Brew a simple Polyjuice Potion recipe for a transformative experience at your Halloween or Harry Potter party. It's an easy, fun, non alcoholic, lime sherbet punch your guests will love!
I love orange sherbet punch at Christmas time, but this spooky green sherbet punch is perfect for Halloween festivities.
What Is Polyjuice Potion?
Polyjuice Potion is a drink from the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling; it allows the one who drinks it to temporarily take on the likeness of another person of their choosing.
In the books, Polyjuice Potion ingredients include fluxweed, knotgrass, leeches, lacewing flies, boomslang skin, and bicorn horn. The catch is they also need something from the person's body they wish to become, in order to mix into the brewing of said potion; so something like a hair, nail clippings, or even dandruff.
Harry and his friends used Polyjuice Potion quite a few times in the books (and movies). Two particular instances stick out in my memory…
- In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Barty Crouch, Jr. uses the potion to turn himself into Mad Eye Moody and thus get close to Harry, with the goal to eventually help bring Voldemort back to power and give Harry up to the Dark Lord.
- In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in one of my favorite instances because it's somewhat hilarious at first, the Order of the Phoenix uses it to safely move Harry.
- Also in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron, and Hermione need to sneak into the Ministry of Magic but can't risk being seen and captured. Polyjuice Potion does the trick.
Fandom has a great wiki all about how Harry and his friends use Polyjuice Potion throughout the series; they even include a detailed list of the ingredients and steps necessary to make the real thing.
Why You'll Love This Punch
Reasons to love this Polyjuice Potion recipe non alcoholic version include:
- This Harry Potter punch has just 4 basic ingredients, so you can whip it up in no time at all.
- You can dress it up with whatever you like, including spiders, eyeballs, or other creepy crawly creatures.
- I love the frothy effect sherbet gives to a Halloween punch. It really does resemble a witch's brew, or what I'd imagine a witch's brew looks like anyway.
- Kids and adults both love it.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes
Polyjuice Potion ingredients for the non book version are simple…
- Pineapple juice – I just get a 46-ounce can of pineapple juice at the grocery store.
- Cranberry apple juice – I usually just go with generic.
- Lemon-lime soda – I prefer to use Sierra Mist or 7UP. My grandma always used 7UP for her sherbet punch. You can also use ginger ale if you prefer.
- Lime sherbet – This can sometimes be harder to find, though most grocery stores should carry it. A couple tips, especially if you live in an area with Braum's… Their Fresh Market carries all flavors of sherbet. If you don't have a Braum's, I have the best luck finding it at non big box grocery stores. You can also use rainbow sherbet if you can't find lime sherbet.
- Gummy eyeballs, spiders (non-edible), or any other kind of creepy crawlies – for decoration.
How to Make Polyjuice Potion
If you're making this punch for a party and want it to be cold, I would chill the juices and the soda beforehand. While the sherbet will help to chill it, chilling the juices beforehand will also help the sherbet not to melt quite so fast.
Before you start to make your punch, be sure to soften the sherbet just a little bit, so it's not too difficult to scoop.
To make this magical green punch, you'll need to follow these steps…
- Add the pineapple juice to a large punch bowl.
- Stir in the cranberry apple juice.
- Mix in the lemon lime soda.
- Then just scoop lime sherbet on top, and serve it immediately.
Your final sherbet punch will have a greenish brownish appearance. It makes the perfect green drinks for kids.
If You Want, You Can Dress It Up
I like to dress up our Polyjuice Potion drink with candy eyeballs.
Some people choose to add green food coloring to their potion; personally, I just don't want to pump my kids full of food coloring, so I choose not to do that. But make it however you want.
You can add spiders, eyeballs, and any other creepy crawlies you can think of to your cups of Polyjuice Potion. If they are plastic, be sure to wash them; and use caution when serving with small children.
Note: Keep in mind that gummy candies don't float very well, or at least, the eyeballs don't. So I just add the candy eyeball on top of a scoop of sherbet. Also, note that small candies can pose a choking hazard, so use caution when serving with small children.
Expert Tips and FAQ's
I don't recommend making sherbet punch ahead of time, mainly because of the sherbet, but also because of the carbonated soda. It'll lose its fizz, and it just won't taste as good. Not to mention, the sherbet will melt and just make a green gloppy mess. It would be impossible to store it for any length of time.
Honestly, you can store the punch part, but not the sherbet in the punch. You'd have to store them separately. However, the punch will lose its fizz, or carbonation, and it won't be as good. So I don't recommend storing it; I recommend making it last minute same day and serving right away.
Go for it! If you're having a party for adult friends and/or family, you can definitely spike the punch. My recommendation would probably be vodka, but it's totally up to you!
More Harry Potter Recipes for the Perfect Harry Potter Party
- Butterbeer recipe
- Butterbeer pancakes from scratch
- Dreamy butterbeer buttercream frosting
- Get even more ideas in this collection of best Halloween movie night snacks.
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Polyjuice Potion Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 46 ounces pineapple juice
- 3 cups cranberry apple juice
- 2 liters lemon lime soda
- 1/2 gallon lime sherbet
Instructions
- Add the pineapple juice to a large punch bowl.
- Stir in the cranberry apple juice.
- Mix in the lemon lime soda.
- Then just scoop lime sherbet on top, placing scoops of sherbet all over the top of the punch.
- Serve immediately. Your Polyjuice Potion will have a greenish brownish appearance, the perfect color for this fun festive drink.
- You can decorate it with gummy eyeballs, spiders, or any kind of creepy crawly creatures you wish! Or just serve it up plain and simple.
I made this for my son-in-law’s birthday party (he is a huge Harry Potter fan). Everyone loved it! It was so easy to make and it was so good! Thanks for sharing!