You know those recipes that somehow start to disappear before you're even ready to serve it? This is one of them. Between the popcorn, pretzels, peanuts, M&M's, and white chocolate, I think I spent more time sneaking bites than actually assembling the mix.
Honestly, it scratched an itch so hard I could've cried a little.
The funny thing is that I wasn't even trying to create a recipe. I was simply looking for a way to use up the remainder of 20 pounds of white chocolate melting wafers left over from making cake pops for a friend's engagement party.
Thankfully, one thing led to another, and this Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn was born.
Why You'll Love This Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the white chocolate is almost unrecognizable. It lightly coats the popcorn and mix-ins, holding everything together.
Somewhere between a popcorn snack mix and a dessert, this recipe has a little bit of everything. Crunchy pretzels, salty peanuts, colorful M&M's, fluffy popcorn, and white chocolate to hold it all together without stealing the show.
The best part? There's no wrong way to make it. The mix-in measurements are really just a guideline. Honestly, they're usually eyeballed around here until every handful has a little bit of everything. Feel free to throw in an extra handful of pretzels, peanuts, M&M's, or anything else that sounds good.
Whether you're making it for a party, movie night, game day, a road trip, or just because you're craving something fun to snack on, I highly suggest making a double batch. You'll understand why after the first handful!
Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn Ingredients
- popcorn
- pretzel sticks
- peanuts
- M&M's
- white chocolate
- sea salt
Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn Ingredient Notes
Popcorn
Use plain or lightly salted popcorn for the best results. I don't recommend extra-buttered popcorn for this recipe because the buttery flavor can compete with the sweet and salty balance. I used Orville Redenbacher Natural's Simply Salted microwave popcorn, and it was perfect for this mix. Pop your popcorn, and then allow it to cool.
White Chocolate Melting Wafers
I almost always reach for melting wafers instead of chocolate chips when making recipes like this. They melt beautifully and set. You can add a little butter or coconut oil while melting if needed, but I didn't find it necessary. Unlike traditional white chocolate, melting wafers don't seem nearly as determined to burn the second you look away. For this recipe, I used Ghirardelli Vanilla Flavored White Melting Wafers.
M&M's
Specialty M&M's really are the star of the show in this recipe. I'm a little obsessed with Rice Krispies treats in general, so the Marshmallow Crispy M&M's were an easy choice all around. They're coated in white chocolate, which perfectly complements the white chocolate in the popcorn mix, and add an extra crunch.
The funniest part about tracking these M&M's down is that they forgot to include them in my Target pickup order. I ended up running into the store wearing a swimsuit cover-up just to grab them. Aisle 7 to the rescue! I'd say that level of determination paid off.
That said, peanut butter, peanut, seasonal varieties, even classic M&M's or minis all work great. You can adust this Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn depending on the season, occasion, or from whatever happens to catch your eye in the candy aisle!
Pretzels & Peanuts
The pretzels and peanuts are what really give this popcorn mix its sweet-and-salty personality. The pretzels add crunch, the peanuts add a savory bite, and together they balance the sweetness from the M&M's and white chocolate.
This recipe ends up feeling a little like a trail mix, a little like a dessert, and a little like a party snack all rolled into one. Which is probably why it's so hard to stop eating once you start.
My favorite bites are the ones with a little bit of everything. Don't be afraid to make this popcorn a little "meaty" by adding extra pretzels, peanuts, or M&M's. The measurements are really just a guideline, I usually eyeball the mix-ins and keep adding so that every handful is fully loaded.
How to Store the Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn
Store the popcorn mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. This also makes a great snack you can make ahead of time!
More Sweet Treats to Try
If you loved this Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn, here are a few more sweet treats to try!
Brown Butter Golden Graham Rice Krispie Treats
White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies with Caramel
Gooey Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Loaded White Chocolate Popcorn
Ingredients
- 2 bags popped popcorn simply salted
- 2 ½ cups pretzel sticks broken in half
- 2 cups peanuts lightly salted, dry roasted
- 2 cups M&M's white chocolate marshmallow crispy
- 10 oz Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers vanilla flavored
- 1 teaspoon maldon sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the popcorn according to package directions or your preferred popping method. Allow it to cool.
- Add the popcorn to a large mixing bowl, and remove any kernels.
- Break the pretzel sticks roughly in half.
- Add the pretzels, peanuts, and M&M's to the bowl with the popcorn. Toss to combine.
- Place the white chocolate melting wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until completely melted and smooth.
- Pour the melted white chocolate over the popcorn mixture. Gently stir until the ingredients are lightly coated.
- Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or large tray.
- For extra pockets of white chocolate throughout the mix, drizzle any remaining melted white chocolate over the top before it sets.
- While the white chocolate is still wet, lightly sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top.
- Let the popcorn mix sit for about 30 minutes in a cool area, or refrigerate for 15 minutes, until the white chocolate has completely set.
- Break the popcorn mixture into clusters. Leave some larger clumps for the best sweet-and-salty bites.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container until ready to enjoy.
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