Let’s give caramel corn a break – update this sticky snack with hard to resist Peanut Butter White Chocolate Popcorn!
Do you ever have those moments when no matter how hard or how often you try, you just can’t get something right? That’s kind of how I am with cutesy or typical fun food, no matter how hard I try, I can’t make things happen.
Two Holiday Halloween Food Parties in a row, two attempts at popcorn balls, two failures. I’m pretty sure it has to do with my desire to use the least amount of highly processed ingredients as I can but still is it really that difficult to get popcorn balls to stay together?
I don’t think it is.
All I was trying to do was take that random popcorn ball found in my trick-or-treat basket from when I was a kid and give it a more modern and tastier take on it. Because let’s be perfectly honest, the one random house that always handed them managed to give you the stalest popcorn snack possible.
Thanks to a fun delivery from my friends at Peanut Butter & Co last month, picking peanut butter as the flavor for this popcorn was an easy choice. I love dipping pretzels into the White Chocolate Wonderful and figured it’d make a great addition to popcorn with a little extra white chocolate drizzled on top.
After the popcorn balls refused to ball, I then laid everything out hoping to turn it into popcorn brittle. Can you guess what happened next? Nothing, the popcorn stayed sticky and loose. Okay, things are still tasting good and I wasn’t about to waste my precious peanut butter (this is what happens when you can’t eat it for a month). So a decision was made to make your life easier by just tossing this peanut buttery, white chocolate glazed popcorn in a bowl and call it a day!
It’s the perfect snack for any Halloween party, plus it can get bagged up easily as treats to take home.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (sunflower/safflower/grapeseed)
- 1/2 cup organic/gmo-free popcorn kernels
- 1 cup white chocolate peanut butter (such as Peanut Butter & Co.)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup agave syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 ounces white chocolate, melted
Instructions
- In a 4 quart stock pot heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers, add the popcorn and cover immediately.
- Very carefully shake the pot around to coat the kernels and keep them heated evenly. After a minute or two they should start popping. Continue to shake the pot until it stops popping.
- Pour the popcorn into a large mixing bowl, removing any unpopped kernels.
- Alternatively, you can pop your popcorn using an air popper if you have one.
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat combine the peanut butter, honey, agave syrup and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until the peanut butter is a pourable consistency. Pour over the popcorn and coat completely.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the popcorn in a flat even layer.
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler.
- Drizzle the white chocolate over the popcorn and let sit at room temperature for an hour or two until it sets.
- Transfer the popcorn to a serving bowl or an airtight container to store.
- Popcorn is best if served the same day or day after it is made.
- Makes about 5-6 cups of popcorn.
Now let’s take a look at the rest of the Halloween recipes my Holiday Food Party blogger friends have created for you today!
- Mini Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecakes from Chocolate Moosey
- Liquid Ghost Halloween Cocktail from Pineapple and Coconut
- Peanut Butter White Chocolate Popcorn from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Nutty Peanut Buttery Caramel Apples from Hungry Couple
- Creepy Crawly Coffee Cake from gotta get baked
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
- Baked Chocolate Donuts with Pumpkin Bourbon Glaze from Crumb
- Count Chocula Peanut Butter Marshmallow Treats from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Devil’s Wing Sauce from Magnolia Days
- Spider Web Cookie Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Disclaimer: I was provided with free samples of peanut butter from Peanut Butter &Co., all opinions stated are my own and thank you for allowing me to support the brands that I love.
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Oh, my gosh, Susan!! You MUST put this on your shop’s menu…I would happily replace any meal and gorge on your amazing popcorn!!!
I declare this to be the best popcorn ever. I want it in my mouth now.
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omigosh pb and co flavors for popcorn is BRILLIANT!!! Yours looks amazing!
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I’m too impatient to make popcorn balls, so I think peanut butter popcorn in a bowl is quite perfect.
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I wish I had a massive bowl of this popcorn to devour right now.. it looks incredible!
Ball, schmall. I’ll take this just the way it is. And since I have the PB, I think I need to go get some popcorn today.
I’d rather have the loose popcorn instead of the balls anyway. Nice to see the peanut butter flavor too.
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Fuggedabout a ball or a bowl – just pour all of your peanut buttery popcorn into a feed bag and tie it to my face. This looks absolutely delicious!
I made popcorn balls once and they were a majorly sticky mess. Never again. I am all for a tasty popcorn recipe like this one, in a giant bowl so I can shovel it in like there is no tomorrow. ha ha ha ha
See clearly it isn’t worth the effort of making popcorn balls!
Yes, puleeeeesseeee let’s give caramel corn a rest. This is a MUCH better alternative. Much much much better.
This is totally my kind of snack, Susan! And I’ve been DYING to try PB&Co. for forever now, it’s so lucky that you got to work with them, because they sound like an absolutely amazing group! Cheers for this, I’ll be sharing this snack idea everywhere now!
Oh, who need balls. I’d rather just shovel in fistfulls!!
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This looks totally legit! I’m so glad you shared them even though they didn’t form a ball. Peanut butter + white chocolate is a dangerous combo.
This looks totally legit! I’m so glad you shared them even though they didn’t form a ball. Peanut butter + white chocolate is a dangerous combo.
I could just sit and slowly devour this. White chocolate and peanut butter are a great combo!
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