No need to travel to the wizarding world to enjoy a tall glass of Hot Butterbeer! This magical drink recipe is loaded with butterscotch flavor and topped with a sweet topping that is so good you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful!
Can’t get enough of wizard inspired recipes? Be sure to check out my Hagrid Cake, Butterbeer Latte and Frozen Butterbeer Recipe!
Recipe Features
- Easy: This takes less than five minutes to whip up and uses minimal ingredients.
- Copycat Recipe: Just as delicious as a belly warming butterbeer from the wizarding world.
While I would love to visit Harry Potter World whenever the craving for butterbeer strikes, it’s a smidge difficult when you live across the country. Luckily, we have been testing hot butterbeer recipes for weeks and have found the perfect combination to make butterbeer at home! This recipe uses the sweet molasses flavor of brown sugar and combines that with bubbly cream soda. Add in a dash of butterscotch syrup and you’ll think you’re sipping on a hot butterbeer straight from the wizarding world!
I did top mine with butterscotch whipped cream which sent these over the top! But you can use regular whipped cream or whipped topping for an equally delicious experience.
WHAT IS HOT BUTTERBEER MADE OF?
The ingredient list for this recipe is short and simple. You only need five easy ingredients to make this recipe. Be sure to read through to get more details and see any recommend products or substitutions.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar helps lean into the sweet molasses or caramel flavor. When heated with the milk you get a slightly sweetened warm drink that is unbeatable.
- Milk: I recommend using at least 2% milk or higher for this recipe. I have not tested it with non dairy options. If you do, please let us know how it turned out by leaving a comment below.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, but I’m sure salted butter would elevate the flavor to the next level.
- Cream Soda: We tested this recipe with every cream soda we could find in the store. All options are delicious, but we really love Virgil’s vanilla cream soda.
- Butterscotch Sauce: You can make a homemade butterscotch sauce or find a canned version next to the ice cream toppings in most grocers.
- Whipped Cream: In the recipe card below I’ll share my favorite butterscotch whipped cream recipe. This is our go-to for this sweet drink, but you can certainly use regular whipped cream or whipped topping.
HOW TO MAKE HARRY POTTER HOT BUTTERBEER
This warm drink tastes like liquid butterscotch with hints of vanilla. It almost reminds me of a Werthers candy, if it were in liquid form. Small servings are ideal and the perfect way to satisfy your wizard sweet tooth.
- PREP: I always start a recipe by measuring my ingredients. This helps speed up the cooking process and helps ensure you don’t overlook any ingredients.
- MILK: Add the brown sugar, milk and butterscotch syrup into a medium sized pot. Heat over low/medium heat, stirring constantly. until the brown sugar has dissolved and the milk is at a warm drinkable temperature.
- SODA: Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the soda.
- ENJOY: Divide between 2 cups, top with whipped cream and enjoy!
HELPFUL TOOLS
- Butterscotch Sauce: We’ve noticed some grocery stores don’t carry butterscotch sauce (affiliate). You can purchase through the link provided to have it on hand whenever you need to whip up a batch of butterbeer.
- Pot: Ok, this seems pretty basic. But I actually love to use a small pot with a pour spout (affiliate) for my drink recipes. That way you can easily pour straight into your mugs without the need for a spoon.
- Glass Mugs: Using a glass mug (affiliate) adds to the magic of this recipe. You can see the butterbeer slowly disappear as you drink and it fits the theme.
Recipe Notes:
Butterbeer is a Harry Potter inspired drink made with soda, butter, and cream. Filled with butterscotch flavor and one of the more popular drinks from the series.
Unfortunately, no. This recipe really relies on the butterscotch sauce to give it that classic butterbeer flavor.
Butterbeer is best served immediately. However, you could reheat leftovers up to 24 hours after making the mix. Keep stored in an airtight container inside the refrigerator.
Yes, but also no? In the books, butterbeer is served both chilled and warm topped with cream. You can’t go wrong with either way you decide to serve this drink.
MORE MUST-TRY HARRY POTTER RECIPES
Still Hungry? Follow One Sweet Appetite on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Hot Butterbeer Recipe
Ingredients
For the Butterbeer:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons butterscotch topping
- 1 cup cream soda
For the Whipped Topping
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1-2 teaspoons butterscotch topping
Instructions
For the Butterbeer
- Combine the milk, butter, and brown sugar inside a small pot. Heat over low/medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the milk is warm.
- Stir in the butterscotch syrup until dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the soda. Divide between two glasses.
For the Whipped Topping
- Whip the cream in a mixing bowl until soft peaks form.
- Add the butterscotch topping and continue to whip until stiff peaks. Spoon or pipe over your drinks and serve.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @1sweetappetite and follow pinterest for more!
Reader Interactions
Find even more recipes!
Be sure to share it in the comments below and follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram for even more delicious recipes.
Comments & Reviews
Jacob says
Reduce the Butterscotch to only 1TBS/servings and add a pinch of salt if you want to reduce the Sweetness a touch. Amazing recipe and also works well in lattes!
Edwina says
Personally, I found this recipe to be a bit too sweet, but my young adult son thinks it’s absolutely delicious! He prefers it to the recipe I found for regular cold butterbeer. I’m planning a party for him soon and since it’s so cold out, plan to offer it to the guests.
Jesseca says
Hi Edwina, I have to agree that this recipe is rather sweet. My teenager really enjoys the recipe. Maybe I’ll see if I can’t tone it down a bit and offer two options, for those that prefer a little less sweetness.
Jacob says
I’m going to try this recipe and limit the butterscotch to 1 TBS per serving and add a pinch of kosher salt to compliment the flavors and full the sweetness a bit. I’ll update with the results and let you know if it’s worth a try 🙂
Jesseca says
Excited to see how your changes work out. Thanks, Jacob.
Jacob says
cull*
Jacob says
I tried it out and it was a hit! it worked out just the way I imagined it would. I used about 1TBS of butterscotch syrup and added a pinch of kosher salt per serving while heating it up to no more than 160F (about as hot as a latte). I made about 64oz of it in total and kept the butterbeer warm in insulated carafes. it was a hit at our little Harry Potter-themed Birthday I threw for my girlfriend!
also, I left out some vanilla vodka and butterscotch schnapps for anyone who wanted to have a more “authentic” experience. The pairing didn’t change the flavor profile at all.
I had a bit leftover, so I placed it in the fridge. in the morning I replaced mil for the butterbeer in a latte and it tasted amazing as well. My girlfriend and I were blown away with how close it was to the butterbeer served at Universal. We’ll definitely make this again in the future!