Sweet and salty, for some, is a perfect match—it checks off all the boxes and satisfies your cravings. This salted chocolate popcorn trail mix is simple to make and free of gluten and dairy. Not to mention an extremely delicious and healthy snack.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup jumbo popcorn kernels
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate (I used about a quarter of a dark chocolate bar)
- 1 teaspoon butter (or try coconut oil for dairy free and vegan option)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (a couple good grinds of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt)
- 1/4 cup chopped raw or roasted almonds (or any seed or nut of your choice)
- 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (mini or regular, dark or milk chocolate – your choice)
- 2 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut (or other dried fruit)
Instructions:
- Add corn kernels to a standard lunch-size brown paper bag and fold the top of the bag over twice, pressing the fold tightly so the bag stays closed.
- Microwave the paper bag for 2 minutes or until there is a 5 second pause between pops. Remove the bag from the microwave, transfer the popcorn to a baking sheet immediately.
- Smooth the popcorn into an even layer and remove separate out all the un-popped kernels. Set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe dish, add butter and chocolate then microwave for 30 seconds, stirring once at 15 seconds or so. Remove from microwave and continue to stir until the chocolate has completely melted.
- Using a spoon or a small spatula, drizzle the chocolate over top of the popcorn. (Take a spoonful of the melted chocolate and quickly swing the spoon back and forth over the popcorn. Repeat until all the chocolate is used.)
- Sprinkle the chocolatey popcorn with sea salt. (I use 3 good grinds of my salt mill or you can measure out about 1/4 teaspoon.)
- Transfer the popcorn to the freezer for 10 minutes. (And only 10 minutes! This helps the chocolate harden quicker without making the popcorn overly stale.)
- Remove the popcorn from the freezer and add the nuts, chocolate and coconut the pan (or whichever add-ins you are using) and gently toss to combine with your hands or a spoon.
- Serve immediately or within a couple of hours to avoid the popcorn tasting spongy and stale.
Nutritional information uses 6 cups of popcorn, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and raw almonds.
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