Harry Potter is one of those series that I end up watching every year.

Whether it’s a Harry Potter marathon on TV or me breaking out my box set of DVDs, it’s bound to happen. I went to Harry Potter World earlier this year, and during quarantine I found myself longing to go back in time to when I was able to go out and enjoy the world. This led me to look into some Harry Potter recipes and test them out. I mean, who can say no to butterbeer?

I wanted to make this a well-balanced meal, of course. So, I decided to start off with some Butterbeer from Hogsmeade, followed by the main course of fish and chips from the Three Broomsticks, and finished it off with Hagrid’s birthday cake for Harry. 

Hogsmeade Butterbeer

Butterbeer was probably the easiest of all the recipes. All it takes is some cream soda mixed with caramel and butter extracts. I substituted caramel syrup for the caramel extract since I already had some on hand.  

The Three Broomsticks’ Fish and Chips

Fish and chips came next, and they were actually really easy to make. The hardest part was the clean up afterwards, but it’s definitely worth it. I just bought some frozen fish and premade tartar sauce to make my life a little easier. This recipe was so good and incredibly easy to make. I highly recommend it even if you aren’t a Harry Potter fan.

Hagrid’s Birthday Cake for Harry

The cake was by far the most involved recipe but was worth the wait. I decided to make a carrot cake, but you can make any kind of cake you want. This carrot cake recipe is so moist and cinnamon filled that it’ll be gone within a couple days. The key to it being Hagrid’s cake is all in the decorations. I had so much fun icing this cake and making it look similar to the one in the movie.

Even if these recipes hadn’t turned out as well as they did, I still would’ve felt it was worth it to try them. The experience of bringing food from a fictional world to life is so much fun. I highly recommend anyone with a favorite show or movie to look into the food they eat and see if there is anything you can recreate. I promise you won’t regret it! 

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Anna D.