These Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes will cast a spell on your taste buds and leave you in a state of geeky bliss! Loaded with delicious flavors of toffee, butterscotch, caramel, and vanilla.
HARRY POTTER BUTTERBEER CUPCAKES
It’s that time of year again! Every December, Matt and I have a Harry Potter marathon, I don’t even remember how long we’ve been doing it, but I always try to bake up something delicious for us to enjoy with it!
Last year I made these Butterbeer Pudding Cookies and they’ve been one of my most popular recipes to date! We’ve made them over and over again, tried different variations and I even made them for a wedding in September! One reader is commented that the cookies “smell like unicorns,” here’s to hoping these cupcakes are just as good!
Personally, I think they’re freakin’ amazing and might just be the best cupcakes I’ve ever made, they taste like french toast and butterbeer had a baby! See, now you really want one!
These cupcakes are light and fluffy with toffee bits throughout that make for a nice little punch of flavor. Then they’re dipped in a rich butterscotch sauce and finished with a whipped butterbeer frosting and some lightning bolt sprinkles.
I know there’s a fair amount of people who don’t like to use flavoring or extracts, but please be aware that the butter extract is KEY in this recipe and CANNOT just be replaced with melted butter. You can find the imitation butter extract in the baking aisle with other flavorings, extracts, and food colors.
So Harry Potter lovers, are you guys excited for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie? I know I am, anything to keep the Harry Potter universe alive, right? The trailer comes out next week and I’m pretty pumped, especially because I adore Eddie Redmayne and know he’s going to do an amazing job!
Also, have you guys picked up a copy of the new Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Illustrated Edition? It’s absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait to start collecting the books all over again!
I purchased the Harry Potter cupcake liners on Etsy and put them on over the two regular liners so the sauce wouldn’t make them all nasty. They are made out of copied book pages, and as a book lover, they were just too perfect.
The lightning bolt sprinkles used in the photos are no longer made, but you can find some similar ones here. You could also top the cupcakes with sugar lightning bolts.
Check out more great Harry Potter Creations!
Butterbeer Pudding Cookies / Harry Potter Butterbeer Pancakes / Harry Potter Party
Harry Potter Quidditch Jersey Tutorial / Harry Potter’s Butterbeer Fudge / His & Hers Harry Potter Mugs
Golden Snitch Truffles / Hogwarts House Crest Ornaments / Harry Potter Butterbeer Cake
Harry Potter DIY Golden Snitch Ornament / Butterbeer Poke Cake / Amortentia Love Potion
Fun Harry Potter Finds:
- Accio Coffee Mug <<< My favorite mug!
- Mischief Managed Flask
- Kids HP Valentine’s Day Card
- Adult HP Valentine’s Day Card
Pin these Butterbeer Cupcakes for Later!
Watch how to make these cupcakes below!
Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon imitation butter extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup cream soda
- 1 cup Heath Toffee Bits not the ones with chocolate
Sauce:
- 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Frosting:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup butterscotch instant pudding mix dry
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tsp imitation butter extract
Toppings:
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line cupcake pan with liners.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl and stir with a whisk until well mixed and smooth.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together the eggs, oil, extracts, and buttermilk.
- Beat in the dry ingredients and the cream soda, alternating between the two until batter is smooth.
- Mix in the toffee bits.
- Add 1/4 cup batter to each cupcake liner and bake for 18-22 minutes.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Bake remaining cupcakes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the butterscotch chips in a small metal bowl and heating the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring cream to a simmer, then pour it over the butterscotch chips. Let set for 3-4 minutes.
- After time has passed, whisk cream and chips together until a rich sauce forms. Transfer to the fridge to cool and thicken for about 30 minutes.
- Prepare frosting by combining all ingredients in a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachments and beat on medium-high for about 3-4 minutes until a light and fluffy frosting forms. Transfer frosting to a pastry frosting bag or to a dessert decorating tool.
- Remove sauce from the fridge, roll out a piece of wax paper on a flat surface, dip the tops of the cupcakes in the sauce and place on the wax paper and let set for 15 minutes.
- Place each cupcake in a second liner to cover up the stickiness.
- Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes and finish with sprinkles.
Katie says
Your recipe for the frosting is missing something. I ended up having to add a 1/2 stick of butter to firm it up. Your directions made soup.
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Katie, there’s no need to add butter to the recipe, it’s a whipped cream frosting, you need to whip the cream until it turns into whipped cream.
Katie says
I know. I woke up in the middle of the night and was like OMG it’s whipped creme. I had a moment ~ so sorry.
