White chocolate popcorn is a holiday tradition in my house. But instead of the overpriced, store-bought stuff, you can make it at home so easily! This recipe is made with (real!) white chocolate and a smattering of sprinkles for extra festive vibes. I love making this popcorn as a gift or to fill up space in cookie boxes!

A grey bowl of white chocolate popcorn with red and green sprinkles on a wood table next to a wreath, red plaid linen, white bowl of sprinkles, and red ornaments.

Every baking season, I hit a point where I just can’t look at another bag of sugar. Like, I love baking, we all know this. But at someone who bakes for fun and a living, sometimes, I just want immediate gratification, ya know?

That’s where snack-y things like homemade salted caramel corn or even my Christmas puppy chow come into play. It’s festive and delicious but also comes together quickly. Who cares if you’re a lil wine drunk after baking mini gingerbread cookies all day? There’s nothing to a quick Christmas snack situation!

But this popcorn is one I come to time and again. I started making this recipe in high school when one of my neighbors got me hooked on the stuff. But every year, it’s a go-to snack that everyone loves, and it’s ridiculously easy.

The hardest part of this recipe is tempering the chocolate. Later, I’ll show you how I learned to temper chocolate when I was in pastry school (because spoiler alert, it’s v easy).

Use actual white chocolate

White and brown bowls of popcorn, white chocolate, and holiday sprinkles on a tan counter.

A lot of white choc popcorn recipes use candy melts. There’s nothing wrong with candy melts, it’s just that they’re not actually white chocolate lol. Instead of cacao butter, candy melts are made with vegetable oil.

If you want to make this recipe for real, you’ll need to use tempered white chocolate made with at least 20% cacao butter. I like Ghirardelli, but you can use your fave! And I don’t recommend white chocolate chips, because they seize ridiculously easily. (Ask me how I know this.)

Temper the chocolate

A white bowl of chopped white chocolate on a tan counter.
Melt 3/4 of the white chocolate over a double boiler until it reaches 104-105°F (40-41°C).
A white bowl of melted white chocolate with chopped chocolate on a tan counter.
Remove the bowl from the heat and add the remaining 1/4 of the white chocolate.
A bowl of chocolate with a thermometer showing 86 degrees.
Stir constantly until it reaches 86-87°F (30-31°C). This should take about 5-6 minutes.

If you don’t temper the chocolate, I promise, it won’t set and the corn will end up soggy. So, please don’t skip this step.

Make the popcorn

A white bowl of melted candy melts.
Use the chocolate right away! You don’t want it to harden.
A bowl of popcorn coated with candy melts on a tan table.
Toss the popcorn with the tempered chocolate.
White chocolate popcorn with holiday sprinkles next to a brown bowl of Christmas sprinkles.
Spread the popcorn on a pan & add sprinkles. Let it set.

If you want, you can definitely still use white candy melts instead of chocolate! Just keep in mind, the popcorn will taste more like vanilla.

A grey bowl of white chocolate popcorn with sprinkles on a wood table next to a red plaid linen, wreath, and red ornaments with a dark green background.

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5 from 1 vote

Real White Chocolate Popcorn

Yield: 8 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Setting Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
This amazing 3-ingredient white chocolate popcorn is made with actual white chocolate (not candy melts!). It's buttery, crunchy, and has a smattering of sprinkles for extra crunch. Even better, the whole recipe comes together in about 15 minutes of prep.
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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped, divided (226 grams)
  • 8 cups air popped popcorn (60 grams)
  • Sprinkles, for decoration, optional

Equipment

  • Air popper optional
  • Double boiler or heatproof bowl
  • Cooking thermometer

Instructions 

Tempered White Chocolate

  • Fill a small pot with about 1-2 inches of water. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
  • Add 6 ounces (170 grams) of the white chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the chocolate constantly with a rubber spatula, until it's completely melted and reaches 104-105°F (40-41°C).
  • Remove the bowl from the heat, and add the remaining 2 ounces (56 grams) of chopped white chocolate. Stir constantly, checking the temperature every once in a while, until it reaches 86-87°F (30-31°C). Once it hits this temperature, it's ready to use!

White Chocolate Popcorn

  • Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Pour the air popped popcorn into a big bowl, discarding any un-popped kernels.
  • Drizzle the tempered white chocolate over the popcorn. Toss, until the popcorn is evenly covered.
  • Spread the popcorn into an even layer on the prepared sheet pan. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Then, let the popcorn set completely, about 30-60 minutes. Once the popcorn is completely set, use your hands to gently break it apart. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

If you don’t temper the chocolate, I promise, it won’t set and the corn will end up soggy. So please don’t skip this step, tempering chocolate might seem scary but it’s so easy!
I typically don’t recommend using white chocolate chips, because they have extra additives, and they tend to seize easily. Look for a good quality white chocolate bar with at least 20% cacao butter in the baking aisle. I like Ghirardelli!
Make sure you’re using plain popcorn with no added salt or seasonings. I use air-popped popcorn, but if you don’t have an air popper, you can make it on the stove. Or, use plain microwaved popcorn. About 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels will yield 8 cups.
If you want, you can definitely still use white candy melts instead of chocolate! Just keep in mind, the popcorn will taste more like vanilla than white chocolate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert, Snack
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 189kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 2.4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5.6g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 25mg, Potassium: 26mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 18g, Calcium: 56mg
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