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!
Try some of our other holiday snack mix favorites like this Christmas Popcorn, Reindeer Chow, and Christmas Snack Mix.
White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn Recipe
The holiday season is just not the holiday season for me without copious amounts of Peppermint Bark. The kiddos and I always make several batches and inevitably when that’s gone and we’re on to new baking projects, Peppermint Bark still makes its way into the kitchen. In the form of popcorn, that is!
This Peppermint Popcorn will quell the cravings for peppermint, white chocolate, and dark chocolate in the very best possible way. It’s sweet, minty, crunchy, and completely irresistible.
Few things beat a gourmet popcorn (like this Chocolate Popcorn), but it can be fairly time intensive to make (not ideal during the craziness of December), and that’s why this recipe is so great. It uses minimal ingredients and doesn’t take a whole lot of time to whip together, yet it’s every bit as delicious in its own way!
Quick Tip
Try some of our other favorite homemade popcorn flavors like this Oreo Popcorn, Cake Batter Popcorn, or white-chocolate and cinnamon-sugar coated Cinnamon Roll Popcorn
What Can I Add To Popcorn For Flavor?
Chocolate! Adding chocolate to popcorn is always going to elevate the flavor and turn an ordinary snack into a delicious dessert! And since we’re playing on the flavors of peppermint bark, we add both white and dark chocolate to this popcorn.
More details on the ingredients in this Peppermint Popcorn below (none of the below brands are sponsors or affiliated with this site, just what we use and like best):
- Kettle corn. Purchasing already popped popcorn makes this recipe come together a little bit quicker, but it’s a bit more spend-y. 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.)
- Peppermint. Grab regular candy canes for the peppermint here. We like the bright coloring of Brach® best!
- White chocolate. We recommend chocolate made specifically for melting like melting wafers for best results. You’ll find melts in the baking aisle of the store.
- Coconut oil. I like to add a touch of oil or shortening to the chocolate. It helps to smooth out the chocolate and makes coating the popcorn in chocolate easier.
- Dark (or milk or semi-sweet) chocolate. Same as with the white chocolate: melting wafers are so easy to work with and taste delicious! No need to splurge on super-expensive chocolates here–those are better for enjoying on their own.
Quick Tip
Make this Peppermint Popcorn how you’ll like it best! Use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate, depending on your personal preference. My kiddos love it with milk and my favorite is dark!
How To Make Peppermint Popcorn
- Pop the popcorn and remove kernels: There are few things worse than crunching down on a stray un-popped kernel in your Peppermint Popcorn! Here’s how to ensure they don’t sneak in: Lay one or two wire cooling racks over a large tray. Carefully pour the popped popcorn over the cooling rack(s). All the un-popped kernels will fall through the holes onto the tray. Once you’ve scooped up the popcorn and measured it for this recipe, you can dump the kernels left behind into the trash — easy!
- Crush the peppermint: We want fairly fine crumbs here. The best way we’ve found to do this is to add the unwrapped candies 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 the crumbs are formed.
- Microwave the chocolate melts in sturdy, heat–safe bowls instead of using plastic or melamine.
- 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 that the chocolate never gets too hot! We want it nice and melted, but as close to room temperature as possible which will keep it from burning.
- Toss popcorn with melted chocolate and crushed peppermint. We like to use a rubber spatula to combine everything nicely here. Spread the mixture on a lined sheet pan.
- Drizzle on melted chocolate and a bit of the reserved crushed peppermint. Let everything set, break apart, and enjoy this homemade Peppermint Popcorn!
Peppermint Popcorn Recipe Tips
- Line the pan. To ensure the candy-coated popcorn comes off the pan nicely, be sure to line the pan with parchment paper or foil.
- We toss the popcorn with peppermint and melted chocolate. Use the largest bowl you have (or one that can easily accommodate all the ingredients) to allow plenty of room for tossing without spilling. If you don’t have a really large bowl, separate the mixture into two bowls.
- Don’t allow any liquid near the chocolate. If it gets wet it will seize and harden, and you don’t want that. Here’s why.
Storage
How Do You Keep Candied Popcorn Fresh?
Popcorn gets stale quickly, but especially when it’s tossed with chocolate and left in an uncovered bowl!
- Transfer any leftover Peppermint 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 where the chocolate could melt.
- Peppermint Popcorn is best enjoyed within 3-5 days; even when stored properly, it begins to soften or become stale.
- We don’t recommend freezing leftovers; they soften as they thaw. If you aren’t sure about being able to finish the entire recipe, cut it in half or thirds!
More Peppermint Desserts:
- Peppermint Cookies only three ngredients!
- Peppermint Bark Pretzels with peppermint candy kisses
- No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake with an Oreo crust
- Peppermint Brownies with a chocolate ganache topping
- Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats with a chocolate drizzle
Peppermint Popcorn
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)
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
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello…I am trying to print your recipe but every time I tap PRINT, it just goes back to the original recipe instead of a print page. Can you fix this? Thanks!