Chocolate Covered Popcorn (aka Hot Chocolate Popcorn) is popcorn drizzled with chocolate then tossed with mini marshmallows and sprinkles. It’s one of the easiest recipes you can make with 4 ingredients. Snack on it while watching tv or wrap inside a coffee mug as a thoughtful homemade gift.


Chocolate covered popcorn in a coffee mug


Chocolate covered popcorn is nothing new to me.

I remember when my childhood friend introduced me to it, telling me how her aunt came up with this recipe and we just had to try it.

Of course we were impatient and ended up eating the popcorn before the chocolate hardened, making a mess of our hands and faces.

I’ve also been known to mix in a handful of mini marshmallows with just-popped microwave popcorn. No chocolate; just buttered popcorn and marshmallows.

Sometimes I even throw in M&Ms like I did with my Halloween popcorn and Christmas popcorn.

Seriously – if you haven’t tried sweet and salty popcorn before, you’re totally missing out.

Back when I worked in an office with coworkers, I made chocolate drizzled popcorn as a last minute, affordable gift.

All you have to do is melt chocolate, mix together popcorn and marshmallows, then boom – instant snack gift.

I like to call it hot chocolate popcorn because you often drink thick hot chocolate with marshmallows on top.

That’s what got me thinking to wrap it up in cute treat bags, stick in festive holiday mugs, and give as the most thoughtful homemade winter gift ever.

You can also keep your chocolate drizzled popcorn for yourself to eat while watching your favorite tv show.


Hot chocolate popcorn in a treat bag as a gift

Ingredients For Chocolate Covered Popcorn

Making your chocolate covered popcorn recipe only needs 4 ingredients:

  • Popcorn: Whether you pop it yourself or use microwave popcorn, make sure it’s generously salted as it’ll balance the sugar.
  • Mini marshmallows: Tastes great with the chocolate.
  • Baking chocolate: Use semisweet or dark chocolate that’s ideal for melting.
  • Sprinkles: The easiest way to add some festive color for any holiday

How To Make Stovetop Popcorn

If you’re popping your own popcorn, it’s super easy to make on the stove! Here’s how to pop popcorn:

  1. Add oil and kernels to a large wide pot then shake the pan until coated.
  2. Turn on the heat, shaking the pan every so often so the kernels move around a bit. Once you hear popping, add a lid.
  3. Turn the heat down to low while the kernels finish popping. Once the sound stops, turn off the heat and let it sit 1 minute for any late poppers.
  4. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl, removing any unpopped or hard to eat pieces. Add a generous amount of salt and toss to coat.

Chocolate drizzled popcorn in a white mug

How To Make Chocolate Covered Popcorn

Before you start making your candy corn popcorn, have everything measured and ready to go as you’ll want to mix everything together while the chocolate is still hot:

  1. Melt the chocolate then drizzle half onto parchment paper.
  2. Add popcorn and marshmallows on top, gently pressing them into the chocolate so they’ll stick.
  3. Drizzle the remaining chocolate on top then add sprinkles.
  4. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes. Break it into bite-sized pieces then serve.

Chocolate covered popcorn in a white mug on a plate

Chocolate Covered Popcorn FAQ

How long does chocolate covered popcorn last?

It’s best eaten the same day it’s made, but you can store it at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. You can refrigerate it if the chocolate starts to melt but the popcorn may lose its freshness faster.

Can you make hot chocolate popcorn ahead of time?

If you’re giving chocolate popcorn as gifts, you can make them 1 day ahead of time. That way it’s still fresh for your recipient.

How do I prevent chocolate from clumping during melting?

To avoid clumping, chop the chocolate into small, uniform pieces and stir often while melting.

More Popcorn Recipes

Looking for more popcorn ideas? Or perhaps you want a different flavor to give away? Check out these easy popcorn recipes:

Chocolate drizzled popcorn in a white mug

Chocolate Covered Popcorn

Yield: 3 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Chocolate Covered Popcorn (aka Hot Chocolate Popcorn) is popcorn drizzled with chocolate then tossed with mini marshmallows and sprinkles. It’s one of the easiest recipes you can make with 4 ingredients. Snack on it while watching tv or wrap inside a coffee mug as a thoughtful homemade gift.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3 cups salted popcorn
  • 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
  • Sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Fill a medium pan with about an inch of water then bring to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat all the way down to low.
  3. Add chocolate to a heatproof bowl larger than your pan then place over the water (the bowl should not be touching the water - the steam will melt the chocolate). Stir with a rubber spatula until completely melted.
  4. Drizzle half of the chocolate onto the parchment paper. Add the popcorn and marshmallows in a single layer, gently pressing into the chocolate.
  5. Drizzle the remaining chocolate on top then add sprinkles. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes. Break it into bite-sized pieces then serve.

    Popcorn is best eaten the day it's made but can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can refrigerate if the chocolate starts to melt but popcorn may lose its freshness faster.

To make popcorn on the stove:

  1. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a Dutch oven or similar wide pot. Add 2 tablespoons unpopped kernels and shake the pan until coated.
  2. Turn on the heat. Shake the pan every so often so the kernels move around a bit. Once you hear popping, add a lid.
  3. Turn the heat down to low while the kernels finish popping. Once the sound stops, turn off the heat and let it sit 1 minute for any late poppers.
  4. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl, removing any unpopped or hard to eat pieces. Add a generous amount of salt and toss to coat.

Notes

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First published December 3, 2013