Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Popcorn Recipe
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White Chocolate Popcorn is super snackable, suitable for crowds, and checks all of the boxes for our favorite holiday treats: chocolatey, colorful, and easy to make! That sweet and salty combination is the definition of drool-worthy and keeps you coming back for handful after handful! It’s the perfect sweet treat!
Who says that a popcorn mixture can’t be a sweet treat? Most people think of it as a salt snack, but I think that it’s a huge hit when you add a little bit of sweetness to it.
This fun treat could be a great choice for birthday parties, the Christmas season, or to share with your best friend for movie night.
Friday nights sitting around eating this delicious white chocolate popcorn sounds like the perfect mix to me!
White Chocolate Popcorn
Sometimes I want a sweet that isn’t too sweet, you know? And this is my favorite snack to give for holiday food gifts to my loved ones that lack a sweet tooth!
White chocolate and sea salt work together in the most delicious way. And the texture is out of this world!!
Enjoy this Christmas popcorn gooey and melty or crunchy when cooled.
You know what else tastes great with white chocolate? Peppermint! Try this crockpot candy on for size if you want a little minty treat.
If you prefer some fruity flavors, this fruit jewled white chocolate bark would be perfect!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Oil – I use olive oil, but vegetable or canola work as well. Just add enough to cover the bottom of the pan!
- Corn Kernels – Go with either blue or yellow corn kernels when making white chocolate popcorn.
The difference? Blue corn is sweet with a kettle flavor, while yellow is very common and gives you larger pieces of popcorn. - Fine Grain Sea Salt – Did I surprise you with fine rather than coarse grain sea salt?
Fine grain works its way over all of the popcorn much easier, in my opinion – but coarse grain or flaky work, too, if those are all you have on hand. - White Chocolate – I like to use Ghirardelli white melting wafers for this recipe.
But if you have a favorite white chocolate candy, then please feel free to use that instead so that you can have a popcorn snack you’ll totally love. - Nonpareils – My favorite holiday sprinkles! I especially like them on chocolate covered popcorn because they’re small and don’t impact the texture too much.
Tips for Making A Chocolate Covered Popcorn Snack
- Pick Through the Popcorn – This is good practice for any popcorn, but it’s especially important to go through and remove the burnt bits and leftover kernels before mixing in the chocolate.
Otherwise those pieces will also get coated in chocolate and be hard to distinguish – that would be a nasty surprise! - Fun Add-Ins to Try – This is a holiday treat, right? So why not mix in all sorts of candy?
M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, or bits of peppermint can be mixed right in with the melted chocolate. - Give as a Gift – As far as Christmas food gifts go, white chocolate popcorn is one of the best!
As I describe above, you can mix in the favorite candies of the person you’re gifting to.
Get a cute little bag and prepare the day before – not too far in advance.
This easy treat will quickly become one of your favorite foods during the holiday season when it’s nice and cold outside.
Trust me. The next time that there is snow coming down or the temperature starts to chill, make this easy white chocolate popcorn recipe.
It’s so much better than anything from the grocery store!
Serving and Storing White Chocolate Popcorn
There are two ways to enjoy this popcorn snack! Serve it immediately for a very warm, ooey gooey treat (it’s just as tasty as it is messy!) or chill in the fridge until it totally cools.
They’re almost two different snacks this way, but both are delicious. Maybe try both and see which you like best!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days, either on the countertop or the refrigerator.
White Chocolate Popcorn FAQ
Be sure that you don’t add too much oil to your skillet. Additionally, leave the lid slightly ajar (or use a vented lid) so that you don’t steam the popcorn!
Salt is also important for getting crispy popcorn. Finally, don’t skip the shaking while the kernels cook! That isn’t just a showy kitchen move – it helps to evenly distribute the heat and help all the kernels pop!
It’s really easy with melting wafers! Most of the time you can throw it right in the microwave, heating it in phases and stirring in between. That’s one of the reasons why I recommend using Ghirardelli white chocolate wafers for this recipe… Also, because they’re delicious!
If you’re going with a white chocolate bar or other candy bar, then you might want to try a double boiling method to prevent burning. This involves heating the chocolate with steam from boiling water for a gentler, slower melt.
Either way, you choose, it’s all about controlling the heat and stirring often, so you don’t burn the chocolate!
On its own, popped popcorn can last for a week or two. An airtight container is crucial here to make sure it doesn’t get stale!
Once the melted chocolate is added, though, its shelf-life is drastically shortened. So, if you’re trying to make white chocolate popcorn ahead of time, wait to add the chocolate until that day you serve or gift it!
To make this party favor, follow the simple tips on the recipe card below. Movie night snacks like this can also be great for any special occasion, so have fun with making it.
Once you add the candy coating, sprinkling a little bit of salt on top gives you that salty combo that you’re looking for. I also think that giving bags of popcorn like this would make a super fun Christmas gift, too!
Delicious recipes that take a minimal amount of effort are always on my radar. And simple recipes that are fun to make and taste this good show me that making my own popcorn is always worth the effort. I’ll whip up a batch of this every singe time for spending time with my family on a Friday night!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Christmas Desserts
Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Popcorn Recipe
Equipment
- 12-inch covered skillet, a deep skillet is best
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil, See Notes
- 1 cup corn kernels, blue or yellow, See Notes
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, optional
- 10 Ghirardelli white melting wafers
- 2-3 tablespoons nonpareils
Instructions
- Pour oil into the skillet; Use more if necessary, to coat the bottom. Add the popcorn kernels, and place the lid on the skillet.
- Place over medium-low heat on the stovetop. Shake pan occasionally, until kernels begin to pop, then shake frequently until you can no longer hear kernels popping.
- Remove pan from heat, uncover, and sprinkle popcorn with sea salt and melted butter if desired. Toss to coat.
- Melt the white chocolate wafers according to package instructions.
- Transfer the popcorn to a large serving bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. Drizzle with white chocolate and toss to coat. Sprinkle with nonpareils.
- Enjoy immediately for a warm, gooey treat or allow it to cool completely for the chocolate to harden on the popcorn.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally Published November 2022, updated and republished February 2024
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Do you have a suggestions for bagged popcorn, if it’s okay to use as a substitute for corn kernels?
Ghirardelli white choc wafers aren’t available in Australia.
What is the equivalent weight in white chocolate buttons, please?
I took this popcorn dish to my bee club’s Christmas party last weekend. Everyone loved it! I lightly salted and buttered it and then drizzled on the white chocolate melting wafers and tossed the batch lightly. I then sprinkled on the little red, green, and white cake decoration sprinkles. People absolutely loved it!
Great recipe! I needed to add a lot more chocolate wafers than was called for, but definitely yummy!!
Hi Marilyn!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This popcorn recipe is a winner! so easy to make and utterly delicious. love it! 🍿❤️
Hi Lillian!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This White Chocolate Popcorn recipe is a breeze to make! I added some crushed pretzels for an extra crunch, and it turned out fantastic. A real crowd-pleaser!