Timarie Neubert says
How well/long does the frosting hold up? Thank you!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Timarie, It is best consumed the day it is made, but you could make it up to 24 in advance and make sure to store it either in the fridge or in a cool area of the kitchen.
Felicia says
I made this for my husband’s birthday. They we’re delicious! The frosting was amazing! Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Megan Marsh says
Have you ever tried this recipe as a cake? If so, do you know cook times and if the recipe needs to be altered at all to keep it moist?
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Megan, you can find the cake version here: https://www.sugarandsoul.co/harry-potter-butterbeer-poke-cake/
Michelle Benter says
I just made these and they turned out delicious! I accidentally mixed the butterscotch chips with half n half… lack of sleep I guess! But the sauce still turned out amazing. These cupcakes are fantastic. Now I need to figure out what to do with all of them since I baked them on a whim and it’s just my husband and I. I guess I’ll bring them to the office in the morning and be everyone’s favorite or most hated (dieters) person.
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad you loved them and yes, they will both love and hate you haha!
Dawn Shea says
Made this for a Harry Potter themed baby shower and several people said these may be the best cupcakes they’ve ever had. Delicious! I ran a little short on time, so ours were without the the sauce, and we sprinkled butterscotch candies crumbled on top of the frosting to get the golden yellow effect without the sprinkles. Thank you for helping make so many people happy by sharing this fantastic recipe!
Rebecca Hubbell says
What a great theme for a baby shower! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them and I hope you get the chance to make them again!
Draco Malfoy says
this is amazing I love harry potter made it for a class project everyone loved them so much thanks for an amazing cupcake recipe
Rebecca Hubbell says
So glad everyone enjoyed them! Sounds like a class I’d actually want to be in!
Hermione says
thank you so much me and my best friends are making these for a class project, we are also huge Harry Potter fans
Jen says
I made these for my son’s family party. I honestly was making them because I was intrigued, but figured that most of the family would be turned off by them. I froze half of the cupcakes and frosting to take out later because I didn’t want them wasted. My niece is a huge HP fan, but has told me she doesn’t like butter beer. She tried these and was in heaven. She said these were her new favorite dessert, and has asked me to make them for her birthday. Everyone else agreed, and all the cupcakes I put out were gone. My husband was disappointed he didn’t get to try one.
The cupcake portion itself is delicious, and I personally found I could eat it ‘naked’ as a breakfast muffin.
I was worried it was going to be too sweet once I dipped them in the butterscotch, but the whipped cream topping really helped tone the sweetness down so it’s a great balance of flavor and not over powering. A huge hit in our family. Thank you for sharing!
Rebecca Hubbell says
I’m so glad everyone loved them, Jen! How did they freeze? I’ve never frozen them myself, but might be helpful to other readers who want to make them in advance.
Jen says
They froze really well. When I made them, I made the cupcake part and I dipped them all in the butterscotch sauce. I froze them in a Rubbermaid Take along container. I froze the remaining frosting in a separate container. I defrosted the cupcakes on the counter, and let the frosting defrost in the refrigerator. It all tasted just as good as where the week before for the family party.
Sarah says
Hi Rebecca! I plan to make these for a cupcake war my office is hosting. I just wanted to know how far in advance I can make these without compromising taste and quality. The best I think I can do is dipping the cupcakes in the sauce and adding the whipped cream frosting the morning of (around 5 am) and then refrigerating them until the cupcake war at 3 pm. Do you think this will work alright?
Rebecca Hubbell says
Hi Sarah, that is exactly what I would do – take the cupcakes out of the fridge an hour or two before serving so they aren’t cold when you eat them, but make sure to keep them out of hot/humid areas.
Sarah says
Hi again, I wanted to update you and tell you that I won first place in my cupcake war with these cupcakes and was told it was by a landslide. Everyone LOVED these! I fully decorated the night prior and they were perfect the following afternoon. I also added fondant glasses and deathly hallows symbol with gold sprinkles because I couldn’t find lightening bolt sprinkles. Thank you for this recipe!
MichelleB says
I have to say… these are absolutdelicious when they’re cold.
Rebecca Hubbell says
That’s good to know, I’m personally not a fan of cold cake, but I’m sure many enjoy it!
Claire says
What creaming soda did you use? I am in Australia and was curious to see what brand you used.
Rebecca Hubbell says
We have several different brands in the US, but I usually use IBC or A&W. American Cream Soda and Australian Creaming Soda are very different in terms of color and flavor. I wouldn’t recommend using the Australian version as it’s much more fruity. You could use caramel or vanilla coffee creamer and that should substitute nicely without changing the flavor too much.