Butterbeer from 'Harry Potter'
Harry Potter butterbeer is the famous drink from the Hogwarts universe that every fan of the boy-wizard saga dreams of tasting. The good news for parents: this butterbeer is completely non-alcoholic and perfectly fine for children and teens. It comes together in just 15 minutes, and the flavour turns out creamy and sweet, with a pleasant caramel note and the signature airy foam on top, just like in the characters' mugs. It is perfect for a themed party, a movie night or simply as a fun family treat. Melt soft toffees into warm milk to make a quick caramel sauce, blend it with ice cream and more milk, pour in chilled cream soda so a foam cap rises, then top with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle and serve right away. Proportions for 2 servings inside.
I make Butterbeer from 'Harry Potter' whenever I want to surprise the children and fans of the wizard's universe – it is a lovely non-alcoholic drink from the books and films. This fragrant beverage charms everyone with its taste and aroma.
Butterbeer from 'Harry Potter' takes only 15 minutes to make. The drink does not contain even a gram of alcohol. There are a great many recipes for butterbeer, and I am offering one of the simplest versions. It is based on dairy products, so it can even be given to children.
My recipe is "homemade butterbeer inspired by Harry Potter" with toffees and ice cream. It takes 15 minutes, makes 2 servings, with 138 kcal per 100 g.
Ingredients
Show ingredients
- cream – 50 ml;
- milk – 200 ml;
- toffees – 100 g;
- cream soda (or any soda) – 200 ml;
- ice cream – 120 g.
Making butterbeer step by step
1. I prepare the ingredients. It is best to use cream with 30–33% fat. I take milk with at least 3% fat; homemade milk gives the tastiest result. You can use ice cream of any flavour you like, but I prefer plain vanilla. As for the soda, people use both ordinary strongly carbonated water and pear-flavoured cream soda. I find cream soda the better choice.
2. Pour 100 ml of milk into a small pot and add 100 g of toffees.
3. Place it over medium heat. Stir the toffees in the milk continuously until they have completely dissolved, then remove it from the heat.
4. Into a blender jar I put 120 g of ice cream, pour in 100 ml of milk and add 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce.
5. I blend the mixture at high speed for about a minute.
6. I whip the chilled cream with a mixer until it holds stable peaks. The higher the fat content of the cream, the faster you can reach stable peaks.
7. I pour the ice cream blended with milk into a glass, filling it about one third.
8. I pour cream soda into the glass with the blended ice cream until the foam cap rises almost to the very top of the glass. At this stage you can add a tablespoon of the prepared caramel to taste. I stir everything.
9. On top I carefully spoon the whipped cream and lightly drizzle it with caramel.
10. The Butterbeer from 'Harry Potter' is ready.
Video preparation
{ytvideo https://youtu.be/lDPDLbkoCLk|16-9|Butterbeer from 'Harry Potter'}
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. TOFFEES IN MILK – the "secret" of the caramel. Dry toffees cannot be melted evenly. In warm milk they melt perfectly, forming a thick caramel sauce.
Tip 2. COLD CREAM – the "secret" of whipping. Warm cream will not whip. Cream with 33% fat straight from the fridge reaches stable peaks in 2–3 minutes with a mixer.
Tip 3. CREAM SODA RATHER THAN PLAIN FIZZY WATER – the "secret" of the flavour. Plain soda water tastes neutral. Pear-flavoured cream soda gives that pear accent associated with sweet butterbeer.
Tip 4. A CAP OF CREAM ON TOP – the "secret" of the look. Without a cap it is just an ordinary cocktail. A whipped cream cap with caramel on top gives that "magical drink" appearance. The same principle works for other kinds of creamy cocktails.
FAQ
Which toffees should I choose?+
Ideal are classic creamy milk toffees that melt in milk (100 g). Alternatives include English toffee (100 g – a "premium" option), soft creamy toffees such as Mellor (100 g – softer), hard sucking caramels (100 g – they take longer to melt), ready-made caramel toffee sauce (100 g – convenient), boiled condensed milk (100 g – an "economy" choice, softer) and nougat (100 g – "premium"). Fresh toffees in individual wrappers are the "premium" option. Do not use toffees with nuts or chocolate (they melt poorly) or hard sugar caramel. For the "Harry Potter classic" you definitely want soft, creamy toffees.
What can replace cream soda?+
Alternatives include ginger ale (200 ml – the "classic from the books", with a brighter spiced taste), tarragon-flavoured lemonade (200 ml – an "experiment"), cream soda (200 ml – softer), strongly carbonated mineral water (200 ml – an "economy", more neutral choice), non-alcoholic apple cider (200 ml – "premium"), pear-flavoured soda (200 ml – similar to a pear cream soda) and sweet kvass (200 ml – the "Russian" version). Do not use alcoholic beer (it would break the idea of a non-alcoholic drink) or cola (a different flavour). For the "classic" you definitely want a pear-flavoured cream soda or ginger ale.
How long does butterbeer keep?+
Fresh butterbeer is at its "star" best right after it is made (cold, with a cap and a trickle of caramel). At room temperature it keeps for no more than 30 minutes (after that it melts and separates into layers). In the fridge in a glass under cling film it keeps for no more than 2 hours (the ice cream melts). I do not recommend the freezer – the texture is destroyed completely. The ready caramel sauce made from toffees and milk keeps in the fridge under a lid for up to 5 days. Do not leave it at room temperature for longer than 1 hour – the dairy base spoils quickly. It is best made "straight to the table".
What to serve butterbeer with?+
Magical classics: with snitch biscuits (gingerbread shaped like a golden snitch). With chocolate frogs (dessert sweets). With a castle cake (on theme). With gingerbread biscuits. With vanilla muffins. With caramel cheesecake. With Christmas pie. With a bowl of ice cream and fruit. With a box of assorted chocolates. With eclairs filled with vanilla cream. With a cup of cocoa as a treat for the children. With a "Harry Potter" book (for atmosphere). At a Hogwarts-themed "children's birthday party". It is a universal "magical" drink for themed parties.
