My Butterscotch Barfi, an Indian fusion sweet with a crumbly mithai shop-style texture, is inspired by Harry Potter's Butterbeer. A layer of brown butter, light brown sugar and vanilla barfi sits beneath a thin creamy white layer. It's beautifully finished with crushed butter candies, rose petals and gold varq.
One batch has a habit of disappearing rather quickly. It must be magic...
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I think this is the most excited I've been to share a new recipe with you! I've had an idea to make a barfi inspired by the flavours of butterbeer, but it took years to make it happen!
I first made my copycat Harry Potter Butterbeer after visiting Universal Orlando, and that recipe has been loved by so many of you. It's officially noted to have a "less-sweet butterscotch" flavour.
For this beautiful butterscotch barfi I've taken those buttery, caramel-like flavours and incorporated them into my plain milk powder barfi.
The bottom layer gets its butterscotch flavour from brown butter (I'll show you how easy it is to make), light brown sugar and vanilla, while the thin white barfi layer on top gives a little nod to Butterbeer foam. And if you think that top layer looks too crumbly, I promise you it's completely intentional. The crumbles perfectly resemble the foamy, fizzy head you see on butterbeer.
These are absolutely perfect for the potterheads who also love milky barfi! But for another layered barfi idea, try my chocolate, caramel and vanilla barfi inspired by millionnaire's shortbread.
The Important Ingredients
You’ll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below once I've added my final tested quantities, but these notes explain the choices that make the recipe work.
Butterscotch can be hard to find in the UK and outside the US, so I build the flavour from scratch with butter, brown sugar and vanilla. I brown the butter first for a extra nutty, caramel tones.
Full-fat milk powder
As with most of my barfi recipes, I gently toast the milk powder first which prevents a sticky barfi. My preference is the whole milk powder from V.B & Sons available in the UK.
Salted butter
I use salted butter to make brown butter which is easy to make in 2 minutes. That little bit of salt works beautifully with the caramel notes of the brown sugar.
Light brown soft sugar
This gives the base its pale toffee colour and butterscotch flavour. I don't recommend swapping it for dark brown sugar or muscovado. Both bring much stronger molasses and treacle flavours.
Ground almonds
In my original milk barfi, I use mixed nuts to help with the crumbly texture but I didn't want to add extra flavour here. So, I've used blanched ground almonds in both layers. I sort of took the idea from my almond butter barfi biscuit bars!
Milk and double cream
I deliberately keep the amount of liquid less. Too much milk and cream means you'll spend longer cooking the final barfi mixture, leading to chewy, dense barfi.
The cream idea comes from my chocolate pistachio barfi, where it gives the milk mixture extra richness.
Vanilla extract
Vanilla goes into the butterscotch layer only because I don't want the brown colour to darken the top layer. It pulls the brown butter and brown sugar together and gives the flavour that familiar butterscotch feel. Essence or powder can both work well too.
Werther's Original
These are purely a garnish and are perfect for extra butterscotch-eyness. I crush them and scatter them over the finished barfi for extra crunch and an obvious little butterscotch clue. They will melt within a day if added to the barfi too early - so wait only until serving to add these!
If you can't find them, use chopped fudge or toffee pieces.
Time Saving Alternative!
If you're rushed for time, I have an alternate topping for you! In my earlier drafts of this recipe, I planned to simply top the barfi with a layer of white chocolate - a bit like my chocolate barfi or the white chocolate ganache from my almond butter barfi bars. You could try that instead of the second white barfi layer (which I still highly recommend!!!).
Let's Make Butterscotch Barfi Together in Steps
- Brown the butter: Melt the salted butter and keep stirring until the milk solids just turn golden-brown and it smells nutty and toffee-like. Remove from the heat before it gets any darker. Use a light coloured pan so you can see as soon as it browns.
- Toast the milk powder and almonds: Add the brown butter to the milk powder and toast on low heat gently for about 2 minutes, keeping it pale. Stir in the ground almonds and cook for another minute. Set aside 100g for the top layer.
- Make the butterscotch milk syrup: Heat the milk, double cream and light brown soft sugar over low heat. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens to roughly single-cream consistency. Add in the vanilla extract.
- Add the milk powder mixture: Stir the larger portion of the toasted milk powder mixture into the butterscotch syrup.
- Cook until it leaves the pan: Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes together and begins leaving the sides of the pan. Mine only needed around 2 minutes.
- Set the butterscotch layer: Transfer straight into the greased mould and pat it down into a neat, even layer.
