Copycat McCormick Harry Potter Finishing Sugars – All 6 Flavors

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McCormick has apparently decided that my spice cabinet wasn’t crowded enough and released an entire Harry Potter finishing sugar collection.

And yes, they’re adorable.

They’re also flavored sugar.

So naturally, the first thing I did was turn the bottles around and read the ingredient lists.

Because if you’re going to charge me collectible-pricing for something I’m going to shake over pancakes, we’re going to have to talk.

The limited-edition collection includes six Harry Potter-inspired finishing sugars:

• Chocolate Frog
• Pumpkin Pasty
• Cauldron Cake
• Treacle Tart
• Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum
• Licorice Wand

There’s also a Harry Potter Vanilla Extract with a subtle cherry flavor.

The individual finishing sugars launched around $3.99 per bottle, while the special vanilla extract is about $14.99. Depending on the collection and retailer, the bundled sets can push the total considerably higher.

Now here’s the fun part.

Once you read the labels, most of the magic becomes considerably less mysterious.

Chocolate Frog is cocoa sugar. Pumpkin Pasty is pumpkin powder and warm spices. Licorice Wand is basically sugar, star anise and anise flavor. Treacle Tart uses brown sugars, molasses, butter and lemon. Cauldron Cake gets its chocolate-toffee flavor from cocoa, brown sugar, molasses and dairy ingredients.

In other words, we’re not dealing with a Potions N.E.W.T. here.

We’re dealing with a spice cabinet.

So I reverse-engineered the flavor profiles and made homemade versions you can refill whenever you want.

What Is Finishing Sugar?

Finishing sugar is exactly what it sounds like: a flavored coarse sugar designed to be sprinkled over food after cooking or immediately before baking.

The larger crystals give you a little sparkle and crunch that ordinary granulated sugar doesn’t.

You can sprinkle it over:

• Muffins
• Cookies
• Cakes
• Brownies
• French toast
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Oatmeal
• Yogurt
• Ice cream
• Popcorn
• Whipped cream
• Coffee
• Hot chocolate
• Cocktails
• Mocktails

You can also use it to rim glasses or mix a little directly into cookie dough, pancake batter, frosting or cream cheese.

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What Kind of Sugar Should You Use?

For the closest texture, use coarse sparkling sugar or sanding sugar.

Regular granulated sugar will work in a pinch, but it dissolves more quickly and doesn’t give you quite the same crunchy finish.

Demerara sugar is particularly important in the Treacle Tart and Cauldron Cake blends because those flavors rely on a deeper caramelized sugar note.

One Important Trick

Whenever we’re using liquid extracts or flavor oils, don’t dump them directly into the whole batch.

Instead:

1. Measure about 1 tablespoon of the sugar into a small bowl.
2. Add the flavoring.
3. Rub or stir it into the crystals until evenly distributed.
4. Spread the flavored sugar on parchment.
5. Let it dry completely.
6. Break apart any clumps.
7. Mix it back into the remaining sugar.

Otherwise you’ll have one exquisitely flavored boulder sitting in a jar of plain sugar.

Ask me how I know.

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Copycat Chocolate Frog Finishing Sugar

Chocolate Frog is one of the easiest to reproduce.

The commercial version is built primarily around sugar and cocoa, so despite the dramatic bottle, the flavor itself is refreshingly straightforward.

You’ll Need

• 1/2 cup coarse white sparkling sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon chocolate extract, optional
• 1 teaspoon blue sparkling sugar, optional
• 1 teaspoon yellow or gold sparkling sugar, optional

Make It

1. Combine the sparkling sugar and cocoa powder, whisking until the cocoa is evenly distributed.
2. If using chocolate extract, combine it with about 1 tablespoon of the sugar first.
3. Spread that portion on parchment until completely dry, then mix it back into the remaining batch.
4. Add a little blue and gold sparkling sugar if you’d like the colorful effect of the commercial version.
5. The coloring is entirely optional and won’t affect the flavor.

What Does Chocolate Frog Finishing Sugar Taste Like?

Sweet cocoa.

That’s really the point.

It should taste like crunchy sugar first, followed by a clean chocolate note—not like brownie mix or powdered hot cocoa.

