Fun fact: my day job is teaching English to High School Freshmen. I will be returning to work soon which means healthy quick snacks are a must. This inspired my healthy popcorn balls! I used whole grain popcorn that is not prepackaged in a bag and replaced white sugar with coconut sugar to remove some of the unhealthy qualities of traditional popcorn balls. Here is the recipe and I hope you enjoy it!
Also, there are a lot of new challenges entering into the new school year, so trying, shooting, and writing recipes have been an outlet and a distraction from my growing anxiety of reentering the workforce. A special thank you to all of my readers for your support and love.
Ingredients and Equiptment.
- Whole Grain popcorn (I used Orville Redenbackers Original Yellow Popcorn in a 45 Oz. Jar)
- Coconut sugar
- Olive oil
- Water
- Salt
- Raw unsalted peanuts
- Cinnamon
- Pot with lid
- Small to medium pot
- Mixing bowl
- Large spoon
- Plastic wrap
Recipe
Step 1: Pop the popcorn
In a large pot with a lid, pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into the pot over a medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels. Cover the pot with the lid. I like to leave my lid angled off the side a little for venting. Listen to the popping, you know when it is finished when the pops are far between. I would estimate about 15 seconds between kernel pops. Remove the popcorn from the heat, so the popcorn doesn’t burn.
Step 2: Make the Simple Syrup
In a small to medium pot, pour in 1/3 cup of coconut sugar and 1/3 cup of water. Stir the mixture then heat over medium heat. Let the mixture boil and stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. You will know that the mixture is ready when you can put a popped piece of popcorn into the mixture without the popcorn melting.
Step 3: Combine and Form
In a large bowl, add the popped popcorn, 1/2 cup of peanuts, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and simple syrup. With a large spoon, stir together until the ingredients begin to stick together and are evenly distributed. Next, scoop out the desired amount onto a sheet of plastic wrap (how much popcorn mixture you use will depend on how big you want your popcorn balls). Using the plastic wrap as a barrier between your hands and the mixture, form a ball and tighten the plastic wrap around it. Make sure you put a lot of pressure on the ball slightly crushing the popcorn to make sure it stays together.
Step 4: Chill and Enjoy
Put your formed popcorn balls in the freezer for 15 minutes so the simple syrup hardens and bonds the mixture together.
And there you go! Next step is simply un-wrap and enjoy!
Thank you!
Thank you for reading, and again thank you so much for providing an outlet for me! I wish everyone happiness and health going into fall! Remember to make Everydaylicious!
Mind Body Classroom 