Description
Candy Cane Popcorn is a festive and sweet holiday treat combining air-popped popcorn coated in smooth white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy canes, perfect for gifting or snacking during the season.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
Coating
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate wafers
- 1/3 cup candy canes - crushed (about 4 regular sized candy canes)
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn: Use an air popper to pop 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels until fully popped and fluffy. Transfer the popcorn to a large mixing bowl, removing any unpopped kernels.
- Crush the candy canes: Place about 4 regular-sized candy canes in a food processor or blender and pulse until they are finely crushed into small pieces.
- Melt the white chocolate: Place 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at half power in 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Combine popcorn and chocolate: Pour the melted white chocolate over the air-popped popcorn and gently stir to coat all the kernels evenly with the chocolate.
- Add crushed candy canes: Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the coated popcorn and carefully mix to distribute the peppermint pieces throughout the popcorn mixture.
- Set and store: Let the coated popcorn sit for about 1 hour to allow the white chocolate to fully set. Once set, store the candy cane popcorn in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- You can substitute white chocolate chips for the wafers, although the chips may not be as bright white.
- This recipe is a holiday favorite passed down from the author's mother-in-law.
- Use a food processor or blender to ensure the candy canes are crushed finely for easy coating and texture balance.
- Store the popcorn in an airtight container to keep it fresh and crunchy for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