Try It On

• Brownies
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Hot cocoa
• Cappuccino
• Pancakes
• French toast
• Chocolate cupcakes
• Milkshake rims

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Copycat Pumpkin Pasty Finishing Sugar

This one practically wrote its own recipe.

The flavor profile is sugar, pumpkin powder and classic warm spices including cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.

No mystery flavor cocktail required.

You’ll Need

• 1/2 cup coarse sparkling sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/16 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Make It

1. Combine the pumpkin powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.
2. Whisk the spice mixture into the sparkling sugar until evenly distributed.
3. Transfer to a clean, dry spice jar or shaker.

Why Pumpkin Powder?

Because we’re making finishing sugar, not pumpkin pie filling.

Fresh pumpkin contains moisture and would make this mixture spoil.

Pumpkin powder adds actual pumpkin flavor while keeping the mixture shelf-stable and free-flowing.

Can I Just Use Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Sure.

Use about:

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice + 2 teaspoons pumpkin powder per 1/2 cup sugar.

It won’t be quite as close because pumpkin pie spice blends often contain cloves, while this flavor profile leans on cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.

But nobody at breakfast is going to confiscate your wand.

Try It On

• Pumpkin muffins
• French toast
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Apple pie
• Pumpkin bread
• Oatmeal
• Buttered toast
• Coffee
• Chai
• Apple cider
• Hot chocolate
• Cheesecake

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Copycat Cauldron Cake Finishing Sugar

Now we’re getting somewhere interesting.

Cauldron Cake combines several different sugars with cocoa, butter, molasses and dairy notes to create a chocolate-toffee flavor.

So plain cocoa sugar won’t cut it here.

We need chocolate, caramelized sugar, butter and just enough salt to turn the whole thing into a toffee flavor.

You’ll Need

• 1/4 cup coarse sparkling sugar
• 3 tablespoons Demerara sugar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 teaspoon butter powder
• 1/2 teaspoon molasses powder
• 1/4 teaspoon buttermilk powder
• 1/16 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Make It

1. Combine the sparkling sugar and Demerara sugar.
2. Add the brown sugar, breaking apart every lump with the back of a spoon.
3. In another small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, dry milk, butter powder, molasses powder, buttermilk powder and salt.
4. Add the dry flavor mixture to the sugars and mix thoroughly.
5. If using vanilla, add it to 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture first. Allow that portion to dry completely before stirring it back into the batch.

Don’t Have Molasses Powder?

Use:

1/8 teaspoon regular molasses.

Rub it extremely well into a tablespoon or two of the sugar and spread it on parchment.

Let it dry completely before adding it to the rest.

Do not drizzle molasses into the full jar unless your goal is Cauldron Cake Gravel.

What Does Cauldron Cake Finishing Sugar Taste Like?

Think:

Chocolate + caramelized brown sugar + buttery toffee.

That’s what separates it from Chocolate Frog.

Chocolate Frog is cocoa-forward.

Cauldron Cake has considerably more going on.

Try It On

• Brownies
• Chocolate cake
• Cupcakes
• Coffee cake
• Vanilla ice cream
• Hot chocolate
• Cappuccino
• Waffles
• Popcorn
• Chocolate cookies
• Cream cheese
• Buttered toast

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Copycat Treacle Tart Finishing Sugar

I expected this one to be mostly brown sugar and molasses.

It is—but there’s a little twist that makes it considerably better.

Treacle Tart combines Demerara sugar, brown sugar and white sugar with molasses, butter and a tiny hit of lemon.

That little bit of citrus keeps the heavy brown sugar/molasses combination from tasting flat.

You’ll Need

• 1/4 cup Demerara sugar
• 2 tablespoons coarse sparkling sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon molasses powder
• 1/2 teaspoon butter powder
• 1/4 teaspoon buttermilk powder
• 1/16 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/16 teaspoon citric acid
• 1 drop food-grade lemon oil

Make It

1. Combine the Demerara, sparkling and brown sugars.
2. Whisk together the molasses powder, butter powder, buttermilk powder, salt and citric acid.
3. Stir the dry mixture into the sugars.
4. Measure about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a separate bowl.
5. Add one drop of lemon oil and mix very thoroughly.
6. Spread that small portion on parchment until dry, then return it to the remainder of the mixture.

