If you are looking for a festive snack that kids will love, and that is great for feeding a crowd, then try this Christmas Popcorn. Full of all the best festive flavours, easy to adapt and ready in just 10 minutes. Popped corn smothered in a sweet and buttery chocolate sauce with hints of orange, ginger and cinnamon.
Christmas Popcorn
Snacks don’t tend to get given a lot of thought at Christmas time, because there is so much other food to think about with the turkey, side dishes and desserts. However if you have guests staying, you might be looking for snacks to keep them topped up until the next meal time, especially if there are kids around.
This Christmas Popcorn is so easy, so you don’t need to spend any extra time in the kitchen. Just pop the corn and coat it in this really easy sauce. It’s easy to adapt to change it up with your own personal favourite Christmas flavours.
Why should you try it?
✔ The perfect Christmas snack
✔ Easy to adapt
✔ Ready in just 10 minutes
✔ Keeps for 2-3 days
Popcorn Flavours
The great thing about this is that you can use this as a base recipe and then change it up to suit your own tastes. Don’t like cinnamon? Leave it out and use more ginger, or use them both out and have it as chocolate orange popcorn.
You could add a pinch of cayenne if you like a kick to your popcorn. You could also swap the cocoa powder for melted chocolate, although it will give the popcorn a harder coating.
If we are making this for a lot of people, and we want to bulk it out a little (and make it more colourful), then we add some M&Ms, mini marshmallows and cranberries to it – kids love that. We have even put unicorn sprinkles in ours before.
Stick some candy canes in the popcorn once in the bowl for decoration and even more of a festive vibe.
Homemade Christmas Gift
I love a homemade Christmas gift. Not only does it save money, it saves buying someone something they probably don’t want or will use and it shows that you have put some thought and love in to it too.
Everyone loves edible gifts, right? If you put this cinnamon popcorn in nice presentation bags/boxes, they would make lovely gifts for neighbours, teachers and friends. We always put a bag in food hampers that we make up for people.
Christmas Eve Movie Night
Our new Christmas Eve tradition is Christmas films in the afternoon with Snowman Hot Chocolates, a big bowl of this popcorn and Gingerbread Cupcakes.
We then all make individual Christmas Tree Pizzas before settling down in our new PJs to watch more films and open our Christmas Eve boxes.
We have even left some out for Santa in the past. I am sure he gets bored of cookies and mince pies after the 100th house. Why not make this Christmas popcorn part of your own Christmas Eve traditions.
How To Store Christmas Popcorn
You can keep this popcorn in an air tight container for 2-3 days, any longer and it will affect the texture of the popcorn because of the coating on it.
However, if you end up making too much of this cinnamon popcorn, put some aside before you coat it and that will keep in an air tight container for a week or so and then you can add the flavours fresh when you are ready to eat it.
Extra Tips:
- Feel free to get creative with the extra ingredients. Add as many colours and sprinkles as you like – this popcorn is meant to be fun and a little crazy.
- If you want to try a different flavour, swap the orange zest for some peppermint extract to make chocolate peppermint popcorn.
- Make these in to lovely homemade gifts by wrapping in cellophane bags (or eco-friendly alternatives) and wrapping with some festive ribbon.
- If you want to store this for more than a day and make it in advance, don’t put the coating on it right away. Store the plain popcorn in an air tight container or zip lock bag and then put the coating on it when you are ready to eat it.
How To Make Christmas Popcorn – Step by Step:
One: Put the oil and corn in a large heavy pan with a lid on and put on a medium heat. After a few minutes, the corn will start to pop. Shake it every now and then to stop the corn burning to the pan. The popping will then start slowing down to every few seconds, rather than constant. Once it slows down to every 5-10 seconds, take it off the heat and tip in to a large bowl (to stop it from cooking).
Two: In a saucepan, add the butter and golden syrup and melt.
Three: Take off the heat and stir in the cocoa powder, orange zest, cinnamon and ginger.
Four: Pour the mixture over the popcorn and mix well.
Why not try some of our other Christmas recipes:
Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
Christmas Chutney
Santa Hat Brownies
Christmas Snowman Hot Chocolate
Christmas Pasta Bake
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DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓
Christmas Popcorn
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 80 g corn kernels
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 orange zest only
- 0.5 tsp ginger
- 0.5 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Put the oil and corn in a large heavy pan with a lid on and put on a medium heat. After a few minutes, the corn will start to pop. Shake it every now and then to stop the corn burning to the pan. The popping will then start slowing down to every few seconds, rather than constant. Once it slows down to every 5-10 seconds, take it off the heat and tip in to a large bowl (to stop it from cooking).
- In a saucepan, add the butter and golden syrup and melt.
- Take off the heat and stir in the cocoa powder, orange zest, cinnamon and ginger.
- Pour the mixture over the popcorn and mix well.
Notes
- Feel free to get creative with the extra ingredients. Add as many colours and sprinkles as you like - this popcorn is meant to be fun and a little crazy.
- If you want to try a different flavour, swap the orange zest for some peppermint extract to make chocolate peppermint popcorn.
- Make these in to lovely homemade gifts by wrapping in cellophane bags (or eco-friendly alternatives) and wrapping with some festive ribbon.
- If you want to store this for more than a day and make it in advance, don't put the coating on it right away. Store the plain popcorn in an air tight container or zip lock bag and then put the coating on it when you are ready to eat it.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
Now this is what I’m talking about! I love snacking on popcorn and this is such an unusual twist. Love the flavor combo!
Julie Weddell says
What is “golden syrup”?
Dannii says
Golden syrup or light treacle is a thick amber-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup made in the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid. It is used in a variety of baking recipes and desserts.
Jill says
I love making homemade popcorn. This sounds like a terrific flavor combination!
Jo Allison says
Wow! This popcorn sounds divine Dannii! Perfect little indulgence and it will make such a delicious snack for our holiday movie sessions. Love it!
Kushigalu says
What a great recipe to try this Christmas. So delicious.