drinks, especially ones made with rum.

Banana just needs a bit more help getting into liquid form. Banana liqueur (aka creme de banane) is a natural for umbrella drinks and desserts, but it can also add an exotic touch to simpler co*cktails. And when you make your own, you can decide if you want a decadent dessert liqueur or a drier banana spirit with just a hint of fruit.

What's Available to Buy?

There really isn't one well-known specialty brand that defines banana liqueur the way that, say, most people think of St Germain when they think of elderflower liqueur or Cherry Heering when they think of cherry liqueur. That's not to say there aren't great banana liqueurs on the market. Bols banana liqueur has a clean banana flavor and gets some extra depth from its rum base.

Some of the other low-cost offerings aren't as refined—DeKuyper, Hiram Walker, and 99 Bananas Schnapps are more like artificially flavored banana candy with an alcohol kick. Most larger liquor stores will carry at least one type of banana liqueur, though I've yet to see any carry some of the fancier French imports like Giffard Banane du Bresil, Gabriel Boudier Creme de Bananes, or Lejay-Lagoute Liqueur de Banane. I hear these are amazing, but haven't been able to track them down myself.

Why DIY?

Real bananas taste sweet and bright, while artificial banana flavoring can be cloying and taste like paint. Banana extract and artificial banana just aren't the same as fresh bananas, which in addition to being delicious happen to also be cheap and readily available. Add a couple of bananas to a little rum and sugar, and you have a tasty tropical liqueur for just a few bucks, and it kicks the butt of every banana liqueur I've been able to get my hands on.

As I planned my banana liqueur recipe, there was no doubt that the base should be rum and the sugar should be raw since both would add depth to the liqueur. I used a rum distilled from molasses and turbinado sugar which retained a little molasses flavor. With all that richness, I didn't think vanilla was necessary. However, if you use white sugar or vodka, you may want the added oomph of a vanilla bean. You could even reduce the sugar for a more subtle liqueur or leave the sugar out altogether for a tasty, unusual banana-infused rum.

Use It!

My favorite way to use banana liqueur is thebanana daiquiri. But a little splash of homemade creme de banane also adds a nice sweet accent to rum, bourbon, or vodka on the rocks. For a simple summer highball, you can modify aby adding your banana liqueur to taste. Mix a little withstrawberry liqueurand rum on ice with some lime juice, complete with a tiny umbrella, or give into the full dessert drink experience by using it in aspiked milkshake.

Of course, there are plenty of actual desserts that benefit from a little banana liqueur. I want to use it instead of coffee liqueur in thischocolate chip pound cake. But first, I have an ice cream sundae that's just begging to be drizzled with homemade banana liqueur.

August 2012

Recipe Details

DIY Banana Liqueur

Active10 mins

Total96 hrs

Serves14 servings

Makes1 2/3 cups

Ingredients

2bananas, peeled and sliced (see notes)
1 1/2 cups light rum (see notes)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (see notes)

Directions

Place banana slices in a sealable glass jar, then add rum. Seal and shake. Let mixture steep for 3 days at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Strain out the fruit, then filter mixture through two layers of cheesecloth, pressing down to extract liquid. Repeat the straining to get any debris that made it through the initial pass. (See notes.)
Heat water and sugar in a pot on medium heat until it boils and forms a syrup, 7 to 10 minutes. Let syrup cool.
Combine syrup with banana infusion. Seal in bottle or jar, then shake to mix. Let rest for a minimum of one day.

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, cheese cloth

Notes

Just-ripened bananas will give the best result, though a slightly overripe banana will also work. Avoid green bananas or bananas that are already brown inside.

The character of rum gives depth to this liqueur, but you could also use vodka if you prefer.

Turbinado sugar, sometimes called raw sugar, is available at most grocery stores. If you substitute white sugar, you may need to use more, so add slowly and adjust to taste. Other sweeteners, such as agave nectar, honey, and brown sugar, can be used but you will need to use less and adjust to taste.

Double straining is very important in this recipe, since the bananas will disintegrate a bit and leave some goo behind. Any leftover unstrained bits will cause off flavors over time.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Banana liqueur can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
73	Calories
0g	Fat
8g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 14
Amount per serving
Calories	73
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 1mg	0%
Iron 0mg	0%
Potassium 8mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)