Canary Creams from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes

Canary Creams are an invention of Fred and George’s for their wizard joke shop. Make your own at home with a shortbread cookie and filling.

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Fred and George Weasley had many snacks and treats to offer with a wide variety of pranks included in each one. When they first started, they were passing them out in the Gryffindor Common Room. One such treat was the Canary Creams, which would turn the person (Neville Longbottom) who ate it into a canary and then back to their normal self again after they molt their feathers.

Of course, I couldn’t make something that would actually turn the eater into a canary, but I used the idea of custard cream, which the snacks are based on, and made it canary yellow.

Of course, in April, when our Harry Potter Club was watching Goblet of Fire, I wanted to make any food associated with that book. I found a recipe here for Canary Creams. But it called for custard powder which I was never able to find in the grocery store. I wanted to order online but forgot until it was too close to the club night, so I had to find a substitute.

Canary creams are a type of custard cream. Not being from the UK, I wasn’t sure what that was. So I had to look it up online. It’s a type of biscuit (which we call a cookie in the US) with cream in the center. The cookie is similar to a shortbread cookie. It can be rolled out in the same way as sugar cookies. Bake the cookies. Then put them together with the cream filling in between.

Canary Creams: canon, appearance, and where they come from

Canary Creams were invented by Fred and George Weasley as one of the joke-shop treats sold at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes; in the books they are described as a kind of custard cream that temporarily turns the eater into a canary before the feathers fall away and the person returns to normal. The treats are referenced directly in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and are commonly depicted by fans as yellow, custard-filled cookie sandwiches.

“It’s all right,” he [Fred] said. “I haven’t done anything to them. It’s the custard creams you’ve got to watch-“
…
Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary.

“Oh – sorry, Neville!” Fred should over all the laughter. “I forgot – it was the custard creams we hexed-“

Within a minute, however, Neville had molted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he reappeared looking entirely normal. He even joined in the laughing.

“Canary Cream!” Fred shouted to the excitable crowd. “George and I invented them…”

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

What is custard powder (and how to substitute it)

Custard powder is a British product used to make a quick, sweet egg-free custard; it typically contains cornflour (cornstarch), flavoring, and coloring. If you can’t find custard powder, substitute cornstarch (cornflour) in an equal amount and add a little vanilla extract to the filling for depth of flavor; this produces the same pale-yellow custard-like color and smoothness without changing the method. For a more authentic custard flavor, fold a tiny pinch of turmeric for color and a drop of lemon zest or vanilla for aroma, but use turmeric sparingly so it doesn’t add noticeable flavor.

Texture and flavor troubleshooting

If your cookie dough is crumbly and won’t hold together, it likely needs a touch more liquid or extra kneading — add milk a teaspoon at a time until the dough just holds. Foe cookies that spread too much while baking, chill the rolled dough for 15–20 minutes before cutting and bake on a cool baking sheet. If the filling is too stiff to pipe, stir in milk in 1/4 teaspoon increments until it becomes pipeable; if it becomes too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar and chill briefly. For overly sweet filling, add a pinch of fine sea salt or a drop of lemon to balance the sweetness.

Quick variations to expand the recipe

For a vegan version, replace the butter in the cookies and filling with a firm vegan butter or vegetable shortening, and substitute plant-based milk for dairy milk; use powdered sugar that’s labeled vegan. For a gluten-free version, replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend and add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum if your blend lacks binding agents. To create a custard-cream with a twist, fold a teaspoon of orange zest into the filling for citrus notes, or swap half the filling for whipped cream mixed with stabilized vanilla pastry cream for an airier sandwich. For a showstopping option, dip half of each finished sandwich in melted dark or white chocolate and let set on parchment.

Party, presentation, and serving ideas

Serve Canary Creams on a wooden board layered with parchment and a Gryffindor-themed cloth for fan events or movie nights; stack them in small towers on platters or place individually in decorative paper liners for gifting. For a table display, scatter edible gold stars or use small paper flags labeled “Weasley’s” to create a playful, themed setup. For bulk serving, place cookies in airtight tins layered with parchment and a small piece of crumpled tissue for cushioning—label tins with the date and variant (e.g., “lemon”, “chocolate-dipped”).

