Thursday 22 January 2015

(healthier) Chocolate and Peanut Butter Popcorn

Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

I love popcorn, it can be a great snack to eat when trying to be healthy as I’m sure you know. I have a popcorn maker which pops the kernels just with heat, which is the healthiest way to enjoy it, rather than tossing it in a pan with oil.

What can also make it not so healthy are the additional toppings ladled over it. Butter and caramel and other goodies can outdo the nutritious value of eating popcorn.

I decided to invent this recipe for Chocolate and Peanut Butter Popcorn, which contains no diary-fat and no refined sugars, as part of my healthier January drive.

But it turned out to use quite a bit of coconut butter, which is better for you than regular butter, but is still fat nonetheless. So I ended up halving the quantities for the topping of this popcorn and it didn’t take away from the deliciousness at all.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

For lovers of chocolate and peanut butter together, this one is for you! The chocolate is made from raw cacao powder (unsweetened cocoa, if you can’t get hold if it), a bit of agave nectar for sweetness and coconut butter. The butter mixes with the cacao when molten, making a kind of choccy sauce. When cooled it sets a little, so your fingers don’t get all messy.

The peanut part came from raw peanuts, blended in my Optimum 9400, to make a natural peanut butter, with some added salt, agave nectar for sweetness and coconut butter which again helps it set a bit.

After popping the corn, I let it cool before adding the toppings. You could eat them straight away, or leave it a while and bag up to take to the cinema with you!

You will love this and it really isn’t too bad a way of getting your chocolate and peanut butter fix…

Yield: Several cups of popcorn

Ingredients:
70 grams popcorn kernels, popped

Chocolate sauce:
35 grams coconut butter
2 tablespoon raw cacao powder
2 teaspoon agave nectar

Peanut Butter coating:
20 grams coconut butter
100 grams raw peanuts
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon agave nectar

Method:
Pop the popcorn kernels and leave the popcorn aside in a large bowl.

For the chocolate sauce melt the coconut butter in the microwave, in a small bowl. Add the cacao powder and agave nectar and stir until a sauce forms.


For the peanut butter coating, melt the coconut butter in  a microwave. Place the peanuts in a food blender, add the melt coconut butter, salt and agave nectar. Blitz until a smooth (ish) paste is formed.


Pour the chocolate sauce over the popcorn and toss it about so it’s all covered. Spoon the peanut butter coating all over and mix that through.



If you leave this to sit in a cool place, the chocolate and peanut butter sets a little and can be enjoyed on the go.


Happy Popping!

9 comments:

  1. Yum! I love popcorn. This looks so good. It would be perfect for a weekend treat while watching a movie

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  2. I've never thought of making my own popcorn before, i'll have to give it a try x

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  3. This looks so good! I am a popcorn addict and will happily finish entire bowls... this pimped up version would be amazing as a special treat

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  4. I love popcorn and I'm definitely keen on it being healthy (or as healthy as possible). This sounds very fine to me. I rarely stir myself to make any, though. Maybe a popcorn maker would be a good investment.

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  5. Aw I love your little sacks of popcorn, they're so cute - they make me just want to dive right in! and anything with chocolate and peanut butter gets my thumbs up! Loads of people in Canada always used to make covered popcorns for treats - like caramel and marshmallow and things and I'd never really come across it before! great post!

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  6. I do love a good popcorn - never had a chocolate one. Yet again I note we've chosen the same flavour combo this week - there's a psychic connection, I swear it!

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  7. What perfect timing - I was literally about to look for popcorn recipes to make for my friends and I when we go to the cinema when this popped up. It's a shame one of them hates peanuts but still, I LOVE peanut butter so that's my revision snacks sorted =)

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  8. I love popcorn! My mom loves it more then anyone I know so she's always had a popcorn maker, her's is really old school and when I went home to visit last we made popcorn in it and it made me feel like a little kid again! I don't know why I am sharing that, it's just that this post reminded me of that!

    Opening new tab on the browser to search for popcorn makers.....

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  9. This looks awesome! Didn't think popcorn could be made any more moreish!

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