Peppermint Popcorn

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Peppermint Popcorn is a treat you won't want to skip this holiday season! Toss popcorn in white chocolate and crushed peppermint; then finish with a chocolate drizzle. This sweet snack mix is nothing short of addicting!

Course Dessert, Snack, treat

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Keyword Peppermint Popcorn, white chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

Prep Time 20 minutes

Chilling Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 270kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $5.89

Ingredients

8-9 cups popped kettle corn (or plain popcorn--Note 1)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) vanilla chocolate melts
2 teaspoons coconut or vegetable oil, separated
5 regular candy canes, crushed
1/2 cup chocolate melts (milk, semi, or dark--whichever you prefer)

US - Metric

Instructions

PREP: Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
POP THE POPCORN: Pop popcorn according to package directions. Remove any un-popped popcorn kernels and dump all the popped popcorn into a very large bowl. Alternatively, you can use purchased pre-popped popcorn and skip this step.
CRUSH THE PEPPERMINT: Add the unwrapped candy canes to a large plastic bag (or two; the peppermint has a tendency to rip through plastic bags as it is crushed). Seal the bag without air in it, and then crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet until fine crumbs are formed. Remove 1 tablespoon of crumbs and set aside for now. Add the rest of the crushed peppermint right on top of the popcorn.
MELT THE WHITE CHOCOLATE: Combine white chocolate melts with 1-1/2 tsp oil and melt in the microwave until completely smooth (See Note 3). Pour melted chocolate over popcorn and peppermint and stir with a spatula until well combined and evenly coated. Pour coated popcorn on prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
CHOCOLATE: Combine milk or dark chocolate melts with remaining 1/2 tsp oil and melt in the microwave until completely smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag and seal without air in it. Cut off the tip of the bag with scissors and pipe this chocolate all over the popcorn. Sprinkle the reserved 1 tablespoon peppermint right on top. Let set at room temperature (or pop in the fridge) until hardened.
ENJOY: Gently break into pieces and enjoy!
STORAGE: Transfer any leftover popcorn to a large zip-top plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and then store in a dry, cool, dark area. Keep out of heat and sunlight to avoid melting the chocolate. Best enjoyed within 3-5 days; even when stored properly it begins to soften or become stale.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Popcorn: Purchasing already popped popcorn makes this recipe come together a little bit quicker, but it’s a bit more spendy. If you’d rather pop your own, here’s what we use. We like starting with kettle corn here since it adds a touch more sweetness to the flavor which balances the minty-ness of the peppermint. That said, if you'd prefer plain popcorn, use that instead! (Either this already popped popcorn, or these packets, or use kernels (~1/2 cup), but be sure to add a touch of salt to the popcorn to enhance the end popcorn flavors.)

Note 2: White chocolate: We recommend chocolate made for melting like melting wafers (found in the baking aisle of the store.) Why add oil? I like to add a touch of oil or shortening to the chocolate to help it to smooth out and make coating the popcorn in chocolate easier.

Note 3: Microwaving chocolate: To avoid scorching the chocolate, microwave for 15 seconds at a time, and stir for at least 15 seconds between each microwave burst. Remember, the chocolate is still melting from residual heat even after it has been removed from the microwave. It’s important the chocolate never gets too hot! We want it nice and melted, but as close to room temperature as possible.

Nutrition