Barley Free Peppermint Cocoa Popcorn
Salty-sweet, chocolatey, and laced with a cool hit of peppermint, this baked popcorn is the kind of snack that disappears faster than you'd expect. The coating comes together with coconut oil, maple syrup, and cocoa powder — no grain-based ingredients anywhere in sight, which makes it a genuinely worry-free treat for anyone avoiding barley or other grains. Baking the coated kernels low and slow is the move here: it sets the chocolate shell into a satisfying crisp crunch rather than a sticky mess. A finishing scatter of finely chopped dark chocolate melts into the hot popcorn as it cools, adding little pockets of richness throughout. The peppermint extract keeps things bright and festive without being overwhelming, so it works just as well for a movie night as it does for a holiday gift bag. Let it cool the full ten minutes and you'll be rewarded with clusters that snap cleanly and taste like a peppermint patty got cozy with a bowl of popcorn.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the popcorn
- ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For the coating
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 1 oz dark chocolate (>70% cacao), finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels, cover with the lid, and cook, shaking the pot every 30 seconds, until the popping slows to 2–3 seconds between pops. Remove from heat immediately and transfer the popped corn to the prepared baking sheet, discarding any unpopped kernels.
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