White chocolate popcorn is one of my favorite savory meets sweet treats. Not only is this the cutest patriotic treat for Memorial Day, July 4th, or any summer cookout, but it’s ready in less than 10 minutes! The only cooking required is the popcorn—making it one of the easiest potluck or summer cookout treats to bring! Its festive red, white, and blue theme is perfect for the Fourth of July! This heavenly treat is the perfect delicious snack to bring to a Fourth of July fireworks show or summer barbecue!
If you can’t find the red, white, and blue M&M’s like myself, then another option is to do what we did which was to buy regular bags of Caramel M&M’s, Plain M&M’s, Peanut M&M’s, and Pretzel M&M’s, and pick apart all the red and blue M&M’s. My toddler daughter and I had a blast separating the red and blue M&M’s from the rest—in fact, she had a bit too much fun eating them all and wasn’t really “helping” all that much. It was still fun to create memories with her as we made this deliciously beautiful patriotic popcorn. I’ve heard that I may be shopping for the patriotic colored M&M’s too early as it’s still four weeks out from the Fourth; but I would think that they would have these patriotic candies out as early as Memorial Day.
How to Make the Best Patriotic Popcorn
First, pop the popcorn. Put the cooked popcorn in a large bowl. Sprinkle the red and blue M&M’s that you either handpicked or bought as red, white, and blue. Stir in the mini marshmallows and white chocolate chips. Another option is to first top the popcorn with white chocolate chips and microwave on top of the popcorn for 20-30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the popcorn and the chocolate.
Is Popcorn Healthy?
With three grams of fiber per cup, popcorn helps you feel satisfied and full, and can improve cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, according to Prevention’s article. To answer the question, yes, it’s very healthy and good for you as it provides polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant linked with better circulation and digestive health. The best part about it is that popcorn is cheap to buy and available almost anywhere.
Popcorn is an unprocessed whole grain packed with fiber. It also contains vitamins and minerals such as folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium. Most of the nutritional value from popcorn comes from the hulls as they are sourced with beneficial antioxidants such as beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and polyphenols, which all possess anti-inflammatory properties. The healthiest way to cook popcorn is over the stovetop. The microwave popcorn snacks contain a lot of fat and sodium.
You'll love these patriotic recipes!
American Flag Graham Cracker Treats
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American Flag Fruit Kabob Platter
Final Thoughts
Finally, if you make this Patriotic Popcorn, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this recipe and always try my best to respond to all comments.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your recipe photos!
Patriotic Popcorn
Ingredients
- 1 bag microwaved popcorn (or about 8 cups)
- Caramel M&M's (red and blue handpicked unless you can find the red/white/blue M&M’s)
- Plain M&M's (red and blue handpicked)
- Peanut M&M's (red and blue handpicked)
- Pretzel M&M's (red and blue handpicked)
- Mini Marshmallows
- White chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cook popcorn according to package instructions. Pour into a large bowl. Top with the red and blue M&M’s that you handpicked (unless you found the patriotic M&M colors). Add the mini marshmallows and white chocolate chips and stir to combine. As an option, if you want melted white chocolate, heat the white chocolate chips over the popcorn for 20-30 seconds in the microwave.
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