Hot Chocolate Popcorn made with butter, marshmallows and hot cocoa mix. Sweet popcorn recipe that makes the perfect snack for those cold winter days and the rest of the year too!
Popcorn is always the perfect snack, and we love finding new ways to sweeten it up. We love our Gooey Caramel Popcorn and our Better than Caramel Popcorn recipe has been one of our favorites for years. This Hot Chocolate Popcorn recipe is absolutely perfect for winter and tastes just like hot chocolate. Perfect for parties and holiday movie watching!
INGREDIENTS IN HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN
Popcorn – You need about 8 cups of popcorn. You will need somewhere between 1/4-1/3 cup of popcorn kernels to yield this amount, or you can use about 2 bags of microwave popcorn. If you use microwave popcorn, try to use a variety that has the least amount of butter and salt – you want it as plain as possible.
Marshmallows – You will need 1 ¾ cups miniature marshmallows. You will put 1/2 cup of marshmallows into the gooey mixture used to coat the popcorn, but you will add the rest after the popcorn is coated.
Hot chocolate mix – The recipe calls for 1 packet of hot chocolate mix. If you are scooping the hot cocoa mix out of a canister, you will need about 2 1/2 tablespoons. You will be dividing the powder and putting most of it in the liquid mixture and using the remaining part of it to coat the popcorn after stirring it into the mixture.
Sugar – Just 1/4 cup of sugar will help to sweeten the popcorn up!
Butter – You only need 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 stick) to melt with the other ingredients to make the gooey coating for the popcorn.
Corn syrup – Use light corn syrup to thicken up the mixture.
Milk chocolate chips – Just 1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips is mixed into the popcorn to add some extra chocolate flavor. I usually add more than that, but the amount is totally up to you!
How to make Hot Chocolate Popcorn
PREP THE POPCORN
Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
Place the popcorn and 1 cup marshmallows onto the prepared baking sheet.
Remove about 2 teaspoons of hot chocolate mix and set aside.
MAKE THE SYRUP
In a medium saucepan, add the remaining hot chocolate mix, ½ cup marshmallows, sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring often,and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture, stirring constantly for 4 to 6 minutes.
MIX IT ALL TOGETHER
Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn and marshmallows. Stir until the popcorn is well coated.
Separate the popcorn into individual pieces. Then, sprinkle with the remaining hot chocolate mix, tossing to coat evenly.
Add the remaining marshmallows to the coated popcorn.
MAKE THE DRIZZLE
In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips. Microwave on high for 1 minutes and stir vigorously to allow the candy to continue melting in the residual heat. If needed, heat again in 15-second increments until completely melted, stirring well between each cycle.
Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag and drizzle over the popcorn. Allow the chocolate to set completely prior to serving.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes: This popcorn is a little sticky when serving and may clump together. Just break apart prior to serving. If drier popcorn is desired, prior to adding the final marshmallows and drizzling with chocolate place the popcorn into a 300 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN
Ingredients
- 8 cups freshly popped popcorn
- 1 ¾ cups miniature marshmallows divided
- 1 packet hot chocolate mix divided
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup ½ stick butter
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
- Place the popcorn and 1 cup marshmallows onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Remove about 2 teaspoons of hot chocolate mix and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add the remaining hot chocolate mix, ½ cup marshmallows, sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring often,and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture, stirring constantly for 4 to 6 minutes.
- Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn and marshmallows. Stir until the popcorn is well coated.
- Separate the popcorn into individual pieces. Then, sprinkle with the remaining hot chocolate mix, tossing to coat evenly.
- Add the remaining marshmallows to the coated popcorn.
- In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips. Microwave on high for 1 minutes and stir vigorously to allow the candy to continue melting in the residual heat. If needed, heat again in 15-second increments until completely melted, stirring well between each cycle.
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag and drizzle over the popcorn. Allow the chocolate to set completely prior to serving.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition
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WHAT KIND OF POPCORN DO YOU USE TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN?
You can use microwave popcorn, air-popped popcorn, or you can use my favorite stove-popped popcorn that is made with coconut oil. I haven’t used microwave popcorn in quite a while. At first it was because of the fact that I kept reading things about how it was so bad for you, but then once I started making my own popcorn on the stove, I realized how much better fresh popcorn tastes! If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s so easy and it’s so much yummier too.
HOW DO YOU MAKE POPCORN ON THE STOVE?
I used to just use a large stockpot to make popcorn on the stove (which works great!), but I recently got this popcorn maker and it makes the whole process even easier. The popcorn cooks perfectly every time. To make popcorn on the stove:
- Put 1-2 Tbsp of coconut oil in the stovetop popcorn maker or in your stockpot. If you are using a stockpot, make sure you have a lid!
- Turn the heat on medium high and add about 6-7 “test” kernels to the pot. Put the lid on and wait for the kernels to start popping.
- As soon as the test kernels start popping, you can add the rest of the popcorn kernels. 1/8 cup of popcorn kernels will yield about 4 cups of popped popcorn, so you will want about 1/4 cup of kernels to make 8 cups of popped popcorn. I usually do a little bit extra though, it doesn’t have to be exact!
- Replace the lid and either continuously stir the handle on the stovetop popcorn maker or periodically shake your stockpot to prevent the kernels from settling in one spot and burning. As soon as the popping starts to slow down significantly, remove the pan from heat. That’s it!
WHAT CAN YOU YOU ADD TO HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN?
Popcorn recipes are pretty versatile and it is easy to change them up a little bit! Hot Chocolate Popcorn is made with marshmallows and milk chocolate chips, but I love adding some crushed peppermints as well since I love the taste of peppermint with hot chocolate! Andes Mint baking chips work well too! You could add caramel bits, toffee bits, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, sprinkles, Hot Tamales, crushed candy bars…pretty much anything goes!
HOW DO YOU STORE HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN?
Caramel popcorn can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
LOVE POPCORN? SO DO WE! HERE ARE SOME OTHER POPCORN RECIPES TO TRY!
- Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn
- Caramel Popcorn Cake
- Peanut Butter Popcorn
- Pretty in Pink Popcorn
- Chocolate Popcorn
- Peppermint Popcorn
- Gooey Caramel Popcorn
- Game Day Popcorn Mix
- Halloween Popcorn Mix
- Snickers Peanut Butter Popcorn
- Homemade Stovetop Popcorn
- Easy Microwave Caramel Popcorn
Hot Chocolate Popcorn made with butter, marshmallows and hot cocoa mix. Sweet popcorn recipe that makes the perfect snack for those cold winter days and the rest of the year too!
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