Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice

This fun and easy recipe for pumpkin juice does not have to be reserved just for Hogwarts. You can enjoy this family friendly Harry Potter themed recipe all year round! With a super quick cook time, it is the ideal themed drink to make.

For my 29th birthday, I was lucky enough to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida at Universal Studios. I had never been to Universal Studios before (my family were strict Disney visitors), and honestly I had very little interest in visiting Universal Studios until the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. As someone who adores Harry Potter, I could not wait to get there and explore the parks. It is such a fun way for a family to have a vacation (I totally see the appeal now that I am pregnant of going with kids), and if you are a foodie like me, you can eat your way around the parks and enjoy all of the tastes of Harry Potter!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is actually two parks within Universal Studios. One park is Hogesmede and has Hogwarts looming in the distance, while the other is Diagon alley. We chose to start our day in Diagon Alley, and it was so fun! As my birthday is in March, it is an interesting time to visit the parks in terms of what food is available and their temperature. Butterbeer at this time of year can be purchased warm or frozen. I thought this would be my favorite drink from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter however, pumpkin juice was the hero of the day.

This recipe is a copycat recipe of the Harry Potter pumpkin juice that is served at Universal Studios. It is honestly delicious all year round (not just for Halloween time) and is incredibly refreshing. It is a sweet drink (so bare that in mind) but I bet whoever you serve it to will absolutely love it.

FAQ

What do I need for this recipe?

1. Measuring cups
2. Glass (pitcher / glass to serve the drinks); bottles are another option if you are doing a Harry Potter themed party and want to try to replicate the bottle they have at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

How should I serve this drink?

Unlike butterbeer which can be served and taste delicious both warm and cold, I suggest that for the best flavor and taste that this copycat Harry Potter pumpkin juice be served cold. It could potentially be interesting to serve it warm but it honestly it so good cold that I just think it is served best, plus, as it is traditionally served this way at Universal, I just stuck with it. It can be fun to stay on theme!

What does Harry Potter pumpkin juice taste like?

It tastes like Fall (if Fall had a taste). So, naturally, it tastes delicious.

Typically when we think of pumpkin, we think of food (savory generally or pumpkin pie for a sweeter food or dessert). This is more in the realms of a sweet pumpkin pie. Although there are not many spices in the recipe, it does taste (due to the natural pumpkin) as if there were pumpkin pie spice mixed into the recipe. The pumpkin flavor is very present but it also does have a beautiful apple juice flavor added in. Even when you purchase a bottle of pumpkin juice from Universal Studios, it does not seem as if there is any artificial flavors. Just the luscious and alluring tastes of Fall.

Can I make any substitutions for this recipe?

The pumpkin puree is a must if you really want to hone in on the pumpkin flavor.

For your simple syrup, be sure to use white sugar, not brown sugar. It will not yield the results you want.

In regards to apple juice concentrate, apple juice, apricot nectar questions, see the sections where I discuss the ingredients for the recipe!

If you want to add just a bit more pumpkin flavor to your Harry Potter pumpkin juice, then go ahead and add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, but, I don't think you'll need it!

What do you need for this recipe?

As Universal sells pumpkin juice (you can even order the cutest bottles from their website- although they are expensive), it allows you to take a look at their ingredients. I did research as to what ingredients are used in the Universal recipe in order to make it taste as close to the original pumpkin juice as possible. While this is a copycat recipe, I value authenticity in a recreation! Let's make our Harry Potter pumpkin juice

1. 1 cup of pumpkin puree
2. ¾ cup simple syrup (ingredients to follow)
3. 24 oz apricot juice (get one that is mixed with apple- if you cannot find apricot juice, then apricot nectar is fine, or apple juice)
4. Water- if you feel it is too sweet and you want to water it down a bit.

Simple Syrup:

1. Water, 1 Cup
2. Sugar, 1 Cup
3. 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4. 1 tablespoon Cinnamon

*this recipe could easily be doubled, just multiple everything by 2. Example, 1 cup pumpkin puree becomes 2 cups pumpkin puree.

How do you make Harry Potter pumpkin juice?

The overall cook time for this recipe is short (another reason why I love it).

To get started, you are going to want to make your simple syrup:

1. Place your water in a small pot, along with the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
2. Allow the mixture to simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves. It is going to smell like Fall and taste amazing.
3. While that is finishing up (it really shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes on a medium high), in a pitcher take your pumpkin puree and apricot juice.
4. Once your syrup is ready, combine all ingredients in the pitcher and begin to mix! There should be no chunks of pumpkin (the puree should be smooth to begin with). It will become smooth the more you stir.
5. Place in the fridge and allow to chill.
6. Once it is cold enough, add some ice cubes, and serve!

Looking for other Harry Potter Food Ideas or Copycat Recipes?

If you are ever going to through a Halloween party or a Harry Potter themed part for your family and friends, I've got you covered.

Harry Potter Cake
Pumpkin Pasties
Copycat Butterbeer Universal Studios Recipe
Liquid Luck
Chocolate Frogs
Black Lake Brownies
Hagrid's Rock Cakes

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