This non-alcoholic dirty monkey is based off of the virgin dirty monkey mocktail I enjoyed on a recent Princess cruise. Made with bananas, cream and chocolate, this frozen drink recipe is a refreshing option for a sunny day.
Here are a few more homemade drinks you can enjoy during the summer – Non-alcoholic Sangria Punch, Fresh Homemade Lemonade, and Cherry Lemonade Slush.

Dirty Monkey Drink
Since we aren’t alcohol drinkers, the idea of ordering a mixed drink was sort of new territory for us. After drinking a couple virgin piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris (sometimes mixing the two), I went on Instagram and asked for more mocktail suggestions.
The most popular answer by far was to order a drink called the dirty monkey. I had never heard of this drink before, and I literally had no idea what was in it! I ordered it at lunch that afternoon and in just a few sips I knew my mocktail preference had changed forever!
What Is A Dirty Monkey Cocktail?
A Dirty Monkey (sometimes called a “Dirty Banana”) is a popular summer cocktail made with chocolate syrup, bananas and half and half. It’s a milkshake-type drink that’s sweet, creamy, and perfectly refreshing.
I’ve never tried any alcohol or liqueurs in my Dirty Monkey, but if you want to make this a cocktail, I was told my the bartender to add rum or coconut rum to the mixture. (Hope that helps!)
4-Ingredient Dirty Monkey Recipe
I knew I would want to recreate this drink for my kids at home, so I watched one of the bartenders carefully work his magic.
When I returned home, I looked online for the exact measurements, but all the recipes I found used more than the 4 ingredients that were used on our cruise.
Some of the recipes used specialty products that I’ve never heard of, and I was not interested in searching high and low at the grocery store and spending unnecessary money.
With just a little bit of experimenting, I came up with my own recipe and I have to say, it is so, so good!
How To Make A Dirty Monkey
INGREDIENTS –
- 1 cup half and half – you could also use whole milk
- 2 cups ice
- 2 bananas, peeled – fresh or frozen
- 1/3 cup chocolate syrup
DIRECTIONS –
- Place all of your ingredients into the blender.
- Blend everything for about 30 seconds until it’s nice and smooth.
- If the consistency is a little thick, add another 1/4 cup of half and half and blend it a little more.
- Pour into a tall glass and garnish it with some delicious whipped cream, ripe banana slices, and a maraschino cherry. Then, enjoy this tropical beverage by the pool and enjoy it! Cheers!
More Frozen Drink Recipes
- Orange Pineapple Fruit Smoothie
- Strawberry Julius Copycat Recipe
- Chick-Fil-A Frozen Lemonade
- Easy Peach Smoothie Recipe
- Tropical Banana Fruit Smoothie
HERE’S A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE –
Dirty Monkey Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups ice
- 2 bananas, peeled
- 1/3 cup chocolate syrup
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and mix well.
- Pour into 2 glasses, add some whipped cream, banana slices + chocolate shavings and you’re good to go!
Nutrition
Other Notes
This post is sponsored by Princess Cruises. Thank you for supporting our sponsors so we can continue to provide family-friendly travel content to Somewhat Simple.
the best ever
Thanks Asya! Now you can see why I drank so many on our cruise!:)
Thank you for sharing this delicious mocktail!! So easy and tastes amazing!
You’re welcome!
Yummy! Chocolate and bananas. My favorite combo. I loved this treat drink so much and can’t wait to have it again. Thanks for this easy recipe.
You’re so welcome!
This has become a family favorite! The kids loved it so much they actually make it on their own now.:)
You know they love it if they make it themselves…lol!
Can’t wait to try! Looks delicious! My family favorite smoothie is bananas, milk, and peanut butter, and I bet the chocolate would be a fabulous addition! Thanks, Stephanie!
That peanut butter sounds delicious! You’ll have to tell me how you liked the chocolate.
Ahhh I miss the Lido deck! Making one tomorrow to sit out back in our blow up pool AKA our SocialDistancing Lido deck! 🤣
LOL, you and me both!
I love these!!! They sound delicious, I can’t wait to try them! 🙂
Thanks Jennifer!
This is absolutely amazing! Everyone in my family loved it!
So glad they enjoyed it…it’s my absolute favorite!
So delicious and so fun!
This is such a fun treat for me and the kids! Love it!
Chocolate banana smoothie – this is genius! Always looking for breakfasts that can be taken for the road and this one is perfect!