Pumpkin Juice is a delicious combination of apple, pumpkin, apricot, and warm fall spices. Featured in the Harry Potter books and movies, you can also find it at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. Better yet, make it yourself with this extremely easy recipe!
If you're a fan of Harry Potter, you're definitely familiar with Pumpkin Juice. It's mentioned throughout the books and films, and is a fun and refreshing drink you can purchase when visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios.
Once upon a time, they sold bottles of pumpkin juice at the theme parks (with cute little pumpkin toppers and helpful ingredient labels). Most recently, pumpkin juice is only sold on tap throughout The Wizarding World, which is a bummer if you'd like the bottle as a fun souvenir.
The ingredients listed on the discontinued pumpkin juice bottle are water, apple juice concentrate, pumpkin puree, apricot puree, sugar, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, acesulfame potassium, sodium benzoate. The last three ingredients are additives, while the natural and artificial flavors represent the spices.
Recreating pumpkin juice at home using this ingredient list as a guide is pretty straightforward and simple. Apple juice is the most dominant ingredient and flavor. Meanwhile the pumpkin puree and apricot puree (or in my case apricot nectar) balance out the apple, add some viscosity and of course bring on the notable pumpkin flavor.
If you love fall treats flavored with pumpkin (and pumpkin spice) and you're a Harry Potter fan, this is the drink for you! It's super easy to make and really perfect for kicking back and reading or watching your favorite Harry Potter books or films.
Ingredient notes
- Apple Juice: The first two ingredients on the pumpkin juice ingredient label are water and apple juice concentrate. Although you could use apple cider too, I think the more accurate ingredient (if you are mimicking what you'll find in the parks) is apple juice. With that said, apple cider would also be fine if that's what you have.
- Pumpkin Puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (which contains additional ingredients). Canned pumpkin puree works perfectly here, but if you have your own homemade pumpkin puree, by all means use it. The flavor may be slightly different from what I used to test this recipe, but I'm sure it would be delicious nonetheless.
- Apricot Nectar: Although the ingredient list mentions apricot puree, I find that apricot nectar is much easier to source, and is already naturally a bit thick.
- Spices: Instead of calling for pumpkin pie spice I include individual spices for anyone who doesn't have pumpkin pie spice in their spice cabinet (I personally do not). If you have pumpkin pie spice, however, you can use 1 teaspoon of it in place of the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg called for in the pumpkin juice recipe.
How to make it
For the best results: Transfer all ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and continue to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes to help enhance the flavor.
Remove from the heat and either serve warm or cool completely and serve chilled.
For the quickest results (see Expert Tips below for explanation): Whisk together apple juice, pumpkin puree, apricot nectar, sugar, vanilla extract, and spices until smooth. Serve chilled.
In both cases, stir or shake well (depending on your storage container) before serving as it will settle and separate over time.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
I’ve tested this recipe both by simply whisking together the ingredients and also heating it up and simmering for about 10 minutes and then chilling it again. The flavors are, for the most part, the same.
However, the heated version tastes smoother, both in texture and flavor. Meanwhile, the unheated version has a slightly stronger pumpkin flavor. Personally, I liked both versions but prefer the version that was briefly simmered.
If you manage to empty out your apple juice bottle when making this recipe, I recommend storing leftover pumpkin juice in the empty apple juice bottle. This will make it easy to shake well before pouring.
Although the pumpkin juice at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios is served cold, you absolutely could enjoy this pumpkin juice hot. Think of it like a pumpkin-infused mulled cider. Perfect for fall!
Other recipes you may like
- Pumpkin Pasties
- Fizzing Whizzbees Chocolate Candies
- Rock Cakes
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze
- Buttermilk Pumpkin Spice Waffles
- Disneyland Pumpkin Beignets
- Harry Potter Afternoon Tea Sandwiches
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Pumpkin Juice (from Harry Potter)
Ingredients
- 4 cups apple juice or apple cider
- 1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ¾ cup apricot nectar (or substitute peach nectar)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Transfer all ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and continue to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes to help enhance the flavor.
- Remove from the heat and either serve warm or cool completely and serve chilled.
- Stir vigorously or shake well (depending on your storage container) before serving as the mixture will settle and separate over time.
Notes
- For the quickest results (without heating): Whisk together apple juice, pumpkin puree, apricot nectar, sugar, vanilla extract, and spices until smooth. Serve chilled.
- I’ve tested this recipe both by simply whisking together the ingredients and also heating it up and simmering for about 10 minutes and then chilling it again. The flavors are, for the most part, the same. However, the heated version tastes smoother, both in texture and flavor. Personally, I liked both versions but prefer the version that was briefly simmered.
- If you manage to empty out your apple juice bottle when making this recipe, I recommend storing leftover pumpkin juice in the empty apple juice bottle. This will make it easy to shake well before pouring.
- Although the pumpkin juice at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios is served cold, you absolutely could enjoy this pumpkin juice hot. Think of it like a pumpkin-infused mulled cider. Perfect for fall!
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Sierra says
Itโs a huge hit at parties and if you add it to champagne, *chefs kiss*