Recipe

2 Sweet and Salty Popcorn Recipes That Look Fancy But Are Dirt Cheap

By Shannon Herlihy at Florida State University

There's one thing about the holiday season that seems to resonate with everyone—the sudden need for munchies. Something about falling leaves, carved pumpkins, and a comforting (though, admittedly strange) pine tree appearing in your living room demands some serious snacking. What's a more fitting taste sensation for end-of-the-year festivities than the ultimate mix of sweet and salty? And who's a better "salty" friend than popcorn? I'll wait. 

After venturing into Facebook video galore, my roommate and I discovered the best popcorn recipe to fulfill our desperate desire for holiday eats: S'mores style. With all the leftover, unused popcorn, I decided to attack my own sweet and salty creations.

1. Triple Chocolate Dream

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 bag popcorn
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Step 1

Pop your popcorn! Although it seems tedious, try to remove all the stray un-popped kernels before pouring the popcorn into a bowl; you'll thank me later when you're not biting down into a hard, tooth-cracking shell disguised as chocolate.

Shannon Herlihy

Step 2

Pour the milk chocolate morsels into a microwaveable bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, pausing to stir and make sure it's not burning. Do this about three times for a total of 1:30 minutes.

Shannon Herlihy

Step 3

Pour the melted chocolate over your popcorn. Mix the gooey, melted goodness into the popcorn gently until it's evenly spread.

Shannon Herlihy

Step 4

Repeat the above steps with both the white chocolate and the dark chocolate.

Step 5

When complete, pop the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes to harden the chocolate and let the scrumptious mess settle. Enjoy!

Shannon Herlihy

2. Caramel Apple Popcorn

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Servings: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 bag popcorn
  • 11 oz. bag individually wrapped caramels
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 bag freeze-dried apple slices

Step 1

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and pour your popped popcorn into the pan.

Shannon Herlihy

Step 2

Add 2 tbsps of water and the entire bag of unwrapped caramels to a saucepan. Heat over low to medium heat, and stir the caramel constantly. After 5-10 mins, the caramel will reach the perfect consistency for pouring.

Shannon Herlihy

Step 3

Pour melted caramel over popcorn. Sprinkle cinnamon over popcorn, and add apple chips.

Shannon Herlihy

With the impending stress of the holiday season approaching, it's important to sit back, relax, and enjoy the little things—especially sweet and salty munchies.