Butterbeer Popcorn Recipe (Inspired by Harry Potter)

This foolproof Harry Potter-inspired homemade Butterbeer Popcorn recipe has butterscotch vanilla flavor and the sweet crunch of caramel popcorn.

I wish all year could be autumn.

I’d be bundled up in a cozy scarf drinking apple cider and eating roasted winter squash every day. And that’s not even to mention how much I love car rides in the country to take in the glorious fall foliage, and pumpkin spice lattes, which, incidentally, always seem to taste best in fall.

One of my favorite autumn traditions is watching the Harry Potter movies with my niece. We usually start around mid-October when the air takes on a nice chill and the trees have begun losing their jewel-toned leaves.

This year I decided to take our Harry Potter experience to the next level for her and make a Harry Potter-inspired treat to enjoy while we watch.

Chances are, no matter whether or not you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ve probably heard of pumpkin juice, treacle tart, cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, or the infamously wonderful butterbeer.

We tried butterbeer at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter last time we were in Orlando, and it’s something I’ve wanted to play around with at home ever since. Actually, it’s something I’ve wanted to experiment with making ever since I first saw the scene with Harry, Ron, and Hermione enjoying butterbeer in The Three Broomsticks!

What Does Butterbeer Taste Like?

Butterbeer is a fun flavor combo, and you definitely don’t have to be a Harry Potter fan to enjoy it.

If I had to sum it up in just two words, I’d say butterbeer tastes like butterscotch vanilla.

The Best Butterbeer Popcorn Recipe

You found the OG recipe! You’re going to love it. This makes a perfect snack for a Harry Potter movie marathon.

Don’t be intimated to make homemade caramel popcorn! It’s as easy as popping corn, melting sugar + butter, and then carefully tossing them together.

How Do We Get Butterbeer Flavor?

In this recipe, we use a combo of four extracts (vanilla, almond, butter, and rum), plus molasses and a bit of salt to get the right flavor for butterbeer.

I also recommend adding just a hint of nutmeg. You won’t be able to pull out flavor-wise, but I think it just adds that je ne sais quoi that puts this recipe over the top.

Ingredients

• Popcorn kernels – You’ll need 12 cups of air-popped popcorn, which is about 2/3 cup of popcorn kernels.
• Baking soda – Baking soda in caramel helps create the perfect consistency. Baking soda is an alkaline substance, and so it reacts with sugar (an acidic substance), causing the mixture to produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas forms very small air bubbles in the caramel that help prevent the candy from being rock-hard. Because no one wants a caramel that will break their teeth!
• Ground nutmeg – Nutmeg adds a hint of background flavor that you can’t quite put your finger on, but enhances the whole shebang.
• Vanilla extract, almond extract, butter flavor, and rum flavor – This is the blend of extracts and flavorings that we use to create our butterbeer flavor profile.
• Unsalted butter – Butter adds rich flavor and creamy texture to the caramel.
• Sugar – Use regular granulated white sugar here. To make caramel, we start by burning sugar (i.e., caramelizing sugar).
• Blackstrap molasses – This helps create the perfect not-too-sickly-sweet butterbeer flavor.
• Water – Just a little splash of water helps the sugar dissolve, melt, and caramelize more evenly.
• Coarse kosher salt – Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, and we even need it in sweet recipes. You can use 1/2 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt, or a slightly heaping 1/4 teaspoon of regular fine table salt.

Instructions

1. Prep work: Put the popcorn into a large bowl and set aside. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner; set aside. Sift together the baking soda and nutmeg in a small bowl; set aside. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, butter extract, and rum extract to a small bowl; set aside.
2. Make the caramel: Cook the butter, sugar, molasses, water, and salt in a medium-sized, thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305F (hard crack stage), stirring occasionally. Carefully stir in the mixture of extracts and then the baking soda/spice mix; pour the caramel over the popcorn.
3. Toss the popcorn in the caramel: Use two heat-safe rubber spatulas to toss the popcorn around to distribute the caramel throughout. Spread the popcorn out onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Finishing touches: Let the popcorn cool and then break it apart. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe Tips

• You don’t need any special equipment to make popcorn. It’s easy to make on the stovetop! To do so, add 3 tablespoons of oil (such as coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil) to a heavy-bottomed 5-quart pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add 2/3 cup of popcorn kernels, cover the pot, and cook until you hear about 1 second between pops. Remove the pot from the heat, and let it sit for 15 seconds before opening so you don’t have any popcorn exploding out. While popping, it’s important to use potholders to slightly shake the pan every so often so the popcorn cooks evenly. Additionally, if your lid doesn’t have a steam vent in it, gently crack the lid a couple of times during the process so steam can escape so you don’t end up with soggy popcorn!
• If the leftover popcorn loses its crunch after a few days, you can easily revive it! To do so, spread it out on a large baking tray and warm it in an oven preheated to 200F for 10 to 15 minutes.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

More Harry Potter-Inspired Recipes to Make

• Butterbeer Vanilla Butterscotch Rice Krispies Treats
• Polyjuice Potion
• Butterbeer Pudding
• Treacle Tart
• Butterbeer Brown Butter Blondies

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on October 20, 2014 and updated on July 10, 2024.