No Lemon Oil?

Use:

1/16 teaspoon pure lemon extract.

Again, distribute it into a small amount of sugar first and let it dry.

Don’t Overdo the Lemon

Treacle Tart isn’t lemon sugar.

You’re looking for just enough acidity and citrus to brighten the butter, brown sugar and molasses.

If the first thing you taste is lemon, you’ve gone too far.

Try It On

• Shortbread
• Scones
• Bread pudding
• Apple desserts
• Coffee cake
• Vanilla ice cream
• Cheesecake
• Oatmeal
• Pancakes
• Baked pears
• Buttered toast
• Whipped cream

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Copycat Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum Finishing Sugar

This is easily the weirdest one of the bunch.

Which means I obviously had to make it.

Drooble’s isn’t simply bubble gum flavored.

It’s blueberry bubble gum.

The trick is getting enough bubble gum flavor to recognize it without making your kitchen smell like you just opened 47 packs of Hubba Bubba.

You’ll Need

• 1/2 cup coarse sparkling sugar
• 2 teaspoons freeze-dried blueberry powder
• 1/16 teaspoon citric acid
• 2 to 4 drops concentrated bubble gum flavoring
• 1/8 teaspoon blue spirulina powder, optional

Make It

1. Combine the sugar, blueberry powder and citric acid.
2. If using blue spirulina, add a tiny amount at a time.
3. You want whimsical pale blue—not windshield-washer fluid.
4. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the sugar mixture.
5. Add 2 drops of bubble gum flavor and rub it evenly into the crystals.
6. Taste a few crystals.
7. If needed, add another drop or two.
8. Spread the flavored sugar on parchment and allow it to dry completely.
9. Break apart any clumps and mix it back into the rest.

What Does Drooble’s Finishing Sugar Taste Like?

Blueberry hits first, followed by that unmistakable nostalgic bubble gum flavor.

It’s surprisingly fun on vanilla-flavored foods because there’s nothing else competing with it.

Try It On

• Vanilla ice cream
• Frozen yogurt
• Cheesecake
• Sugar cookies
• Cupcakes
• Whipped cream
• Milkshakes
• Popcorn
• Rice cereal treats
• Pancakes
• Mocktail rims

Kids will probably love this one.

Adults will either love it or immediately remember exactly what the inside of a 1987 convenience store smelled like.

There appears to be no middle ground.

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Copycat Licorice Wand Finishing Sugar

Licorice Wand sounds complicated.

It’s not.

The flavor is built around star anise and anise, which gives the sugar its characteristic black licorice flavor.

This is one of those recipes where restraint matters considerably more than technique.

You’ll Need

• 1/2 cup coarse sparkling sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon finely ground star anise
• 1 drop food-grade anise oil

Make It

1. If using whole star anise, grind it as finely as possible.
2. Combine the ground star anise with the sugar.
3. Measure 1 tablespoon of the sugar into a small bowl and add one drop of anise oil.
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. Spread it on parchment until completely dry.
6. Break up the crystals and return them to the remaining sugar.

Using Anise Extract Instead?

Use approximately:

1/8 teaspoon anise extract

in place of the anise oil.

Let the flavored sugar dry completely before bottling.

Do Not Get Carried Away With Anise Oil

One drop.

Try it.

Then decide.

Anise oil is powerful stuff.

There is an extremely short distance between “pleasant black licorice” and “someone emptied a bottle of Jägermeister into the cookie jar.”

Try It On

• Sugar cookies
• Dark chocolate desserts
• Pound cake
• Pastry twists
• Candied nuts
• Coffee
• Hot chocolate
• Popcorn
• Cocktail rims
• Chocolate cupcakes

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Bonus Copycat Harry Potter Cherry Vanilla Extract

The collection also includes a limited-edition vanilla extract made with vanilla beans and accented with cherry flavor.

You certainly can make vanilla extract from scratch.

But I’m not making you wait six months just to put a hint of cherry in it.

