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Banana liqueur served in a bottle
Sweet and creamy homemade banana liqueur in a bottle

Homemade Creamy Banana Liqueur

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Drinks
Making homemade liqueur is a game of patience, but it pays off. Banana flavor compounds (specifically isoamyl acetate) dissolve best in alcohol. The secret is time: the longer you let the fruit macerate, the deeper and more complex the flavor becomes—miles ahead of any artificial store-bought versions.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 10 mins
⌛ Total Time 14 days
🍽️ Servings 10 servings
🔥 Calories 190 kcal
🌍 Cuisine International

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large mason jar (airtight)
  • Saucepan (for syrup)
  • Cheesecloth or coffee filter (for straining)
  • Sterilized bottles for storage

Instructions

1 ✓

Peel and slice the bananas, then place them in the mason jar. Pour in the vodka and add the split vanilla bean.

Tip: Use only overripe bananas! They have the highest sugar content and the most intense aroma.
2 ✓

Seal the jar and store in a dark place for 7 days. Shake it once daily.

Tip: The alcohol extracts the flavor compounds. Light can break down these compounds, so a dark cupboard is essential.
3 ✓

After a week, make a simple syrup: boil the water and sugar until dissolved, then let it cool completely to room temperature.

Tip: Cooling is key! If you add hot syrup to the alcohol, the vodka will evaporate.
4 ✓

Strain the banana vodka through cheesecloth (don't squeeze the fruit too hard if you want a clear liqueur), then mix with the cooled syrup.

Tip: This dilution adjusts the alcohol content to about 20-25% ABV, ideal for a liqueur.
5 ✓

Bottle and let it rest for at least another 2 weeks before serving.

Tip: During this 'aging' period, the harsh alcohol notes mellow out, and the flavors harmonize.

Recipe FAQ

The bananas turned brown in the jar. Is that bad?
No, that's natural oxidation. It doesn't spoil the flavor, and you'll filter out the brown pieces anyway.
The liqueur is cloudy.
This can happen due to the starch content in bananas. You can clarify it by filtering multiple times (e.g., through a coffee filter), but the taste remains the same.

Ingredients

  • 3 whole Overripe Bananas (brown spots)
  • 2 cups Vodka (neutral flavor)
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 1 whole Vanilla Bean (or 1 tsp Extract)