Banana Liqueur substitute

Best substitute

Banana extract with dark rum or vodka

⅛ to ¼ tsp extract plus 2 tbsp rum plus 1 tsp sugar replaces 2 tbsp banana liqueur

Best for tiki drinks

Different texture

Extract carries the same candy-banana aroma compound that the liqueur is built on, the spirit carries the alcohol, and the sugar restores the body a liqueur has.

Other banana liqueur substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Dark rum on its own
Different taste
Use the same amount plus 1 tsp brown sugar per 2 tbsp
In dishes that already contain bananas, the fruit does the flavour work and the liqueur is mainly contributing sugar and alcohol, which rum plus sugar covers exactly.
What changes
Best for
Bananas Foster, banana bread, rum cake, grilled bananas, banana sauces
The dish comes out less sweet and more rum-forward, with caramel and molasses in place of the candy banana. In Bananas Foster that is arguably an improvement. In a banana daiquiri where the liqueur is the only banana flavour, rum alone leaves an obvious hole.
3Creme de cacao
Different taste
Use the same amount
A sweet chocolate liqueur with the same sugar level and the same syrupy weight, so it slots straight into the recipe's structure.
What changes
Best for
tiki drinks, banana desserts, chocolate and banana cakes, milkshakes, coffee drinks
It is chocolate, not banana, so be clear about that. But banana and chocolate are such a natural pair that in a dessert or a creamy cocktail the result tastes deliberate rather than wrong. Use the white version if the drink needs to stay pale.
4Mashed very ripe banana with simple syrup and vodka
Taste and texture differ
1 tbsp mashed banana plus 1 tsp simple syrup plus 1 tbsp vodka replaces 2 tbsp banana liqueur
Real fruit rather than flavouring, which suits blended and creamy drinks and any dessert where a bit of body is welcome.
What changes
Best for
blended drinks, smoothies, banana cream pie, mousses, milkshakes
It will be cloudy and it will separate on standing, so it is unsuitable for a clear shaken cocktail unless you strain it well. Real banana also tastes gentler and less recognisably banana-flavoured than the liqueur, because the liqueur's aroma is deliberately exaggerated. Use the blackest bananas you have.
5Galliano or another vanilla liqueur
Different taste
Use the same amount
Keeps the sweetness, the golden yellow colour and a warm vanilla aroma that sits comfortably alongside banana desserts.
What changes
Best for
tiki drinks, punches, cake soaks, custards, whipped cream
Vanilla, honey and a little anise in place of banana. In a drink with several other ingredients it disappears usefully into the background and keeps the sugar balance right. It will not read as banana to anyone, so if banana is the headline flavour, use the extract route instead.
6Banana extract with simple syrup (non-alcoholic)
Close match
Use the same amount
Mix a quarter teaspoon of banana extract into 2 tablespoons of simple syrup and use it wherever the liqueur was going.
What changes
Best for
alcohol-free desserts, mocktails, milkshakes, frostings, cooking for children
Flavour and sweetness are both right, which covers most of what the liqueur was doing in a dessert. The missing piece is alcohol, which in Bananas Foster means the sauce will not flame and will be slightly sweeter, so cut a tablespoon of sugar from the caramel.

What is Banana Liqueur?

Banana Liqueur is Banana liqueur, sold as creme de banane or banana schnapps, is a sweet bright yellow liqueur flavoured with banana, and it tastes of candy banana rather than fresh fruit.

Cooking tips

For Bananas Foster, flame the rum, not the banana liqueur. At around 20 to 25 per cent alcohol the liqueur will not light, which is why the classic recipe adds a high-proof rum for the flame and the liqueur separately for flavour. Add the liqueur or your substitute after the flames die down.
Banana liqueur is mostly sugar, so it browns and can catch fast in a hot pan. Stir it into a caramel off the heat rather than boiling it, or you will get bitter spots.
If you are adding banana liqueur or a sweet substitute to a banana dessert, use slightly underripe bananas. Very ripe bananas plus a sweet liqueur plus caramel makes a dish that tastes flat from sheer sweetness.
A few drops of lemon or lime juice keep banana flavour from tasting dull. Banana is low in acid, and both the fruit and the liqueur benefit from a small sharp counterweight, especially in a blended drink.
Candy banana flavour is not something fresh banana can produce, which is why extract is genuinely closer than real fruit for a tiki drink. If you want the exaggerated banana note the recipe was going for, reach for the extract bottle rather than the fruit bowl.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave banana liqueur out?

In Bananas Foster or banana bread, yes, since the bananas are carrying the flavour; replace it with dark rum, or with the same volume of milk or juice if you want no alcohol, and add a teaspoon of sugar. In a banana daiquiri or a tiki drink where the liqueur is the only source of banana, leaving it out means making a different drink, so substitute instead.

Is creme de banane the same as banana liqueur?

Yes. Creme de banane, banana liqueur and banana schnapps are all the same thing: a sweetened banana-flavoured liqueur, usually 15 to 25 per cent alcohol and often coloured bright yellow. Brands differ in sweetness and in how artificial the banana tastes, but they swap 1:1 with each other without any adjustment.

Can I use banana extract on its own?

For baking, more or less. Use an eighth of a teaspoon of extract plus a tablespoon of water or milk in place of a tablespoon of liqueur. In a cocktail it falls short, because you also lose the sugar and the alcohol that give the drink its body, so add a teaspoon of simple syrup and a tablespoon of rum or vodka alongside it.

What is the difference between banana liqueur and banana rum?

Strength and sweetness. Banana liqueur is low in alcohol and heavily sweetened. Banana-flavoured rum is typically 35 to 40 per cent and much less sweet. If you swap banana rum for banana liqueur at 1:1 the drink will be stronger and drier, so add a teaspoon of simple syrup per ounce to bring it back into balance.

How do I keep a banana cocktail from tasting like candy?

Cut the sweetness and add acid. Use a little less liqueur than the recipe says, add a good squeeze of lime, and let a spirit with some character, such as an aged rum, carry the drink. A pinch of salt also works, since it suppresses perceived sweetness and makes the banana taste more like fruit.

Related substitutes

More liquor substitutes

Banana Liqueur substitute

Other banana liqueur substitutes

2Dark rum on its own

3Creme de cacao

4Mashed very ripe banana with simple syrup and vodka

5Galliano or another vanilla liqueur

6Banana extract with simple syrup (non-alcoholic)