Make-ahead, storage, and gifting instructions

Cookies can be baked up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature; fill and assemble the sandwiches up to 24 hours before serving to keep the filling fresh. For longer storage, freeze the baked, unfrosted cookies in a single layer on a sheet, transfer to a freezer-safe bag, and thaw before assembling. Finished sandwiches can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; when packing for gifts, place them in a single layer or separate layers with parchment to avoid sticking. If shipping, use insulated packaging and include a cold pack when ambient temperatures exceed 75°F (24°C).

Measurements and conversions (quick reference)

1 cup all-purpose flour ≈ 125 grams. 1/2 cup powdered sugar ≈ 60 grams. 1 tablespoon butter ≈ 14 grams. Use these conversions when adapting the recipe for international readers or when precision matters for baking. If you prefer weighing ingredients, weigh the flour after spooning it into the cup and leveling for the most consistent results.

Canary Creams FAQ

Canary Creams Step by Step

Ingredients

Cookies

• 12 tbsp butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or caster sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup custard powder (substitute cornstarch if needed)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Filling

• 2 tbsp butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or caster sugar)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 drops yellow food coloring
• 1/2 tsp milk

Preparation

Start by preheating the oven to 350F. Use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer to cream the butter completely. Then add the sugar. Mix it again until it’s combined. This takes about 3 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the vanilla and stir.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, custard powder (or cornstarch if you don’t have custard powder) and the baking soda.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture while stirring on low speed until it forms a dough. The dough may be crumbly. Knead a few times to bring it together.

Lightly flour a clean working surface and roll out the dough to be about 1/2″ thick. Use a round biscuit cutter or other cookie cutters to make shapes and place those on a baking sheet. Continue to cut shapes and re-roll the dough until you use up all of the dough.

Bake the cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper for about 15 minutes, until they just start to brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.

While the cookies are cooling, make the filling by creaming the butter as before, then adding in the sugar. Stir in the vanilla and a few drops of yellow food coloring (to give them the canary color). If the filling is too thick, add a splash of milk as needed.

To make the canary creams, put the icing in a piping bag or tool and pipe the filling onto half of the cookies.

Use the other half to place on top of the filling, making them cookie sandwiches.

Canary Creams Leftovers

Storage: Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you live in a warm humid area you may want to keep these in the refrigerator.

Recipe

Canary Creams

Canary Creams are an invention of Fred and George’s for their wizard joke shop. Make your own at home with a shortbread cookie and filling.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

American

|

British

Keyword:

canary cream recipe

|

canary creams

|

cookies

|

custard

|

custard cream cookies

|

Harry Potter

|

Harry Potter cookie recipe

|

Weasleys canary creams

Dietary Needs:

Egg-Free

|

Nut-Free

Servings: 10 cookies

5 from 10 votes

Ingredients

Cookies

• 12 tbsp butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or caster sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup custard powder (substitute cornstarch if needed)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Filling

• 2 tbsp butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or caster sugar)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 drops yellow food coloring
• 1/2 tsp milk

Recommended Equipment

• Mixing Bowls – Stainless Steel
• Electric Mixer
• Rolling Pin
• Biscuit Cutters
• Food Coloring
• Piping Tool

Instructions

Cookies

• Preheat the oven to 350F
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• Add the powdered sugar and cream for about 3 minutes
• Mix in the vanilla extract
• In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, custard powder (or cornstarch), and baking soda
• Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture until a dough forms
• Lightly flour a clean working surface and roll the dough out to 1/2″ thickness
• Use a biscuit cutter or cookie cutters to make cookies
• Continue to make shapes by rolling the dough out multiple times as needed until all of the dough is used
• Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, until they start to get brown
• Transfer to a cooling rack

Filling

• While cookies cool, cream the butter with a mixer
• Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and yellow food coloring
• Add the milk, as needed, if the filling is too thick

Prepare Canary Creams

• Put the filling in a piping bag and pipe onto half of the cookies
• Top the cream with the remaining half of the cookies to form sandwiches

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Nutrition Facts

Canary Creams

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)

Calories 214 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Cholesterol 37mg12%

Sodium 147mg6%

Potassium 22mg1%

Carbohydrates 21g7%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 415IU8%

Calcium 7mg1%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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