Peanut butter & chocolate popcorn (vegan)

Who can resist the smell of popcorn?

Once its unmistakable fragrance is in the air, forget about it.

The only scent that could rival it is chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies…

Those irresistible scents & flavors come together in peanut butter & chocolate popcorn.

There’s a delicious mix of sweet, salty, nutty, and chocolaty.

Is it dessert or is it a snack?

One thing is for certain – you can’t have just one handful!

I’ve made this recipe for parties. And there’s never any to take home afterwards!

In this post:

This peanut butter chocolate popcorn recipe is from DIY Vegan, a cookbook by Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman.

As the name suggests, DIY Vegan focuses on making staples from scratch.

There are recipes for cereal and granola, crackers, croutons, chips, jams, non-dairy milks, and cheeses.

In the long-term it’s often cheaper to go homemade. And you avoid needless packaging and preservatives.

So while you could buy a metal tub of flavored popcorn, it’s easy to make your own.

Plus, this recipe is entirely vegan & gluten-free – something not widely available at popcorn sellers in the mall.

Coconut oil: This high heat oil is used to pop the popcorn & to liquify the peanut butter mixture.

If you’d prefer, you can replace the popping oil with another high heat oil like avocado oil. Or you can pop it in an air popper without oil.

For the peanut butter mixture, it can be replaced with melted non-dairy butter like Earth Balance. Since vegan butter is salty, reduce the amount of salt elsewhere in the recipe.

Popcorn kernels: Look for popcorn kernels sold near the snack aisle of the grocery store or online.

You’ll want unpopped popcorn, like you might use in an air popper.

Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter is best here.

Ideally it should be made with one or two ingredients: peanuts & maybe salt. Avoid brands with added oils & preservatives.

Maple syrup: Maybe syrup adds sweetness. It can be replaced with agave syrup.

Sea salt: A pinch of salt brings it all together.

Vanilla extract: This fills out the dessert flavor.

Dairy-free chocolate: Use your preferred dairy-free chocolate. Or use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.

Many brands are accidentally vegan. Just read the ingredient label. I often buy them at Trader Joe’s.

Pop popcorn on the stove in a large pot with coconut oil.

Cover & shake regularly until the popping slows.

Then pour the popcorn into a large bowl.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Then drizzle it over the cooling popcorn.

Transfer it to the refrigerator to finish cooling.

You can make this recipe your own by varying the ingredients and cooking methods.

• Instead of cooking popcorn on the stove, use an air popper or microwave.
• If you’re not a fan of coconut oil, replace the popping oil with avocado oil. Then use 2 Tablespoons of non-dairy butter in the peanut sauce instead of coconut oil. (Reduce the amount of salt in the recipe if you’re using vegan butter.)
• Maple syrup can be replaced with an equal amount of agave syrup.
• Use the microwave to melt the chocolate instead of a double boiler. Simply microwave the chocolate chips for about 50 seconds. Stop once halfway through to stir. It may look like the chocolate chips aren’t melted yet. But once you start stirring, you’ll see it happen before your eyes.
• This recipe is also terrific for handmade holiday and birthday gifts. Simply pour it into a cellophane bag, and tie it with a ribbon.

During cool times of the year, you can keep the popcorn stored in a sealed storage bag on the counter or cupboard.

It will keep for up to a week.

If the temperature is very warm in your home, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator.

The chocolate can get a little melty when it’s overly toasty.

📖 Recipe

Peanut butter & chocolate popcorn (Peanut butter cup popcorn)

Author: Lisa Pitman

5 from 2 votes

Since when do they sell big tubs of popcorn in bookstores? Turns out that was not the real question I needed to answer. Instead, it was how I could create a decadent vegan version of the peanut butter cup popcorn I had spotted among the stacks.

That label had me dreaming about fluffy popcorn, in a sweet peanut butter coating, drizzled with a ribbon of dark chocolate. And now I’ve made those dreams come true.

Makes 8 cups of popcorn.

Print Pin Rate

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cooling time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: dairy free, gluten free, kid friendly

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 teaspoons coconut oil divided
• ▢ ½ cup popcorn kernels
• ▢ ¼ cup peanut butter smooth & natural
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 4 ounces dairy-free chocolate or ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• ▢
  In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil and the popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and shake it back and forth across the burner to keep the kernels moving.

  Listen for the popping sound to slow down (3 to 5 minutes) then quickly pour the popcorn into a large bowl.
• ▢
  In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, the peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt over medium-low heat. Stir to combine.

  Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Drizzle the mixture evenly over the popcorn and stir to coat.
• ▢
  Spread the popcorn over the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes.
• ▢
  Finely chop the chocolate and melt it using a double boiler. Drizzle the chocolate over the cooling popcorn.
• ▢
  Transfer to the fridge to finish cooling, at least 30 minutes. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

Notes

Notes from Cadry: If you’d prefer, you can cook the popcorn in an air popper or use microwave popcorn. 

If you’re not a fan of coconut oil, replace the popping oil with avocado oil. Then use 2 Tablespoons of non-dairy butter like Earth Balance in the peanut sauce instead of coconut oil. (Remember to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe if you’re using vegan butter.)

If you don’t have a double boiler, use the microwave to melt the chocolate instead. Microwave the finely chopped chocolate or chips for about 50 seconds. Stop once halfway through to stir. It may look like they aren’t melted yet, but once you start stirring, it will happen. 

How to store it

Store it in a sealed storage container on the counter or cupboard. It will keep for up to a week.

If it is very hot in your home, store it in the refrigerator, so that the chocolate doesn’t melt.

Reprinted from DIY Vegan. Copyright © 2015 Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman. Published by St. Martin’s Griffin.

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Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Content, recipe, and photos updated June 17, 2021. Originally posted November 18, 2015.