Sweet and Crunchy Popcorn Treat
Growing up I was a huge fan of Cracker Jacks. While it’s been years since I’ve struggled to open (it was tough, right?) a box and then rifled through it looking for the novelty “prize” inside, I still crave the idea of a sweet and crunchy popcorn treat.
Ultimate Popcorn Clusters with Chocolate Drizzle
This is it… a recipe for Cracker Jacks, all grown up. Wholesome, packed with nutritious seeds and almonds. No heavily processed sugars and corn syrup. Home made, delicious, easy to prepare, this really is the ultimate snack! Watch this video to see how I make them.
Party-time
I’ve served this at a party. Just put it on the table in front of your guests and you will wow them for sure. “What is this?” “Oh my…this is amazing.” “So delicious.” Whenever I serve it, people rave. Humans love crunchy, sweet and salty food and these Ultimate Popcorn Clusters with Chocolate Drizzle totally hit the mark!
Method for Popping the Pop Corn
The Ultimate Popcorn Clusters with Chocolate Drizzle recipe calls for 10 cups of popped popcorn. That’s 1/2 cup of un-popped kernels. My favorite method for popping the popcorn is to use a silicone popcorn popper, You can find the one I have here.
Timing Varies
I put the kernels in the popper. Cover it. Then I microwave for 2 minutes and 45 seconds. I didn’t include this timing in the recipe. After trial and error I have found this is just the right amount of time to pop just about all of the kernels without burning any. Too much time and they do burn a bit.
Different microwaves vary in power. So try yours out, if new to a silicone popper, and see what time works best for you.
The Chocolate Drizzle
There are a few things to know about the Chocolate Drizzle. First of all, use a non-dairy chocolate chip for this fully plant-based popcorn treat. My favorite brand of chocolate chips is this one from Guittard. More and more companies are making a dairy free chocolate chip. Trader Joe’s has a very good one if you happen to have one of their stores nearby.
Chose Your Method
Again, the recipe calls for using a microwave but you could definitely melt the chocolate over a double boiler. If using a microwave, heat for short periods of time and then give the chocolate coconut oil mixture a stir. Repeat until melted keeping in mind that it will continue to heat once removed and you don’t want to overcook/burn the chocolate. I would give you a time here, but again this will vary depending on the power of your microwave.
Drizzling the Chocolate
Use a fork to drizzle the chocolate. Dip it into the melted chocolate and then flick your wrist over the Ultimate Popcorn Clusters to create a drizzle. Think Jackson Pollock…this video might help.
Nuts and Seeds
Use any combination of nuts and seeds you would like..pistachios, peanuts, pecans or pine nuts would be a delicious option. The recipe calls for 1 cup + 6 tablespoons – so mix it up and use what you like in that quantity.
Nutritional Powerhouses
The addition of nuts and seeds makes this Ultimate Popcorn Clusters with Chocolate Drizzle recipe a healthy snack. They tend to be a good source of plant-protein and free from dietary cholesterol.
Nuts and seeds are high in dietary fiber. This is an important component of a healthy diet – and one that many of us don’t get enough of. Dietary fiber helps to minimize our risk for chronic disease such as Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease.
Additionally, nuts and seeds are rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Chocolate Dessert Lover
If you are a chocolate dessert lover, try this crowd-pleasing vegan Chocolate Mousse or these amazing Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins. They are both Beantown Kitchen favorites!
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Enjoy!
Ultimate Popcorn Clusters with Chocolate Drizzle
As a child, I was a huge fan of Cracker Jacks. While it’s been years since I’ve struggled to open a box (it was tough, right?) and then rifled through it looking for the novelty “prize” inside, I still crave the idea of a sweet and crunchy popcorn treat. This is it – a recipe for Cracker Jacks, all grown up. Packed with wholesome and nutritious seeds and almonds. No heavily processed sugars or corn syrup. Homemade, delicious, and easy to prepare, this really is the ultimate snack!
- 10 cups popped popcorn from about ⅓ cup kernels
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup slivered or sliced almonds
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips I find the Guittard brand of chocolate melts particularly well
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
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Pop the popcorn using your method of choice. I use a collapsible silicone popper, without oil, in the microwave.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the popcorn, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds. Pour the maple syrup and salt over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
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Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to toss the popcorn so that the outer pieces are moved to the center and vice versa. Bake for an additional 6 minutes. The popcorn will be a bit moist and soft, but will dry and harden as it cools.
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Microwave the chocolate chips in a small bowl, stopping frequently to stir the chocolate until mostly melted with just a few small chips remaining. These will melt as you continue stirring. Cooking times will vary depending on the power of your microwave.
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Dip a fork into the chocolate and get creative drizzling it on top of the cooled popcorn clusters. The chocolate will harden at room temperature or, to speed up this process, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator.
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Once cooled, lift the popcorn off the baking sheet and break into bite-sized clusters. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Use any combination of nuts and seeds you like amounting to 1⅓ cups.