Easy Gourmet Chocolate Popcorn
This easy gourmet chocolate popcorn comes together in 10 minutes and is so delicious. It makes the perfect easy neighbor gift or holiday party treat. I'm sharing five amazing flavor combinations, but there are endless possibilities you can create.
Ingredients
- 10 to 11 cups air popped popcorn about ½ cup kernels, see note
- 10 ounces white melting chocolate or chocolate chips
- optional mix-ins: crushed oreos or other cookies, heath bar chips, crushed candy canes, or just sprinkle on some red and green sprinkles and call it good.
- sea salt or kosher salt optional
Instructions
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Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place popped corn in large bowl and remove old maids (see note).
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Melt the chocolate or almond bark (see note) in a small bowl in the microwave for a minute. Take it out and stir and then microwave in 15 second intervals until smooth. You can also melt the chocolate using a double boiler on the stove. Just make sure you stir often and don't overheat it.
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Pour the chocolate over the popped popcorn and add desired mix-ins and a touch of sea salt, if desired.
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Then place it on a parchment covered baking sheet and drizzle on additional chocolate. I normally use a fork and just kinda shake like crazy. Let popcorn harden for about 15 to 20 minutes (or about 5 minutes in the refrigerator) before packaging.
Recipe Notes
1. Not all chocolate is created equal and doesn't all melt the same. Some of the cheaper type melting wafers will seize as they melt (meaning it gets hard and chunky and never melts again). Be sure you use a good brand (I've included some recommendations in the post).
2. For recipes like this, I like to buy gourmet popcorn (called mushroom popcorn) (aff. link) because it makes the treat a little bit special.
3. I've found a great way to remove the popcorn old maids: take a cooling rack and place it on top of the popcorn bowl that is no wider than the rack. Turn it upside down over a sink or another bowl and shake your heart out. The unpopped kernels will fall to the bottom (sometimes a few kernels may be too big to fit through the rack, but they are easy to pull out if you slowly turn it right side up again.
Favorite Flavor Combos:
Cookies and Cream - white chocolate or vanilla melting wafers, ⅓ cup crushed oreo (or other cookies), ½ tsp coarse sea salt, chocolate drizzles (optional)
Sweet and Salty Chocolate Pretzel - semisweet or dark chocolate, ⅔ cup crushed pretzels, 1 tsp coarse sea salt
Toasted Vanilla Coconut - white chocolate or vanilla melting wafers, 1 ½ cups coconut chips, crushed, ½ tsp coarse sea salt, chocolate drizzles (optional)
White Toffee Crunch - white chocolate or vanilla melting wafers, ⅓ - ½ cup Heath bar pieces, ½ tsp coarse sea salt, chocolate drizzles (optional)
Candy Cane Special - white chocolate or vanilla melting wafers, 6 regular candy canes crushed (about ⅓ cup), few pinches of sea salt (optional).