Description
This Red Hot Cinnamon Candy Popcorn recipe combines the spicy sweetness of Red Hots candies with crunchy popcorn, coated in a buttery cinnamon candy mixture and drizzled with smooth white chocolate, making it a perfect spicy-sweet snack for parties or cozy nights in.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn Base
- 8 cups popped popcorn
Candy Coating
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 1/3 cups Red Hots candies, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Decoration
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, divided
- Red sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 250° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the popped popcorn evenly in a single layer. Set aside while you prepare the coating.
- Make Candy Coating: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the salt, 1 cup of Red Hots candies, sugar, and light corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking often to combine all ingredients smoothly. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda.
- Coat Popcorn: Pour the hot cinnamon candy mixture evenly over the popcorn on the baking sheet. Lightly toss the popcorn with a spatula or wooden spoon to coat it thoroughly before placing it in the oven.
- Bake and Toss: Bake the coated popcorn in the oven at 250° F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the popcorn again to ensure even coating. Allow the popcorn to cool slightly.
- Melt White Chocolate: Melt 1/2 cup of the white chocolate chips in the microwave according to the package instructions, ensuring it is smooth and free of lumps.
- Drizzle and Decorate: Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the popcorn. Immediately sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of Red Hots candies, 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, and red sprinkles evenly across the top to garnish the popcorn before the chocolate sets.
Notes
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Work quickly when pouring the hot candy coating to ensure even coverage before it hardens.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container to keep popcorn crispy for up to 3 days.
- For extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the candy coating mixture.
- If white chocolate chips are not available, you can substitute with white candy melts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
