HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN

Hot Chocolate Popcorn is a delightful treat that combines the comforting flavors of hot cocoa with the crunchiness of popcorn. With just a few ingredients like popped popcorn, marshmallows, and hot chocolate mix, anyone can create this indulgent candied popcorn!

What makes hot chocolate popcorn unique is its combination of flavors and textures. The sweet coating pairs perfectly with the light and airy popcorn. The addition of miniature marshmallows and chocolate drizzle enhance the overall taste, providing that classic hot chocolate flavor in each bite.

A tasty & fun movie night snack your family will love!

Hot chocolate popcorn is a unique treat that combines familiar flavors in a fun way. It’s an easy snack that appeals to both kids and adults during movie nights.

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!

Why you’ll love this Easy Popcorn Recipe

• Amazing taste. This hot chocolate popcorn recipe offers a delightful blend of flavors. The combination of sweet, chocolatey, and marshmallow elements creates a comforting treat. Incorporating hot chocolate mix further enhances the chocolate flavor, making it indulgent.
• Simple steps. Preparation is straightforward. With just a few steps and minimal ingredients, this treat is accessible for everyone.
• Great any time! This dessert recipe is versatile too. This popcorn works well for movie nights, parties, or as a cozy snack with the family!

HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN INGREDIENTS

Popcorn: You need about 8 cups of popped popcorn. This is between ¼-⅓ cup of popcorn kernels or about 2 bags of microwave popcorn.

Marshmallows: Use 1 ¾ cups of miniature marshmallows. ½ cup of the marshmallows will be used to coat the popcorn, the rest is added after the popcorn is coated.

Hot chocolate mix: This 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 ½ tablespoons.

Sugar: Just ¼ cup of sugar will help to sweeten the popcorn up!

Butter: You need ¼ cup of butter (half stick) to melt with the other ingredients.

Corn syrup: Use ¼ cup light corn syrup to thicken up the mixture.

Milk chocolate chips: A ¼ cup of milk chocolate chips is mixed into the popcorn to add some extra chocolate flavor.

How to make Hot Chocolate Popcorn

Prep

The popcorn needs to be popped, accomplish this in the microwave or on the stovetop, depending on your preferred method. Once cooked, transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Also measure out 1 cup of the mini marshmallows and add them to the cooked popcorn on the pan.

Remove about 2 teaspoons of the hot chocolate mix from the packet and set it aside. 

Candy coating

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 it constantly for about 4 to 6 minutes. 

Assemble

Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn and marshmallows, stir until the popcorn is well coated. Then sprinkle the popcorn with the remaining hot chocolate mix, tossing to coat evenly.

Chocolate drizzle

In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips, then microwave on high for 1 minute and stir vigorously to allow the candy to continue melting in the residual heat. If needed, heat again in 15-second increments until it’s 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. Serve & enjoy!

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. 

HOW DO YOU STORE HOT CHOCOLATE POPCORN?

Candy-coated popcorn can last up to 1 week when stored properly. To maintain freshness, it should be kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Avoid exposure to moisture, as this can make the popcorn chewy.

Freezing candied popcorn is not recommended. The texture may change after thawing, resulting in less crunchy popcorn. If necessary, store it in an airtight container at room temperature instead.

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:

1. 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!
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. 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!

HERE ARE SOME OTHER POPCORN RECIPES TO TRY!

• Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn
• Caramel Popcorn Cake
• S’mores Popcorn
• Pumpkin Spice Caramel Popcorn
• Peanut Butter Popcorn
• Cinnamon Popcorn
• Pretty in Pink Popcorn
• Chocolate Popcorn
• Old Fashioned Pink Popcorn
• Peppermint Popcorn
• Gooey Caramel Popcorn
• Better Than 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. This candied popcorn makes the perfect snack for those cold winter days and the rest of the year too!