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Colorful mint green popcorn is a light and crunchy snack that’s reminiscent of a classic ice cream flavor! Fresh popcorn, a little mint extract, and some chocolate chips make this recipe easy to make—and to eat. It’s a fun treat for St. Patrick’s Day or any time you crave something sweet!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
Yes, This Popcorn Is Green – And Delicious!
This homemade flavored popcorn recipe is so much fun. It mimics mint chocolate chip ice cream with a light, minty flavor from a touch of mint extract while mini chocolate chips scattered throughout add pops of chocolate. Get ready to “churn” out a batch of this ice cream-like popcorn that is both gluten free and sweetened with honey rather than sugar. Plus, it’s so simple to make! Whip up a double batch to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day along with a plate of Fruity Pebble Treats or Rainbow Jello. Or, fill little bags or leprechaun gold pots with this snackable popcorn for your kids’ class parties. You could even do a half-half combo with my take on caramel corn, Peanut Butter Butterscotch Popcorn!
- Not too sweet. Unlike many sweet popcorn recipes, my mint green popcorn is lightly glazed and sweetened just with honey rather than corn syrup. It’s just the right balance of sweet with a pinch of salt.
- Perfect ratio of chocolate to popcorn. Use mini chocolate chips rather than regular size chips to mix through the popcorn, making it so that you don’t have huge bites of chocolate contrasting against the fluffy popcorn. The bonus is that with mini chips you only need a small amount to really get lots chocolaty bits throughout.
- Naturally gluten-free. All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free! (Do check to make sure that your green food coloring, vanilla and mint extracts, and mini chocolate chips are gluten free. Nestle Toll House Mini Chocolate Morsels are gluten free, as are the food colorings and extracts from McCormick.)
What You’ll Need
I’ve listed out what ingredients go into this recipe below, plus a few notes. The full ingredient amounts are included in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Popcorn: You’ll need 4 cups of popped popcorn in total.
- Honey: Use honey or agave syrup, or try maple syrup.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter, or swap coconut oil to make this snack dairy-free. If using salted butter, taste before adding any extra salt.
- Salt
- Mint Extract: Because this is a mint green popcorn, there’s no substitute for the mint extract if you want a similar flavor!
- Vanilla Extract
- Green Food Coloring
- Mini Chocolate Chips: I always use mini semisweet chocolate chips.
How to Make Green Popcorn
Follow along with my photos below to get an idea of how to make this easy recipe. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Melt butter. Combine the honey, butter, and salt in a pot and melt it over low heat.
- Add food coloring. Stir in the mint extract, vanilla, and food coloring.
- Combine. Drizzle the mint green mixture over the popped popcorn.
- Stir. Gently stir the coating into the popcorn until it evenly coats the popped corn.
- Bake. Spread the popcorn out on a lined baking sheet, then bake it at 325°F for 5 minutes.
- Stir. Remove the popcorn from the oven, stir it, and spread it back into a single layer.
- Continue baking. Keep baking and stirring the popcorn until it’s fairly dry, 3 minutes at a time. Don’t burn it!
- Add chocolate. Cool the popcorn slightly out of the oven, then sprinkle in the chocolate chips.
- Cool. Let the popcorn cool completely, then enjoy!
Tips and Variation Ideas
- Make it vegan: For vegan popcorn, you can use vegan butter or coconut oil in place of the butter, as well as agave in place of the butter. Use dairy free mini chocolate chips, like the ones from Enjoy Life.
- Popcorn options: You can pop your own popcorn in the microwave or air popper without any oil or butter. If you choose to use microwave popcorn, use the plainest kind you can find, usually labeled “Natural”.
- Double it: If you need a bigger batch, you can just double all of the ingredients.
- More chocolate: Adding more chocolate is never a bad thing. I keep the amount of chips on the lower side to keep this recipe less sweet, but feel free to add more mini chocolate chips for a bigger hit of chocolate.
How to Store
Place the popcorn in an airtight container and store it on the counter at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Mint Green Popcorn
Ingredients
- 4 cups popped popcorn (see Note)
- 3 Tablespoons honey or agave syrup
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
- pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- a few drops green food coloring
- 1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips (can use more, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place 4 cups popped popcorn in a large bowl.
- In a small pot, combine 3 Tablespoons honey, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, and pinch salt over low heat, and stir until melted and smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in ½ teaspoon mint extract, ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a few drops green food coloring.
- Drizzle mixture over popped popcorn and gently stir until evenly coated. This may take a couple of minutes to ensure the glaze is evenly distributed.
- Spread popcorn into a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven and stir, then spread back out into a single layer.
- Return to the oven and bake in 3 minute intervals, stirring each time until the popcorn is nearly dry. You will probably need two or three more 3 minute intervals. Be careful to avoid burning the popcorn.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple minutes, then use a spatula to push the popcorn pieces close together. Carefully sprinkle the 1 Tablespoon mini chocolate chips over the popcorn, trying to keep most of it on the popcorn and not falling through and landing on the baking sheet (some will, which is okay). The chips will slightly melt and adhere to the popcorn.
- Allow to cool completely, until the chocolate chips have resolidified. Popcorn will continue to harden as it cools. Store in an airtight container, if it lasts that long.
Notes
Did you make this?
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I just made this and it is very good! Will be keeping and making this again (and again and again…)!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the popcorn, Barb. Thanks for letting me know!
Yummy! This looks amazing!!! Thanks so much for sharing. I can’t wait to try it!
Sometimes you see a recipe and say to yourself “I wish I would have thought of that!” This is one of them- a recipe with several awesome ingredients put together in an interesting way. Yum!
I’m the worst at Lent. I’m super ashamed of it. So I am very proud of you and your strength, holding on and giving up ice cream! This popcorn is the perfect way to satisfy those cravings–I love the mint choc chip flavor and that it’s all crunchy and popcorn-licious to boot!
I’ve cheated int he past, but last year I was verry pregnant and had gestational diabetes and felt I had already given up too much to gie up any more. So this year I felt I had to fully commit 🙂
I am a popcorn nut! Love how you made this mint chocolate chip!
Thanks Nancy! It was fun!