Ready to learn how to make strawberry popcorn using strawberry gelatin for a delicious strawberry taste?
It's the perfect snack for a fun movie night, baby shower, or a special occasion any time of year, but my favorite way to serve it is for Valentine's Day!
For more Valentine's Day sweet treats, check out these Red Velvet Cupcakes, and Pink Vanilla Cake Pops!
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How to make strawberry popcorn
This simple recipe gets its delicious strawberry flavor from strawberry jello mix! The process takes only 30 minutes and is similar to making kettle corn or caramel corn.
- Pop the kernels
- Cook the sauce
- Toss the popcorn
- Bake for 15 minutes
In no time you'll have delicious pink strawberry-flavored popcorn to enjoy.
Ingredients and substitutions
You only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious recipe. You can find everything you need in grocery stores like Walmart or Aldi.
Strawberry Gelatin- This recipe uses 1 full box of regular gelatin. If you want to substitute sugar-free gelatin, just add ¼ cup of sugar.
Popcorn Kernels- To make this recipe, pop ½ cup of popcorn kernels to make 4 quarts of popped kernels. (That's 16 cups of popcorn) If you want to save time and use microwave popcorn, you’ll need to pop 4 large bags.
Butter- Unsalted works best. If you want to use salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.
Corn Syrup- This will help keep the topping silky and smooth.
Salt- I use sea salt for the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
Baking Soda- this is the trick to getting a coating with the perfect consistency.
Start by popping the popcorn
Use your favorite method to pop the popcorn. Stovetop popping, air poppers, or a whirley pop work great.
I like to make homemade popcorn using a silicone air popper microwave hot air popper. It makes fluffy popcorn without oil in 2-3 minutes. Plus, it's collapsible and stores flat when you aren't using it.
Place the popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl, or a roaster pan so you have enough space to toss the topping and popcorn together.
PRO TIP: Make sure there are no unpopped kernels by gently lifting the popcorn with your hands from one large mixing bowl to another. Continue until you don't see any unpopped kernels in the bowl.
Make the strawberry seasoning
Using a large skillet, combine melted butter, corn syrup, strawberry gelatin, and water until it reaches a simmer. Slowly stir in the baking soda and immediately pour over the popped popcorn, tossing to combine.
Bake the popcorn
Pour the warm popcorn out onto two cookie sheets or baking sheets and bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes to finish.
The full recipe can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Topping suggestions
Want to make this strawberry popcorn recipe extra special? Try topping it with melted chocolate after baking.
Drizzle with melted white chocolate chips, different flavors of candy melts, or dark chocolate chips for a delicious dipped strawberry flavor!
Just melt 4 ounces of chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments. stirring between each cycle and continuing until the chocolate is smooth and melted.
Use a large spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn mixture.
Storing your strawberry popcorn
Once the popcorn has cooled, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It's good for up to 2 weeks.
If you are a baker who sells your treats, here are some packaging suggestions.
These 6 x 10 cellophane bags hold about 2 cups of popcorn and look so cute with a ribbon and a tag.
Recommended Tools
Here are my favorite tools for making flavored popcorn.
Silicone air popper- I've tried several methods for popping large volumes of popcorn and this is my favorite! Bonus points for easy storage too!
Baking sheets- These Nordic Ware baking sheets are a go-to in my kitchen.
Parchment paper- I prefer parchment over silicone sheets and these are the perfect size for a half-sheet pan.
Granite Roaster- It's big enough to toss a large batch of popcorn.
I know you'll love the delicious strawberry popcorn taste of this recipe! It's one of my favorite snacks and will soon be yours too! If you try it, please help out other bakers by leaving a review!
How To Make Strawberry Popcorn
Equipment
- Hot Air Popcorn Popper - or a similar method for popping corn
- Large mixing bowl - or roasting pan
- 2 Cookie sheets
- Oven
Ingredients
- ½ cup Popcorn kernels unpopped (or 4 lg. bags of microwave popcorn)
- 2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. Corn syrup
- 1 Strawberry gelatin mix 6 oz
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅛ cup Water
- ¼ tsp. Baking soda
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare 2 cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Use your preferred method to pop the popcorn. Once it's cooled, use your hands to transfer it from one large container to another, allowing the unpopped kernels to fall to the bottom. Repeat until there are no more unpopped kernels.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup, ¼ cup of water, and ¼ cup of sugar, and the full packet of gelatin. Bring the mixture to a simmer, while stirring continuously.
- Stir in ¼ tsp. baking soda and stir to combine.
- Pour the strawberry mixture over the popped popcorn. Using tongs, toss and coat all the popcorn evenly. Spread the coated popcorn onto two parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Divide the popcorn mixture evenly onto two cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes rotating the pans halfway through the baking process for even cooking.
- Allow the popcorn to cool completely and drizzle with melted white or dark chocolate.
- Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. et the microwave for 15-30 seconds intervals. After each interval, take the bowl out and stir the chocolate. This prevents hot spots and ensures uniform melting.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn using a large spoon.
- Break the popcorn into smaller chunks and store it in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Moses peace says
Very easy to understand
Better Baker says
Thank you, Moses! I'm so glad you found it easy to understand. Happy baking!
Rachel Chandler says
You have two different measurements for the water one is 1/8 cup and the other is 1/4. What one do you use?
Sherri says
This is fantastic!