Frozen Banana Daiquiri

Frozen banana daiquiri cocktail garnished with maraschino cherries in a hurricane glass

 The Spruce Eats

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The banana daiquiri is a fun cocktail to blend up on hot summer days. It's also very delicious, and there are countless ways that you can customize the recipe to fit your mood or what's in the kitchen at the moment.

A popular frozen cocktail, the banana daiquiri is easy to make and a nice change from the strawberry daiquiri. Building on the standard daiquiri ingredients of rum, triple sec, lime juice, and a sweetener, you'll simply add a whole banana to the blender.

With this basic recipe, you can take the banana cocktail to a new level by adding or swapping ingredients: Use a banana, coconut, or darker rum, toss in more fruits, or transform it from a slushie into a smoothie with a little cream. The only limit is your imagination and the ingredients you have on hand... Have fun with it and enjoy your banana daiquiri experiments.

"Bananas are a fantastic cocktail ingredient, particularly with rum. As noted, make sure the banana is good and ripe, that will mean it's sweet and at its most banana-y. You may have to adjust the sugar as all bananas will be different. I like to use demerara sugar for a little added caramelized richness." —Tom Macy

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup ice

  • 1 medium banana, sliced

  • 1 1/2 ounces light rum

  • 1/2 ounce triple sec

  • 1/2 ounce lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • Maraschino cherries, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for frozen banana daiquiri cocktail recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats

  2. In a blender, add the ice, banana, rum, triple sec, lime juice, and sugar.

    Triple sec being added to a blender

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  3. Blend on low speed for a few seconds, then at high speed until smooth.

    Ingredients blended smooth in the blender

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  4. Pour the contents into a chilled hurricane glass.

    Thick creamy banana daiquiri cocktail being poured into a hurricane glass

    The Spruce Eats

  5. Garnish with maraschino cherries. Serve and enjoy.

    Frozen banana daiquiri cocktail garnished with maraschino cherries

     The Spruce Eats

Tips

  • Bananas get sweeter as they ripen so try to avoid fruit that still has a little green on the peel. In fact, the daiquiri is a perfect use for bananas that are a little too ripe to eat but not quite ready to be used in banana bread.
  • For a more even consistency, briefly blend the banana and ice before adding the liquid ingredients.
  • One cup of ice is about five or six average-sized ice cubes.
  • If the banana daiquiri's a little too thin, add a couple of ice cubes and blend again. Too thick? Add an extra splash of a liquid ingredient.

What Rum Is Best in a Banana Daiquiri?

White rum is typically used in a banana daiquiri, and quality rum will produce a better-tasting cocktail. Pour aged, dark, or spiced rum instead for a little more flavor. Coconut rum is a popular option for this drink, and it's a great use for banana rum, too.

Recipe Variations

  • Turn this into a frozen banana margarita by switching from rum to tequila.
  • Make it more of a creamy smoothie: Cut the ice in half and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or blend it up with chocolate or strawberry ice cream.
  • Another way to make the mix creamier is to add 1 ounce of milk, coconut milk, or a cream liqueur.
  • Drizzle chocolate, caramel, or strawberry syrup on top for a sweet garnish.
  • Add more fresh fruits, such as blueberries, mango, papaya, pineapple, raspberries, or strawberries.
  • Give it a slightly darker profile by adding 1/2 to 3/4 ounce of amaretto or another nut-flavored liqueur like Frangelico. Fruit liqueurs are great options when you're low on fresh produce as well.
  • The dirty banana takes a different approach, blending coffee and banana liqueurs into a creamier mix.
  • Go all out and transform this into a banana split cocktail with chocolate and strawberry vodkas, pineapple juice, and vanilla ice cream.

How Strong Is a Banana Daiquiri?

As with all blended cocktails, estimating the alcohol content of the banana daiquiri is tricky because there are many factors involved and various adjustments you can make. However, it is generally a very light drink that's somewhere in the 7 percent ABV (14 proof) range.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
274 Calories
0g Fat
41g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 274
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 11mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 16mg 80%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 479mg 10%
*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.)

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