Copycat Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice

This Copycat Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice is not only super easy to make, but full of warm fall flavors that will have you feeling like you are part of Hogwarts! Naturally sweetened with apple juice and no added sugar, it is the perfect refreshment to make for any HP fan!

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If you guys don’t know my blogging bestie, Robyn from Real Food Whole Life, you need to pop over to her site and become inspired. She is a wonderful lady who is the queen of slow cooker recipes and making everything in life a little simpler!

She was also the inspiration behind this recipe.

Robyn and I go way back. Back to when both of us were little baby bloggers who had no idea what we were doing or how we wanted to help people with our work. Robyn and I amazingly met in the wild west of Instagram. We quickly bonded over our love of farmer’s markets, real food and raising our young daughters…who happen to both be only children and about the same age.

While she lives in Portland, OR and I am in San Diego, CA, Robyn and I speak almost daily about everything from the business of blogging to the endless funny stories that come with motherhood.

About 4 months ago, both of our daughters were both deeply in love with the Harry Potter series. We happened to be working through the books with the girls at the same time and one day got chatting about the Hogwarts classic refreshment, pumpkin juice.

Robyn suggested that I make my own version of Pumpkin Juice as a fun fall veggie-loaded recipe. As a former teacher, I am a sucker for bringing books to life through recipes and activities, but I figured that someone (for sure) had already made an amazing Copycat Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice recipe.

So I searched. And, while people had indeed made up recipes of what they assumed Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sipping on while studying potion brewing and transfiguration spells….all of the pumpkin juice recipes I found were either loaded with added sugar and/or made with ingredients I wasn’t sure I could find.

So, I made up my own. Because that’s how I do.

Why this Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice is awesome

• No added sugar. I use natural unsweetened apple cider or apple juice as the base for this recipe. Naturally sweet on its own, apple compliments the pumpkin flavor beautifully!
• Quick to make. This the perfect recipe to throw together in a few minutes for a party or a Friday movie night!
• Simple ingredients. I’m a back-to-the-basics kind of lady and so is this recipe. Everything in this pumpkin juice can either be found in your grocery store or easily made.

Where can I find pumpkin puree?

Honesty time. Friends, I didn’t actually juice a pumpkin for this recipe. Bummer, I know….but I doubted it would be something anyone would actually do or that would be terribly fruitful (or even possible. I mean, pumpkins aren’t exactly juicy)

So, I kept it simple and let some pumpkin puree do all the pumpkin work in this recipe.

I love to keep pumpkin puree on hand for easy veggie-loading and I find it quite easily in the fall and winter in my local grocery store. It is usually stored with canned vegetables. When you grab a can of pumpkin puree, make sure it is JUST pumpkin and not “pumpkin pie filling”. The filling has added spices and sugar.

If you can’t find canned pumpkin, you can make your own easy enough! Just follow this simple recipe and store leftover puree in your freezer for when you want to make something else pumpkin-loaded!

Tips for making Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice

• Don’t skip on simmering it. The heating process really helps to infuse the spices into the juice. Plus, I prefer this pumpkin juice warm!
• Shake it up after storing. The pumpkin puree will naturally settle at the bottom of the juice. Give it a good shake or stir before serving if it has been sitting in the fridge for a bit.

Suggested adaptions for making Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice

• Sub butternut squash puree for the pumpkin puree. I find that pumpkin and butternut squash are pretty interchangeable in most recipes.
• Enjoy it warm or cold. This comes down to a personal preference. My family definitely preferred it warm, reminding us of a warm apple cider with a pumpkin twist. But it can also be chilled after simmering and enjoyed over ice.
• Add a little sweetener if you prefer! I like that the apple cider did all the sweet talking in this recipe, but that is my preference! If the crowd you are serving prefers things a little sweeter, add either extra juice or a little honey/maple syrup to the pumpkin juice to fit your desired taste.

Other pumpkin recipes you are going to want to make….

• Breakfast Pumpkin Soufflé
• Pumpkin Almond Butter Cookies 
• Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding