Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail (with Chocolate Liqueur)

Say hello to the Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail, your new favorite summer drink! This frozen cocktail is like an adult chocolate banana milkshake without the extra calories of ice cream.

It’s creamy, chocolatey, and subtly sweet from the ripe banana. This boozy, drinkable dessert will have you going bananas for more! (Sorry, I had to.)

My Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail is inspired by the Dominican Republic’s love of using chocolate and coconuts (you should try their famous Coco Loco cocktail). So I use chocolate liqueur and coconut cream. It adds an extra sweetness, richness, and tropical flavor to the creamy frozen cocktail.

If you can’t make it to the Caribbean this summer or miss your toes in white sand with a drink in hand, then allow my Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail recipe to give you a taste of Caribbean paradise. 

What is a Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail?

If you’ve ever been to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, chances are you’ve indulged in a Dirty Monkey or two, or maybe you can’t remember how many. A Dirty Monkey frozen cocktail, also known as a Dirty Banana, is a popular drink in Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and other tropical Caribbean destinations. 

Every bartender, resort, and destination has their variation of a Dirty Monkey. Some will use vodka, Kahlúa, banana liqueur, heavy cream, milk, pineapple, and other ingredients. The idea is all the same—a tasty frozen cocktail with banana, booze, and a type of cream. 

My Dirty Monkey is inspired by my trip to La Romana in the Dominican Republic, which emphasized chocolate and the natural flavor of fresh bananas. Some would say my Dirty Monkey resembles more of a Dirty Banana because I use chocolate liqueur instead of Kahlúa. 

However, it is common in the Dominican Republic to use chocolate liqueur, whereas Jamaica uses more coffee liqueur. Overall, it comes down to the destination, who is pouring the drink, and how you want it.

Drinking Dirty Monkeys in La Romana

One of the great things about all-inclusive resorts is the boozy cocktails! What is better than enjoying unlimited cocktails by the pool or with your feet in the sand? Not much! 

Some people like to “work” their way down the entire cocktail list during an all-inclusive stay—cheers to that! I tried but did not get far down the Hilton La Romana cocktail list because I quickly found my favorite drinks.

After enjoying a day of exploring in La Romana, including a visit to a monkey sanctuary, I went to the lounge bar and saw “Dirty Monkey” on the menu. It felt like the perfect choice after spending time with those adorable squirrel monkeys.

One sip of the Dirty Monkey and I didn’t want anything else. It was so good!

I would order a Dirty Monkey from the swim-up bar, the lounge bar, or any bar—I could not get enough of these delicious adult milkshakes. So, on my last day, I watched how the bartender made the cocktail and asked him to write down all the ingredients so I could recreate it at home.

I would love to say my Dirty Monkey Cocktail recipe is as good as the ones I had at Hilton La Romana, but alas, nothing can beat a Dirty Monkey with ocean views—unless I close my eyes, in which case I can still picture the ocean, and it tastes perfect!

List of Ingredients for a Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail

The Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail has a handful of ingredients. Two essential ingredients to get right are the banana and the chocolate liqueur. After all, it is a boozy chocolate banana milkshake. 

First, you want to use a ripe banana. Once it is ripe, peel it, place it in a Ziploc bag, and freeze it until you are ready to make the Dirty Monley Frozen Cocktail. 

Second, you want to buy chocolate liqueur, not creme de cacao. Despite what the name suggests, creme de cacao is a chocolate-flavored liqueur and does not contain dairy, whereas chocolate liqueur is a cream-based chocolate spirit.

Trust me. It makes a difference. You want chocolate liqueur to make your Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail luscious and indulgent. Some recommended brands are Mozart Chocolate Cream Liqueur, Borgata Chocolate Liqueur, and Gabriello Dark Chocolate Cream Liqueur.

This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.

• White rum
• Chocolate liqueur
• Coconut cream (or milk)
• 1 ripe banana (frozen)
• Ice
• Chocolate syrup
• Whipped cream (optional)

How to Make a Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail

Making a Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail is easy! You will be drinking one of these delicious boozy milkshakes in five minutes!

This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.

Blend – add the white rum, chocolate liqueur, coconut cream frozen banana and ice into the blender. Puree/blend until the frozen cocktail is smooth and has a milkshake consistency.

Drizzle – chocolate syrup down the inside rim of your glass. The more chocolate syrup you add, the sweeter the cocktail!

Pour – the drink into a chilled hurricane glass or other cocktail glass.

Garnish – the top with whipped cream, more chocolate syrup, a slice of banana, a paper straw, and a drink umbrella. Enjoy!

Tips & Tidbits

Here are a few tips and tidbits to help you make a delicious Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail.

When is a Banana Ripe?

A banana is at its best when it’s ripe because that’s when it’s sweet. A ripe banana is golden yellow with a few brown spots. The more brown spots it has, the riper and sweeter it is. Just remember to peel and freeze the ripe bananas before they get too soft and mushy.

Use a Frozen Banana

You can use fresh bananas to make a Dirty Monkey Frozen Cocktail, but frozen bananas help make the consistency of a boozy milkshake. Moreover, when you puree frozen bananas, it develops the luscious texture of soft-serve ice cream. It’s why people make banana ice cream! 

Make Your Own Variation

Get creative! Become a bartender and make your own Dirty Monkey variation. Try making a peanut butter Dirty Monkey by adding peanut butter liqueur or substituting the white rum for a peanut butter whiskey.

Or, as I said before, some Dirty Monkey recipes call for Kahlúa. So, if you like coffee, try adding Kahlúa. You can also substitute the white rum for dark rum or vodka. 

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