You’ll Need

• 4 fluid ounces pure vanilla extract
• 6 to 8 drops pure cherry extract

Make It

1. Pour the vanilla into a clean 4-ounce bottle if necessary.
2. Add 6 drops cherry extract.
3. Shake thoroughly.
4. To test it, dilute a drop of the extract into a teaspoon of milk or simple syrup rather than tasting concentrated extract straight from the bottle.
5. If you want a little more cherry, add another drop or two.

What Are We Aiming For?

Vanilla.

Vanilla.

Vanilla.

“Wait…was that cherry?”

That’s perfect.

What we’re not aiming for is cherry cough syrup.

The cherry belongs in the background.

Use Cherry Vanilla Extract In

• Chocolate chip cookies
• Sugar cookies
• Brownies
• Cupcakes
• Frosting
• Cheesecake
• Pancakes
• French toast
• Milkshakes
• Whipped cream
• Hot chocolate

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The Basic MYO Finishing Sugar Formula

Once you’ve made a few of these, you’ll realize the entire concept is incredibly easy to customize.

For approximately one small shaker:

Base

• 1/2 cup coarse sparkling, sanding or Demerara sugar

Add

• 1 to 3 teaspoons dry powdered flavorings
• 1/16 to 1/8 teaspoon salt or citric acid, if needed
• 1 to 4 drops concentrated food flavoring, when needed

Mix thoroughly.

If you’ve added anything liquid, spread the affected sugar on parchment and allow it to dry completely before storing.

That’s it.

Congratulations.

You now possess roughly 90% of the knowledge required to become a boutique finishing-sugar company.

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Make a Harry Potter Finishing Sugar Gift Set

These are ridiculously cute packaged together.

Use six small clear spice jars and label them:

Chocolate Frog
Chocolate Cocoa Finishing Sugar

Pumpkin Pasty
Pumpkin Spice Finishing Sugar

Cauldron Cake
Chocolate Toffee Finishing Sugar

Treacle Tart
Brown Sugar Molasses Finishing Sugar

Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum
Blueberry Bubble Gum Finishing Sugar

Licorice Wand
Star Anise Finishing Sugar

Add a small 4-ounce bottle of Cherry Vanilla Extract and you’ve got the entire collection.

This would be a fun:

• Harry Potter birthday gift
• Teacher gift
• Stocking stuffer
• Halloween gift
• Movie marathon basket
• Housewarming gift
• Baking gift
• Harry Potter party favor

And unlike the collectible bottles, you can refill yours.

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How to Use Finishing Sugar

Finishing sugar is more versatile than it first appears.

Sprinkle Before Baking

Add it to the tops of:

• Muffins
• Quick breads
• Scones
• Cookies
• Pie crusts
• Coffee cake

The coarse crystals partially melt and leave a crunchy top.

Sprinkle After Baking

Use it on:

• Frosted cupcakes
• Brownies
• Cheesecake
• Donuts
• Ice cream
• Whipped cream

Use It at Breakfast

This may actually be where these sugars shine.

Try them on:

• French toast
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• Oatmeal
• Yogurt
• Buttered toast

Pumpkin Pasty on French toast is almost unfair.

Rim Drinks

Moisten the edge of a glass with water, juice or simple syrup.

Dip the rim into your finishing sugar.

This works beautifully for:

• Hot chocolate
• Milkshakes
• Coffee drinks
• Mocktails
• Cocktails

Mix It Into Recipes

You don’t have to reserve it for garnish.

Try replacing 1 to 2 tablespoons of regular sugar in:

• Cookie dough
• Brownie batter
• Pancake batter
• Frosting
• Cream cheese
• Whipped cream

with your flavored finishing sugar.

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Storage

Store homemade finishing sugars in tightly sealed spice jars or small mason jars.

Keep them somewhere:

• Cool
• Dry
• Dark
• Away from the stove
• Away from steam

Dry-powder blends should maintain their best quality for approximately 6 to 12 months.

If you used liquid extract or flavor oil, make absolutely certain the flavored sugar is completely dry before sealing the jar.

If your sugar begins to clump, spread it on parchment, allow it to dry and break the crystals apart.

Do Not Use Fresh Ingredients for Shelf-Stable Mixes

Avoid adding:

• Fresh pumpkin
• Lemon zest
• Fruit puree
• Fresh butter
• Milk
• Cream
• Juice

Those ingredients introduce moisture and completely change the storage requirements.

