Frozen Banana Daiquiri

My ancestors come from the region where Daiquiris were born. The Caribbean gave us the wonders known as piña coladas and mango daiquiri, but St. Thomas gets all the credit for the creamy frozen cocktail called banana daiquiri.

This banana daiquiri resembles a frosty, drinkable banana bread. To make the perfect cocktail, freeze your overripe banana slices to avoid a watered down drink, and don’t miss out on the complexity of this drink by using something lighter than a golden rum.

I am fortunate to be friends with many people from St. Thomas, most of whom have traveled to Puerto Rico to go to school and they have no qualms about telling me that the banana daiquiri is their creation island was.

On a mid-1950s voyage through the Caribbean islands, a Bajan sailor named Captain Soule was served a banana daiquiri on a mountaintop on the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas.

The predecessor of this daiquiri was a stirred drink made from rum, lime and sugar, which later evolved into a cocktail that was shaken in a cocktail shaker until fluffy and frosty. However, this banana version is always a mixed, frosty cocktail. We’re talking about a drink that originated on a tropical island with an average temperature of 30°C – a frozen drink just makes sense.

What is a banana daiquiri?

A banana daiquiri is a cocktail made with mashed, ripe bananas, lime juice, and rum. It’s basically a spiked banana smoothie.

Daiquiris must contain rum (the age of the rum is at your discretion) and a complimentary citrus juice. When bananas are blended, the result is a thick and viscous mixture, which is why it’s best served as a frozen drink, but if you can find a decent banana nectar, you can make it the old-fashioned way – shaken.

Ripe bananas and fresh lime are a must

The degree of ripeness of the banana determines how much banana flavor comes through in the finished drink. I prefer my cocktail to have a heavy dose of banana flavor, so a banana with a dark yellow, heavily mottled brown skin is a must. I would even go so far as to suggest using a black-skinned banana for maximum banana flavor.

The lime juice in this recipe breaks through the caramel notes of the banana and dark rum to soften the sweetness of overripe bananas. Basically, it balances out the sweetness of the banana and brown sugar.

The best rum for daiquiris

While I always prefer to use dark (or black) rum, golden or spiced rum can also be used in this recipe.

More often than not, amber-colored Cruzan rum is the alcohol of choice, which makes sense given that it’s on a neighboring island to St. Thomas. But so is Puerto Rico, so I settle on our go-to rum, Bacardí Black. You can’t go wrong with a Caribbean rum.

What kind of glass for a banana daiquiri?

This daiquiri fits great in a standard hurricane glass, but you can pour your frosty banana drink into a 16-ounce glass too. Both have enough space to garnish with whipped cream or garnishes.

Margarita glasses can also serve as daiquiri vessels. Choose a stemmed glass to avoid having to hold the bowl of the glass, which can heat the daiquiri.

Garnish for banana daiquiris

This banana daiquiri doesn’t really need any embellishments, but I’m a fan of pretty cocktails.

Garnish yours simply with a maraschino cherry and a sprig of mint, or go all out and spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top. A few slices of banana, a drizzle of caramel syrup, or a sprinkling of toasted coconut make this drink a wonderful finish.

Tips for the best cocktail

I always freeze the fruit of frozen cocktails that I make. It reduces the amount of ice I have to use in the drink and keeps my cocktail from getting watered down while also keeping the daiquiri from separating too much while it’s sitting.

Simply peel the banana, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices and freeze the slices. You can use store-bought frozen banana slices, but I find they aren’t as ripe and therefore not as flavorful as hand-picked bananas.

To change up the flavors of your banana daiquiri, consider swapping out the banana liquor for coffee liquor to make a messy banana daiquiri. You can even substitute peanut butter whiskey for the banana liqueur, or mix in 1/4 cup melted peanut butter for a peanut butter banana daiquiri.

More frozen cocktail recipes

• Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
• Frozen Strawberry Margaritas
• Frozen siesta cocktail
• Pitcher Frozen Margaritas
• Frozen Cucumber Margaritas