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Butterbeer Recipe
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Bring up butterbeer to any Harry Potter enthusiast, and their eyes will light up—now, you can whip up the ultimate butterbeer recipe right in your own kitchen.
It's a delightful treat that the entire family can enjoy, savoring a drink made famous by their beloved wizard in both the books and movies. Plus, it’s crafted to taste just like the authentic version!
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Butterbeer is a whimsical drink composed of cream soda that provides a crisp and bubbly experience. It's enriched with caramel and butter extracts, giving it a lush, sweet, and buttery flavor.
Topped with a smooth, creamy layer and a swirl of butterscotch syrup, it turns into a luxurious indulgence that features a sweet, nutty finish.
Butterbeer Ingredients
What you'll need to make this copycat butterbeer recipe:
For The Butterbeer:
- 2 liters of A&W Cream Soda, cold
- ½ teaspoon of caramel extract
- ½ teaspoon of butter extract
For The Cream Topping:
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, chilled
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon of butter extract
- ¼ cup of powdered sugar
- ¼ cup of butterscotch syrup
What can you expect butterbeer to taste like? Think butterscotch, caramel, buttery, cream soda, and vanilla all in one single sip!
While the books describe butterbeer as giving the young wizards a slight buzz, this version does not contain alcohol and is family-friendly. People of all ages will love this sweet drink.
Butterbeer Recipe Variations
These easy substitutions and additions can easily be swapped out while still maintaining the deliciousness of this butterbeer drink recipe!
- Ice Cream: If you want a colder and more creamy summer version of butterbeer, you could use one quart of vanilla ice cream and one quart of cream soda. This would make more of a "float" consistency, but this frozen version would be perfect for hot days!
- Alcohol: Make a grown up mixed drink using vanilla vodka, rum, and butterscotch schnapps in place of the extracts.
How to make Butterbeer
This beverage is simple to prepare. After whipping up the creamy topping, just combine everything in your mug and you’re ready to savor this delightfully fizzy drink.
FIRST STEP: Before you start, chill the serving glasses, pitcher, and mixing bowl in the freezer for about half an hour.
Pro Tip
It's crucial to chill the mixing bowl in the refrigerator before starting the recipe. Skipping this step can make it difficult to whip the cream into the stiff peaks necessary to prevent it from collapsing into the drink, especially if the cream is at room temperature.
SECOND STEP: In a large pitcher, combine the cream soda with the caramel and butter extracts and gently stir with a spoon.
THIRD STEP: In the chilled large mixing bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and butter extract.
Beat together with an electric mixer or stand mixer for 30 seconds.
FOURTH STEP: Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
FIFTH STEP: Immediately add the butterscotch topping and fold it together with a spatula until there are no streaks remaining.
SIXTH STEP: Fill the chilled glasses with the cream soda mixture, then add the buttercream topping.
Pro Tip
When drinking Harry Potter butterbeer with straws, avoid filling the glass to the brim. Inserting the straw will cause the liquid to rise slightly. If the glass is too full, it may overflow and create a mess, causing you to lose some of this deliciously sweet beverage!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Butterbeer?
In the Harry Potter series, butterbeer is portrayed as a butterscotch-infused beverage that students enjoy when they visit “The Three Broomsticks” and “Hog’s Head Pub”. This drink is made using a mix of cream soda, butter syrup, butterscotch, and cream. While the series brought it to the limelight, the origins of butterbeer trace back to England, where it was crafted with black beer in the 1500s!
Can I make this drink ahead of time?
You can make this easy recipe in advance, but it's best to add the whipped topping just before serving.
Is this the same drink that is served at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter?
This beloved beverage closely resembles the version offered at the Universal Studios theme park.
Can I make a hot version of this drink?
You can also prepare a hot version of this favorite drink, though we have yet to try it ourselves!
Tips for making the best drink
Want a magically delicious fall drink that's easy to make? Here's your guide! Every sip promises creamy goodness with a sweet butterscotch flavor. Follow these tips to make it perfect:
- Chilling the large mixing bowl is key for this recipe. It will ensure that your heavy cream forms stiff peaks. Whatever you do, don’t skip freezing your bowl!
- Make your butterbeer even more magical by serving it in a tall frosted glass mug with a fun striped straw. Serving the butterbeer in cold glasses will help the buttercream topping last longer on hot days.
- For an extra magical touch, drizzle more butterscotch into the glass before pouring the drink in.
- If using straws in your drink be careful. When you put the straw in the cream and push it down to the soda it tends to fizz up a bit. If you leave a little extra room on the top of your glass it won’t overflow when you add the straw.
Storing this Recipe
IN THE FRIDGE: You can store the cream soda mixture in the fridge for a few hours, depending on how long the mixture is open and exposed to the elements. Make sure to add the whipped cream mixture for the top layer when you are ready to serve this drink. Otherwise, it will slowly evaporate and leave just an unpleasant lumpy mess on the top.
IN THE FREEZER: We do not recommend freezing this drink. It must be made and enjoyed fresh.
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Butterbeer Recipe
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Ingredients
Butterbeer Ingredients
- 2 liters A&W Cream Soda (cold)
- ½ teaspoon caramel extract
- ½ teaspoon butter extract
Cream Topping Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (chilled)
- ½ teaspoon butter extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup butterscotch syrup
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
- Prior to starting the recipe chill (in the freezer) the serving glasses, pitcher, and large mixing bowl for 30 minutes.
- In the large pitcher combine A&W cream soda, caramel extract, and butter extract. Gently stir with a large spoon.
- In the chilled large mixing bowl add heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and butter extract. Beat together for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.PRO TIP: Chilling the large mixing bowl is key for this recipe. It will ensure that your heavy cream forms stiffpeaks. Don’t skip freezing your bowl!
- Immediately add the butterscotch topping and fold together with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain.
- Fill chilled glasses with cream soda mixture. Top with the butter cream topping.PRO TIP: If using straws in your drink be careful. When you put the straw in the cream and push down to the soda it tends to fizz up a bit. If you leave a little extra room on the top of your glass it won’t overflow when you add the straw!
Notes
- It is really important to add the mixing bowl in particular to the fridge before you make the recipe. If you don’t do this, then it can be hard to get the cream to form the stiff peaks that are needed to stop it from sinking into the drink if it is at room temperature.
- If you use straws to drink the Harry Potter butterbeer, make sure you don’t fill the drink right to the top. That’s because when you push the straw in, the level of the drink will rise a bit. If it is filled right to the top, it will spill over and make a mess. Plus, you’ll waste some of the tasty goodness of this sweet drink!
Comments
Anna says
Where do you get caramel extract????
Layne Henderson says
Hi, Anna - it will be in the baking aisle with the other extracts. If your grocery store doesn't have it for some reason, you could try online or a specialty baking aisle at a store like Michael's. Enjoy!
Wilfred Reims says
Great drink the kids loved it and the adult side mix was a winner l.o.l. Ty