Hocus Pocus: The Official Cookbook

by Elena P. Craig, S.T. Bende

Fire up the cauldron and get witchy in your kitchen with this delightfully creepy cookbook, inspired by the beloved Halloween classic Hocus Pocus!

Celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with over 50 dishes inspired by the spellbinding world of Hocus Pocus! Featuring terrifyingly tasty mains, appetizers, and desserts, this family-friendly cookbook includes a creepy roster of recipes that fans will love, including Ring of Salt Pretzels, Witch’s Broom Donuts, and more!

Have fun with the whole family making spellbinding recipes while celebrating your favorite witchy sisters.

Featuring full-color photography, comprehensive nutritional information, and helpful tips and tricks, Hocus The Official Cookbook is the essential guide to cooking like a Sanderson sister!

50+ Dishes such as Ring of Salt Pretzels and Witch’s Broom Donuts will bring the chilling world of Salem into your kitchen.

STUNNING Beautiful, full-color photos of the finished dishes help ensure success.

FOR ALL SKILL Perfect for kids, adults, and families, this book has easy-to-follow recipes and everyday ingredients, making it ideal for any skill level and occasion.

CREEPY The ideal companion for every Halloween party, Hocus The Official Cookbook will bewitch fans of the film and cooking enthusiasts alike.

COMPLETE YOUR Hocus Pocus Tarot Deck and Guidebook and Hocus 13 Frights of Halloween also available!

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Halloween, Holiday

160 pages, Hardcover

Published July 11, 2023

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish there were pictures for every recipe! I wish it had actual recipes from the movie. I wish it had more backstory. I wish the recipe’s didn’t look hard. I wish the recipes were easy and had little to 5 or less ingredients!

I was excited to see what kind of recipes may be included in this cookbook, but after looking through, I was left wanting more and not in a good way. I wasn’t impressed. I think I’ll try 1 recipe out of the whole book.

[Becky Weeks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cutesy but hardly any recipes I would actually make

[Kristina Fontes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A present from my bf, and I can't wait to try these

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of this book from Insight Editions. I love Hocus Pocus so the vibe was right. The level of exertion, however, to complete most of these recipes is far beyond me but they all sound delicious. One thing that I thought was lacking is that not all the recipes had photos of what the finished product should look like.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute idea, and the theming and pictures were great. I just wasn't impressed by the recipes themselves. I did appreciate that there were vegan recipes and notes for how to make some of them vegan (although those notes were usually something basic like omit the cheese).

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know it's kind of hard to "review" a cookbook, but I have a criteria when it comes to these pop culture cookbooks.

1. How well does it tie in with the movie/tv show?
I still consider the True Blood cookbook the best example of this. All of the recipes were direct callbacks to scenes and moments from the series, and the writing throughout really had the "feel" of True Blood. This? Eh...

There are a few recipes that directly relate to the movie, but the majority are just vaguely fall or Halloween adjacent. I was really hoping for more creativity from the "official" cookbook.

It's really strange to me that this is the "Official" cookbook, because there's very little that makes it feel that way. There's not a single photo or still from the movie, just a few drawings of the witches in that new animated style that shows up on a lot of the Disney merch these days (and even those drawings are few and far between).

Even stranger, there is generic, non-official Hocus Pocus merch in many of the photos. Come on Disney, when have you ever missed a chance to sell stuff with your Intellectual Properties on them? If there was ever a time to showcase the real Hocus Pocus spatulas and not the Great Value ones that say "A spell is in," this is it.

2. Does the food look tasty or inventive?
Honestly, not really. There are a handful of recipes I might try, but most of them are either unappetizing, or something you've seen before in a million Halloween issues of "Good Housekeeping." (The very first recipe in the book is literally: "cut some cheese into shapes.")

Do the recipes seem easy to follow or well explained?
NO! I like that they make the dietary restrictions so apparent and provide lots of suggestions to adjust recipes to be vegan or gluten free, but that's about all the praise I have in this area.

There should be more step-by-step illustrations for a cookbook that advertises itself as family-friendly. That spellbook cake looks neat, but a beginner baker would need more guidance in assembling and decorating something that complicated (Also - this is the "Official" cookbook, so why doesn't the Book look like the one in the movie???)

There are also several recipes that don't have photos, which I consider an unforgivable crime in cookbooks. You expect me to purchase and cook LOBSTER TAILS without letting me see what the finished product is supposed to look like? To quote Winifred Sanderson, "Makes me sick!"

[Zev · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reviewed the Unofficial one in late September 2021, and it was glowing. This one tried hard to be the other one. Didn't work. Mummy Scorpion Pie, here, is lobster pie. I remarked on the Unofficial one that it was pecan pie there. I like that the two were different in that regard! This, too, is a standard Americana cookbook but I feel like...it tries too hard, or more likely, the first one was so fun and campy that I thought an official one wouldn't measure up. It doesn't. The Unofficial one had several recipes and mocktails that I could see myself cooking and eating. Here, not a single one. I wasn't even disappointed in myself, which actually made me feel bad. There are boozy drinks that are pretty, but wow, boring. This version caters to a higher-end clientele who are far more experienced cooks. The Unofficial one, I felt, was for everyone. This was for...not everyone. The book tries to capture the campy tone of the Unofficial one and like...why? I mean, I get why. It doesn't "fit." I can't figure out how it could be different, though. The references are odd. And the synopsis? "Delightfully creepy"? No, the book is not and neither is the movie really. Then again I like horror, and probably have a very different understanding of that phrase.

This didn't work for me, but will be beloved and appreciated by many others. I hope cooks who use this find great delight in it, and that their dinner parties, meals and gatherings succeed..

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun! This cookbook has recipes with spooky leaning, but many of the dishes could be enjoyed year around. Complete with beautiful photos and concise, easy to follow directions, this book provides everything needed for the perfect Halloween party ala the Sanderson sisters. A word of caution: recipe titles are sometimes gruesome, but all is meant to be fun.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the pictures, loved the recipes. A few of the recipes had multiple pages of instructions, while the majority were prettier straight forward and simple. I would say abou 90% of the recipes had pictures. I would buy this for myself or a friend.

[Honest Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

too many things rely on food dye

So there are several recipes I would make just in their own. But I don’t like the reliance of chemical coloring here without alternative methods like natural coloring powders

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully photographed and fun. Quite a few interesting recipes here to try. Ties into the movie, but many items work for a non-Hocus Pocus focused Halloween.

[Adrianne Rosal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love trying out recipes? Well here is a witchy cookbook to try out. Im excited!!!!!

[Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really creative recipes but still simple enough for home cooks. Great tips on which recipes are vegan or can be made vegan and/or gluten free with some simple substitutions.

[Donna Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute and fun cookbook! I enjoyed the nice variety of recipes especially those that focused on the different characters as well.