Peanut Butter Popcorn

If you’re looking for a way to spiff up your movie night snack, this peanut butter popcorn recipe is perfect for you! Easy to make, sweet, a little salty, and crunchy. 

This recipe is sponsored by JOLLY TIME Pop corn. All opinions are my own. 

I have a soft spot in my heart for popcorn – probably a lot like everyone else. There are a lot of family time memories attached to it – from mom reading captivating stories to us in the evening, or special occasions when we got to go to see a movie at the theater – popcorn has always been a mainstay. 

And as a mom, it’s such a no-brainer snack for the kids because it’s easy to make, and hardly takes any room in my pantry – a half cup of seeds makes a giant bowl to snack on.

I admit that most of the time we just eat popcorn with the traditional butter and salt. But it’s also fun to make our Saturday night family movie a bit more of a treat, and this peanut butter popcorn recipe is one of my favorite ways to do that. It tastes a little bit like Reese’s Pieces poured over popcorn. 

The syrup for peanut butter popcorn is actually easier to make than traditional caramel corn without having the need to bake and stir, and satisfies the sweet tooth for the times when you’re just in the mood for something sweet rather than savory like garlic-parmesan popcorn.

And when it comes to the popcorn kernels themselves, did you know it matters which popcorn you buy? 

Some brands don’t pop as well and end up with “old maids”, others leave behind a lot of tough hulls that get stuck in your teeth. 

My favorite brand throughout the years has been JOLLY TIME pop corn. I first found it at Walmart and was intrigued by their family company story and that they’re always non-GMO. JOLLY TIME is America’s first brand of popcorn and the longest continuous Good Housekeeping Seal Holder. They are a 5th generation family-owned business and have been for over 100 years!

Now, most of the time I pick it up at HEB (our local Texas-based grocery store chain), because once I tried it, I fell in love with the quality – how crisp the popped kernels are, how well they pop, and how tender the hulls are. 

Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe

Here are some tips to make the BEST peanut butter popcorn: 

• Air pop your popcorn if possible. This is the easiest way to get perfectly popped corn, and makes it easy to separate the few unpopped kernels you may be left with because they won’t blow out of the popper with the popped corn.
• When making the syrup, make sure you get all your ingredients measured out and ready to go before you start heating it. Once you get the sugar syrup boiled, you’ll want to add our vanillas and peanut butter and get your popcorn coated as quickly as possible before it begins to cool. 
• Use a very large bowl with plenty of room for stirring. Rather than having too small a bowl, I recommend splitting your popcorn into two bowls. It’s really hard to stir without spilling if your bowl is too small! 

That’s really all the tips I have – it’s a pretty simple recipe! (and we all know simple is best!)

Try it yourself!

Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe

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Try this sweet-and-salty peanut butter glaze on crispy popcorn. Perfect for movie night at your house!

• Author: Elise New
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 4
• Total Time: 9 minutes
• Yield: 5 servings 1x
• Category: dessert
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3/4 cup popcorn kernels, popped
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

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Instructions

1. Combine sugar, butter, and water in a sauce pan
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved
3. Bring to a rolling boil, and continue boiling for 2-3 minutes to about 230ºf
4. Remove from heat, and quickly stir in vanilla and peanut butter
5. Pour over popcorn and mix well.
6. Let cool and enjoy!

Keywords: popcorn, peanut butter popcorn, easy dessert recipe

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