How to Make a Splash Potion in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Add gunpowder to any regular potion in a brewing stand to turn it into its splash version - throwable, and it affects every entity near the impact. Splash potions are the only way to give effects to mobs or other players.

What you need

A brewing stand and blaze powder as fuel
Any finished potion to convert
1 gunpowder per batch of up to 3 potions

Step by step

Brew the normal potion first - for example an awkward potion + magma cream gives a Potion of Fire Resistance.
Get gunpowder: creepers drop 0-2 (no Looting needed to start), ghasts and witches drop it too, and it appears in dungeon, temple, shipwreck and village chests.
Put the finished potion in a brewing stand with gunpowder as the ingredient. Wait 20 seconds.
Out comes the splash version: throw it with the use button. The closer an entity is to the impact, the stronger and longer the effect.
Classic uses: Splash Potion of Harming or Poison against enemies, Splash Healing in team fights, Splash Fire Resistance for a friend in lava, and Splash Weakness (plus a golden apple) to cure zombie villagers.
Add dragon's breath to a splash potion to upgrade it into a lingering potion, which leaves an effect cloud on the ground.

Java vs Bedrock

Identical recipe on both editions. On Java, effect strength scales with distance from the impact; Bedrock splash potions work the same way in practice.

Versions: Splash potions exist since Java Beta 1.9 / 1.0.0 and Bedrock 0.12 (the brewing update).

Frequently asked questions

Can I make a splash water bottle?

Yes - brewing gunpowder into a water bottle gives a splash water bottle, which extinguishes fire and damages blazes (1 heart per hit).

Does making a potion splash change its duration?

The potion keeps its base duration, but entities further from the impact point get a weaker version. Hit your target as close as possible.