Popcorn with Chocolate – This Popcorn with Chocolate Recipe is great for making movie nights both healthy, and delicious! Organic popcorn drizzled with a vegan and refined-sugar free chocolate sauce is the perfect mix of salty and sweet, and most definitely does NOT taste healthy.
Easy and quick to whip up, this is a recipe you’ll want to come back to time-and-time again. Serve it up to the entire family, and we promise, you’ll most definitely be getting requests for more. Ready for the full recipe? Keep reading!
Popcorn with Chocolate
If you love the classic sweet and salty combination, you most definitely have to try this Popcorn with Chocolate Recipe! This Popcorn with Chocolate Recipe is also just as healthy as it is tasty, including both acai, and cacao, which are both incredible superfoods!
Ingredients in Popcorn with Chocolate
If you want to get technical, then speaking from a botanical point of view, corn is classified as a grain. However, most people consider corn a starchy vegetable (in the same family as say peas, sweet potatoes, etc.), which is how I classify it. Regardless of whether you consider corn a vegetable or grain, this is one food you want to be sure to buy organic.
Organic Popcorn
Corn is also one of the foods at highest risk of being genetically modified, so it’s important to source organic and non-GMO popcorn.
Corn is considered at high risk of being a Genetically Modified food. GMO foods cause a number of environmental harms, but they can also cause health problems too. One of the main health concerns associated with GMO foods is the fact they are grown with toxic chemicals. The resulting pesticide residues are harmful to human health.
The best way to avoid GMO corn (and all other GMO foods, for that matter), is to buy certified organic. You can also look for the non-GMO project verified stamp of approval.
So while corn is not something we think most people should avoid, being aware of it’s sourcing is incredibly important for the environment, and your health alike.
We love Thrive Market’s brand!
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is an excellent substitution for the dairy that is normally found in chocolate. It is rich and creamy, and doesn’t make your chocolate taste like coconut at all! Here’s our favorite brand.
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Many of our clean eating recipes use extra virgin coconut oil and organic coconut milk. We truly believe that adding them to your diet is good for you, even with the saturated fat it includes.
Click here to read more about why coconut oil is good for you!
Maple Syrup
Refined-sugar is an empty-calorie, void of nutrients, and inflammatory additive in nearly all of our food here in America! That’s why we like to use sweeteners like maple syrup and honey that include beneficial nutrients, antioxidants, and health benefits! Should you be drinking maple syrup by the cup? Of course not. However, it’s a much better choice than refined-sugar, and can actually be healthy in moderation!
Click here to read more about the benefits of maple syrup.
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is a nutrient-dense, dry alternative to refined cane sugar. It has a low-glycemic index, and work great as cup-for-cup replacements in recipes.
Recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization as the most sustainable sweetener in the world, coconut sugar palm trees produce an average of 50-75 percent more sugar per acre than sugar cane, while using only a fifth of the resources. Pretty sweet, right?
Acai Powder
Acai became popular a few years back with the introduction of the acai bowl! This berry is full of antioxidants, and is rich in vitamins A, B, C, and E. It’s also thought to be beneficial for skin health, and reducing inflammation.
Here’s our favorite acai powder.
Raw Cacao Powder
Chocolate is an incredibly anti-inflammatory and healthy addition to your diet, as long as you’re choosing raw cacao powder. One of nature’s most powerful superfoods, cacao delivers an abundance of antioxidants and nutrients that positively impact brain and cardiovascular health. What’s more, cacao also enhances the effectiveness of other minerals and nutrients in the body. Keep reading for the difference between cacao and cocoa.
Cacao vs. Cocoa
For years, people have been led to believe that chocolate is unhealthy, when in reality, real chocolate is actually an incredible superfood! The issue is that most people aren’t consuming real chocolate. They’re consuming overly processed cocoa loaded with refined-sugar and dairy, eliminating basically all of the benefits that once existed.
So how do you ensure you’re eating the absolute top notch, healthiest chocolate out there? Well, avoiding dairy and sugar is definitely the most important step. However, if you really want to reap the full benefits of chocolate, it comes down to the difference between cacao and cocoa. While similar in spelling, cacao and cacao are actually quite different!
Cacao
Cacao is the minimally processed product of cacao beans, resulting in a highly nutrient-dense, rich powder. To achieve such a high percentage of nutrient retainment, cacao is cold-pressed to remove the cacao butter, and roasted at low temperatures.
Navita’s offers an amazing, high-quality cacao powder. Purchase it here!
Cocoa
You might have guessed it by now, but cocoa is the highly processed form of cacao. It still maintains some of its original nutrients, but its not nearly as beneficial as its unprocessed counterpart.
Cocoa powder often includes added ingredients, preservatives, or is alkalized to reduce acidity, once again, reducing the nutrients.
Cocoa is not inherently bad, it’s just simply not as beneficial. However, when choosing this product, it’s vital to ensure you are purchasing from a clean brand with no added ingredients or preservatives.
For a more detailed explanation of the difference between cacao and cocoa, click here!
Recipes with Cacao
Now since we’ve talked about how much we love cacao powder, here are some of our favorite recipes with cacao!
Recipe for Chocolate Chip Muffins: Recipe for Chocolate Chip Muffins – the perfect breakfast for chocolate lovers. Loaded with nutrients and delicious, make a double batch.
Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe: If you’re a chocolate lover like I am, this refined sugar, gluten, and dairy-free Chocolate Mousse Recipe is one you simply can’t pass up!
Recipe for Chocolate Cookies: Packed full of plant-based protein, and rich in superfoods and antioxidants, this Recipe for Chocolate Cookies is healthy and delicious!
Ready for the full recipe? Let’s get into it!
Kitchen Favorites
Popcorn with Chocolate
This Popcorn with Chocolate Recipe is great for making movie nights both healthy, and delicious! Save this recipe to make over-and-over again!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 10 cups popped popcorn
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon cacao butter, crush into small pieces before measurement
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- Optional – 2 teaspoons acai powder (can work up to 2 tablespoons until desired flavor is reached)
Instructions
- Add the popcorn to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Begin by melting cacao butter in a double boiler (click here to learn how to create your own double boiler) until mixture turns into liquid.
- Once melted, add the coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Once well mixed, slowly add in cacao powder and acai powder (optional) while continuously stirring. Taking your time, as this will help to prevent clumping.
- Once lump free, remove from heat, and add in salt.
- Carefully pour the chocolate mixture over the popcorn, using a spoon to mix and toss the popcorn to evenly coat.
- Sprinkle with coconut palm sugar.
- Refrigerate to harden chocolate for about 15 minutes, or for quicker cooling, freeze for 5-10 minutes.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Last Step! If you loved our recipe, leave us a review below. This helps future recipe makers and ensures continued high-quality recipes for years to come!
Athelene
Sunday 10th of December 2017
I bought your book on Friday and read it most of the day on Saturday. It was great reading. I was wondering about popcorn. I may have missed it but didn't see a guideline for it in the book. Is it ok as long as i don't top it with something of limits?
Ivy Larson
Friday 15th of December 2017
Hi Athelene! I am so sorry for the delay getting back to you. But yes! Popcorn is totally fine (as long as it is not popped in refined oils!) It's actually one of my favorite treats ;)