- Add the white barfi layer: Make the white milk syrup with milk, cream and white sugar, then stir in the reserved milk powder mixture. Once it forms a soft mass, spread it evenly over the butterscotch base.
- Set, cut and decorate: Leave the barfi to cool and set completely before removing it from the mould. Cut into pieces, then finish with crushed Werther’s, rose petals and edible gold leaf.
Make Ahead & Storage
This barfi is at its best within the first 3 days, when the flavour is strongest and the texture is still lovely and crumbly.
For gifting, I’d make it no more than 1–2 days ahead. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool room. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate it instead.
After 2-3 days, I prefer to keep it in the fridge. It will last longer there, but in my experience the flavour becomes a little muted and the texture firms up. Unfortunately there's no spell for this yet!
If using crushed Werther’s on top, add them as close to serving or gifting as you can. They can soften or become sticky if left on the barfi for too long.
It can make a wonderful addition to your Indian Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu or Harry Potter marathon with vegan pumpkin pasties and lots of butterbeer or a floral Indian cardamom milk tea!
Mischief managed x
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Butterscotch Barfi
Equipment
- 1 barfi mould or tray 15cm x 9cm
Ingredients
- 250 gram whole milk powder
- 50 gram ground almonds
- 25 gram salted butter
Butterscotch Layer
- 110 millilitres whole milk
- 110 millilitres double cream
- 75 gram brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Top White Layer
- 45 millilitres whole milk
- 45 millilitres double cream
- 30 gram white sugar
Decorating
- 5 Werther's Original butter candies
- rose petals
- edible gold leaf
Instructions
Brown the butter.
- Add 25 gram salted butter to a small saucepan and melt over low-medium heat. Keep stirring as it foams. Watch for the milk solids at the bottom turning just golden-brown and a nutty, almost toffee-like aroma developing. Remove from the heat immediately and keep stirring for a few seconds so the solids do not burn.
Prepare the milk powder.
- Add 2 tablespoon of the browned butter to the 250 gram whole milk powder in a wide pan. Cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Keep the milk powder pale; you are only removing the raw flavour, not browning it.
- Stir in 50 gram ground almonds and roast for a further 1 minute over low heat. Remove from the heat.
- Weigh out 100g (1 cup) of the milk powder and almond mixture and set aside for the white layer. Keep the remaining mixture for the butterscotch base.
Prepare the butterscotch layer.
- In a clean pan, add 110 millilitres whole milk, 110 millilitres double cream and 75 gram brown sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reduces to roughly the consistency of single cream.
- Add the larger portion of the milk powder mixture and stir well. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Continue cooking over low heat until the mixture comes together and starts leaving the sides of the pan. This took around 2 minutes for my batch. Add a further 1 teaspoon of the brown butter and fold in until glossy.
- Immediately transfer the mixture to a greased mould. Press and pat it down into an even layer.
Make the top white layer.
- Working fairly quickly, add 45 millilitres whole milk, 45 millilitres double cream and 30 gram white sugar to a clean pan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture again reaches roughly a single-cream consistency.
- Add the reserved 100g (1 cup) milk powder and ground almond mixture. Stir over low heat until it comes together into one soft mass and begins leaving the sides of the pan.
- Immediately spread the white barfi over the butterscotch layer. Gently pat it into an even, thinner layer. Leave at room temperature until completely cool and set.
Decorate and cut.
- Remove the barfi from the mould once cool. Garnish with crushed 5 Werther's Original butter candies and rose petals then cut into 6 pieces. Finish with edible gold leaf.
Video
Notes
- Brown butter: Stop as soon as the milk solids turn golden-brown and smell nutty. They can burn very quickly once they reach this stage.
- Keep the milk powder pale: Toasting removes the raw flavour, but browning it can make the barfi bitter.
- Low heat throughout: Both milk mixtures need gentle heat and constant stirring.
- Single-cream cue: Reduce the milk, cream and sugar only until lightly thickened and pourable before adding the milk powder.
- Don't overcook: Once the barfi starts leaving the sides of the pan, stop. It will still be soft while hot and firms as it sets.
- Work quickly between layers: Spread the white layer while both mixtures are still soft enough to level neatly.
- Setting: Let the barfi cool completely before removing it from the mould and cutting.
- Werther’s: Add the crushed sweets close to serving or gifting so they stay crisp rather than becoming sticky. Instead of Werther's, you can add fudge or toffee pieces.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Hayley Dhanecha says
This was such a fun one to create! The thing I love most about this barfi is that it still tastes and feels like proper mithai. The brown butter and brown sugar give it a deep butterscotch flavour without turning it into fudge.