Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn
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This chocolate drizzled popcorn recipe is so much more than popcorn splashed with chocolate. Its white chocolate covered popcorn, loaded with peanut butter filled pretzels, peanuts, Reese’s Pieces, and drizzled with ribbons of semisweet chocolate. It’s an upgraded, extra-fun snack, perfect for any movie night.
Making a snack mix isn’t rocket science, but after making snack mixes more times than I can count, I’ve learned that it’s all about starting with a good base. For this recipe, coating the popcorn in white chocolate not only gives the toppings something to cling to but it also keeps the popcorn from going stale. It’s an extra sweet touch that keeps this snack fresh.
I’ve tested this recipe with both homemade stovetop popcorn and store-bought popcorn and it works every single time. No matter what you use, you end up with an easy, no-stress snack that feels a little extra—in the best way—for movie nights or game nights.
Ingredients
- Popped popcorn – you can pop the popcorn yourself, buy already popped, or use microwave popcorn. I recommend using light butter or olive oil instead of “movie theater butter” in this recipe. I select “sea salt” flavored if I’m not making stovetop popcorn.
- White melting wafers – these are vanilla melting wafers that taste like white chocolate, but white chocolate chips and almond bark work well too. This will coat the popcorn in a white chocolate candy layer, making it extra sweet and keeping the popcorn from getting stale.
- Peanuts – I like to use roasted and lightly salted peanuts. But feel free to use what you have on hand!
- Peanut butter pretzel nuggets – these are pretzels filled with peanut butter. I love these for adding salty nuggets to the mix and extra peanut butter! You can always use mini pretzel twists instead.
- Reese’s Pieces – to really drive that peanut butter flavor home. You can use regular M&Ms (or peanut butter filled) or peanut M&Ms if you prefer.
- Semisweet chocolate chips – the chocolate chips are for melting and drizzling over the popcorn snack mix. The melted chocolate also helps to glue down the Reese’s pieces and pretzel pieces.
How To Make Chocolate Covered Popcorn
Step 1: Make Stovetop Popcorn (You can skip this step if you’re using store bought popcorn.)
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Pour in ⅓ cup popcorn kernels and swirl to coat the kernels in the oil. Cover the pot, place it on the burner, and turn the heat to high.
Once the popcorn starts popping, gently shake the pot every few seconds to keep the kernels from burning. If you have a gas or electric stove, lift the pot slightly off the burner while shaking—just be sure to keep the lid on.
When the popping slows to about 1–2 seconds between pops, turn off the heat and continue shaking until the popping stops. Carefully remove the lid and pour the popcorn into a large bowl.
Step 2: Melt the candy melts
Pour the melting wafers into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir and keep adding 15 seconds until the wafers are completely melted and smooth.
Pour the melted candy coating over the popcorn. Moving quickly, stir until all the popcorn is evenly coated in white chocolate.
Step 3: Spread onto a sheet pan
Line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Pour the white chocolate covered popcorn onto the prepared sheet pan and spread out to an even, thin layer.
Step 4: Drizzle on the chocolate and toppings!
Top with the pretzel nuggets, Reese’s Pieces, and peanuts. Do this before all the popcorn and the semisweet chocolates are set.
Give the toppings a gentle press to make sure they stick to the white chocolate on the popcorn.
Drizzle the melted semisweet chocolate chips over the top of the popcorn and toppings.
Step 5: Chill and set
Refrigerate until the chocolate sets, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Once the candy coating and semisweet chocolate have set, break the chocolate popcorn into chunks and enjoy!
Variations
- Really go nuts with the chocolate peanut butter theme and add some peanut M&Ms, peanut butter cups, and drizzle with melted peanut butter chips.
- If peanuts aren’t ok to eat, swap the the filled pretzels with almond butter pretzels, peanuts with almonds or pecans, and Reese’s pieces for M&Ms.
- Add chopped up Oreos and cookies n’ cream candy bars to the top instead of the peanuts and pretzels, for an Oreo variation. P.s- I have a Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddy Recipe you’d love!
Holiday Variations
I like to use this white chocolate popcorn base year-round and swap in seasonal candies to fit the occasion:
- Valentine’s Day: I make a Valentine’s Popcorn Mix by adding pink and red M&Ms and sprinkles.
- Birthdays: I make a Unicorn popcorn by adding unicorn cookies, sprinkles, and use different colored melts for coating the popcorn.
- Easter: I top white chocolate coated popcorn and cereal with pastel M&Ms and sprinkles in my Bunny Bait recipe.
- 4th of July: To make a 4th of July snack mix, I coat popcorn in vanilla candy melts or white chocolate chips with cereal, and Bugles (instead of pretzles) and top with sprinkles and red, white, and blue, M&M candies.
Top Tips:
- Make sure to add the toppings (pretzels, Reese’s, peanuts) to the popcorn before the white coating has set. The pieces will stick much better and give you the perfect bite each time.
- I love giving this popcorn as a gift—it’s easy to customize for any occasion (I made my husband a valentine’s day popcorn one year and my sister a Christmas vertion) using different mix-ins or toppings. It doubles easily if you’re making a big batch. Bonus: it comes together fast, travels well, and stores great.
Storing Leftover Chocolate Drizzled Popcorn
Any leftovers should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container. This chocolate covered popcorn will last up to 2 weeks.
More Easy Snack Mix Recipes
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Popcorn With Chocolate Drizzle
Ingredients
- 8 cups of popped popcorn, (see the notes section for stovetop instructions)
- 10 oz of white melting wafers or white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets
- 1/2 cup of Reese’s Pieces
- 1/2 cup of roasted and lightly salted peanuts
Instructions
- Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl and set aside. Line a sheet pan with parchment or wax paper.
- Pour the white melting wafers into a heat safe bowl, and microwave in 15 second bursts until melted and smooth, stirring often. Once melted, pour the melted candy coating over the popcorn. Stir until the popcorn is evenly coated.
- Once covered, pour the popcorn onto the prepared sheet pan and spread out into an even, thin layer.
- While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle on the pretzel nuggets, Reese's Pieces and the peanuts. Gently press the toppings onto the popcorn so they'll stick to the white coating. Do this before the coating sets!
- Drizzle on the melted semisweet chocolate.
- Refrigerate until the chocolates set, about 15-20 minutes. Then break the chocolate popcorn into chunks and serve!
- Store any leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container.
Oh man, this looks so good! Next movie night, I could use this recipe to make my kids and husband pretty happy. Love your pictures and graphics too. 🙂
We are obsessed with popcorn to. I’m definitely going to have to make this for my family.
This sounds incredible and easy too! Nice treat for our next movie night!! Such a fun recipe. Thanks!