Today I’m going to show you how to make white chocolate popcorn with optional freeze-dried strawberries. It’s a fun, satisfying snack that’s perfect for after school or any kind of gathering. You only need 5 ingredients- you and your family are going to love it.
This recipe was one of those spur-of-the-moment things.
We needed a snack for poetry tea time and the kids asked for popcorn. I love to keep organic popcorn on hand along with our air popper.
We have a little stockpile of freeze-dried strawberries thanks to a sale at Aldi (I put them in our homemade granola, so good btw). I was thinking how yummy those would be mixed into popcorn with a little white chocolate drizzle.
Then I remembered my mother-in-law had just given me a bar along with some other baking ingredients she wasn’t going to use. So my toddler and I whipped some up and it was an instant hit.
We also had so much fun making it.
This would be a great recipe to get your kids involved with. It’s super simple, it’s customizable, and there’s not a whole lot you can do to mess it up.
Let little hands pour in the popcorn kernels, drizzle the melted chocolate, and sprinkle on the strawberries.
Kids love having some ownership in the foods they eat. And if my wild 2-year old and I can do it, I know you can!
Keep reading to find out how to make this recipe and print it out below.
How To Make White Chocolate Popcorn
- Set up a double-boiler. If you don’t have an actual double boiler, you can use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Just make sure the bowl doesn’t sit all the way down into the pan- you don’t want the water touching the bottom (you can also just melt your chocolate in the microwave if you prefer- 30 seconds, stir, 10 seconds, stir, 10 seconds, stir, until it’s melted and smooth).
- Melt 4 oz. of white chocolate. You can use chips, a baking bar, or a gourmet chocolate bar (we love Green & Black’s organic white chocolate with Madagascar vanilla bean).
- Air pop your popcorn. 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels was a good amount for us. You can also use another method if you prefer.
- Optional: toss your popcorn with a little avocado oil (or another neutral oil) and sprinkle with sea salt, if you like sweet and salty. I think it helped balance out the sweetness perfectly.
- Drizzle your white chocolate over popcorn with a fork. You can also add popcorn to individual bowls first.
- Last, break your freeze-dried strawberries up with your hands a bit and sprinkle over white chocolate. They will stick to the white chocolate and make a delicious combination. Enjoy 🙂
I’m not always the biggest fan of white chocolate, but with the hint of saltiness and slightly tart strawberries, this made for a very enjoyable afternoon treat.
Variations and Substitutions for White Chocolate Popcorn
- Don’t have freeze-dried strawberries? You can omit them or try sprinkles for a colorful substitution.
- Instead of white chocolate, dark chocolate would be delicious.
- Or try white AND dark for a decadent, zebra-striped take.
- Add in Unreal Milk Chocolate Gems for a healthy M&M’s alternative.
- White chocolate popcorn with those little Gold’s brand pretzel balls would be incredible.
- Panda Puffs or another healthier cereal would be so fun for kids!
- Peanuts, pistachios or cashews would really bring out the salty-sweet flavor.
- And of course, just plain white chocolate popcorn is great on it’s own!
What add-ins do you love to throw into homemade popcorn? My kids and their friends always want to make “a mix”, as they call it, for movie nights 🙂
Tips and Tricks
- This could easily be a make-ahead treat. Follow the recipe, but then pour your popcorn onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the white chocolate and allow it to set, then put it into an airtight container so it doesn’t get stale. You want to let it set up so it doesn’t become soggy in the container.
- Air-popped or stovetop popcorn will work best here as the buttery substance on microwave popcorn might become greasy with the white chocolate.
- I highly recommend adding the salt as it not only keeps the popcorn from being bland, but also gives some balance to the flavor.
- If you want a thin, even distribution of white chocolate, pour it into a plastic baggy with the corner barely snipped, or a piping bag first.
- Add your add-ins after the white chocolate drizzle so they’ll stick to the chocolate and stay distributed. Otherwise they might all sink to the bottom.
Is Popcorn Good For You?
Yes! Popcorn is an unprocessed, whole grain. It’s full of fiber, and also contains small amounts of niacin, iron and magnesium, even some B vitamins!
Popcorn is also a filling, inexpensive snack.
Even organic popcorn is relatively inexpensive and easy to come by. Adding things like grass-fed butter, avocado oil, and mineral salt only adds health benefits.
We get our organic multi-colored popcorn from Azure Standard. But you can easily find organic popcorn at places like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme, Amazon, even Walmart!
I think popcorn is great alternative to those easy-to-reach for but not-so-healthy snacks, like chips.
I also love that you’re in control of all the ingredients, unlike with microwave popcorn.
Grab your printable recipe and make this White Chocolate Popcorn today!
If you liked this post, I think you’d enjoy my post all about gelatin gummies. There as easy to make as this popcorn recipe (maybe easier!) and they’re another fun snack you and your kids will love.
Pin this one for later!
White Chocolate Popcorn with Strawberries
Sweet and salty with a hint of tartness from freeze-dried strawberries. This recipe is super easy and comes together in just a few minutes. A satisfying, delicious snack you and your family will love- and so pretty, too!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup un-popped popcorn kernels
- 4 oz. white chocolate
- 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries (optional)
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil (melted butter or coconut oil work too)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Set up a double-boiler. If you don't have an actual double boiler, you can use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of water. Just make sure the bowl doesn't sit all the way down into the pan- you don't want the water touching the bottom (you can also just melt your chocolate in the microwave if you prefer- 30 seconds, stir, 10 seconds, stir, 10 seconds, stir, until it's melted and smooth).
- Melt 4 oz. of white chocolate, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, and keeping a close eye on it so it doesn't burn or seize up. You can use chips, a baking bar or a gourmet chocolate bar (we love Green & Black's organic white chocolate with Madagascar vanilla bean).
- Air pop your popcorn (you can also use another method if you prefer).
- Optional: toss your popcorn with a little avocado oil (or another neutral oil) and sprinkle with sea salt, if you like sweet and salty. I think it helps balance out the sweetness perfectly.
- Drizzle your white chocolate all over the popcorn with a fork. You can also add popcorn to individual bowls first.
- Last, break your freeze-dried strawberries up with your hands a bit and sprinkle over the white chocolate. They will stick to the white chocolate and make a delicious combination. Enjoy 🙂
Notes
See full blog post for more details and pictures.
For the double boiler, fill only a third or half way with water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a low boil. Keep on medium or medium low heat, making sure the water doesn't boil up to touch the bottom of the bowl.
Don’t forget to leave me a comment and tell me what you made it for! Movie night? Picnic? Potluck? I’d really love to know 🙂
And if you did like it, why not leave a 5-Star review? Comments and reviews help bloggers out more than you know.
Thanks for stopping by,
-Tara
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