Powders and concentrated flavorings are what make these mixes pantry-friendly.

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Copycat McCormick Harry Potter Finishing Sugar Cost Breakdown

Let’s get to the part that started this whole thing.

If the commercial sugars are approximately $3.99 each, six individual bottles cost about $23.94 before tax.

Once the specialty ingredients are in your pantry, the amount used in each homemade batch is tiny.

Flavor	Approximate Homemade Ingredient Cost
Chocolate Frog	$0.35–$0.55
Pumpkin Pasty	$0.55–$0.85
Cauldron Cake	$0.80–$1.20
Treacle Tart	$0.70–$1.10
Drooble’s	$0.75–$1.25
Licorice Wand	$0.30–$0.60
Approximate Total – All Six	$3.45–$5.55

That’s roughly 58¢ to 93¢ per homemade jar once you own the ingredients.

The Catch

If you’re buying pumpkin powder, butter powder, molasses powder, bubble gum flavor and anise oil solely to make these six jars, your first batch costs more because you have to purchase the entire packages.

But you’ll use only a fraction of each package.

That means you’ll have enough ingredients to make repeated batches, use the powders in other recipes, or make several gift sets.

This is one of those recipes where the first batch stocks the pantry and every batch after that becomes ridiculously cheap.

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Specialty Ingredient Shopping List

You probably already have sugar and basic spices.

The less-common ingredients you may need are:

• Coarse sparkling or sanding sugar
• Demerara sugar
• Pumpkin powder
• Dutch-process cocoa
• Nonfat dry milk powder
• Butter powder
• Molasses powder
• Buttermilk powder
• Citric acid
• Food-grade lemon oil or lemon extract
• Freeze-dried blueberry powder
• Bubble gum flavoring
• Blue spirulina powder, optional
• Whole star anise or ground star anise
• Food-grade anise oil or anise extract
• Cherry extract

Don’t Want to Buy Every Specialty Powder?

You don’t have to.

The essential flavors are:

Chocolate Frog: cocoa
Pumpkin Pasty: pumpkin + warm spices
Cauldron Cake: cocoa + brown sugar + butter/toffee notes
Treacle Tart: brown sugar + molasses + butter + lemon
Drooble’s: blueberry + bubble gum
Licorice Wand: star anise

Everything beyond that simply moves the homemade version another step closer to the commercial flavor.

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Which Copycat Is Closest to the Original?

1. Licorice Wand

There’s simply not much hiding here.

Anise + star anise + sugar gives us a very clear target.

2. Pumpkin Pasty

The flavor components are extremely straightforward: pumpkin powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.

Easy.

3. Chocolate Frog

This one is primarily sugar and cocoa flavor, so it’s another relatively simple copycat.

4. Treacle Tart

We know the flavor components, but balancing the tiny amount of lemon against molasses and butter takes a little more judgment.

5. Cauldron Cake

The ingredient list gives us an excellent roadmap, but commercial flavor extracts are difficult to duplicate perfectly in a home kitchen.

6. Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum

We know we’re targeting blueberry bubble gum, but commercial bubble-gum flavor blends vary quite a bit.

So this one has the most room for variation depending on the flavoring brand you buy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

One Last Thing…

Are these little Harry Potter bottles cute?

Absolutely.

Would I buy one just because the bottle looks fun sitting on the shelf?

Also absolutely.

But there’s a difference between buying the collectible bottle once and paying several dollars every time you need more flavored sugar.

Buy the bottle if you love it.

Use it.

Save it.

Then refill the thing for pocket change.

That’s my kind of magic.

Which flavor would you actually use first—Chocolate Frog, Pumpkin Pasty, Cauldron Cake, Treacle Tart, Drooble’s or Licorice Wand? Drop it in the comments, because I already know we’re going to need recipes specifically designed around these next.

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Harry Potter™, Chocolate Frog™ and related names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners. McCormick® is a registered trademark of McCormick & Company. Budget101 is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by McCormick, Warner Bros. or the Harry Potter franchise. This is an independently developed copycat recipe.

Printable Copycat McCormick Harry Potter Finishing Sugars