This Valentine's Day popcorn recipe is an easy, festive snack made with sweet and salty popcorn, colorful Valentine's candy, and melted chocolate, making it perfect for movie nights, Galentine's Day parties, or a fun Valentine's treat at home.
Looking for more Valentine ideas? You'll also love our collection of The Best Valentine's Day Treat Recipes, including heart-shaped chocolate chip cookies, pink chocolate-covered strawberries, and other easy Valentine's Day sweets.
🔍 Quick Look: Valentine's Day Popcorn
⚡ Active Time: 15 minutes
⏳ Setting Time: 1 hour
🕒 Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
🍿 Yield: About 10-12 cups of Valentine's popcorn
🥣 Tools: Large mixing bowl, microwave-safe bowl or double boiler, baking sheet, parchment paper
🎉 Perfect For: Valentine's Day parties, Galentine's celebrations, movie nights, gifting, and classroom treats
⭐ Difficulty: Very Easy (this is a simple no-bake recipe that's perfect for beginners!)
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Valentine's Popcorn
- Easy: This Valentine's Day popcorn recipe comes together in minutes. And, using pre-popped popcorn makes it even faster! Just melt the chocolate or candy melts, drizzle, and add your toppings.
- Customizable: You can truly make this Valentine's popcorn your own. Add M&Ms, marshmallows, chopped candy bars, sprinkles, or nuts to create a sweet-and-salty snack everyone will love.
- Fun & Festive: This Valentine's party popcorn is just as fun to make as it is to share. With its bright pink and red colors, it's perfect for Valentine's Day parties, gifting, classroom treats, or cozy nights at home.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Popped Popcorn: The base of this Valentine's Day popcorn recipe. Lightly salty or slightly sweet popcorn works best for this candy-coated mix. You can use air-popped popcorn, microwave popcorn, or bagged popcorn like sea salt or kettle corn.
- Chocolate or Candy Melts: Melted chocolate or candy melts help coat the popcorn and hold the toppings in place. Valentine's-colored candy melts (pink or red) are festive, but any color or chocolate works!
- Candy: Candy-coated chocolates like Valentine's M&Ms are a personal favorite. But, add what you like! Conversation hearts, chopped candy bars, really anything goes!
- Additional Toppings: I’ve added marshmallows and sprinkles, but you can customize this popcorn to your liking!
How to Make Valentine’s Day Popcorn
Similar to Christmas crunch or Unicorn Popcorn, this popcorn recipe is super simple and it can be made in about an hour!
- Spread Out Popcorn: Spread out the popcorn in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If using chopped candy bars or anything that needs prepping, do it now as well, before melting the chocolate.
- Melt Chocolate: In separate microwave-safe bowls, melt the orange and black candy melts according to the package instructions. Typically, this involves heating them in 30-second intervals and stirring until smooth. You can also melt over a double broiler on the stovetop.
- Add Chocolate: drizzle the melted chocolate all over the popcorn. You can add it to a pastry bag with the top cut off, or simply drizzle with a spoon.
- Add Toppings: While the chocolate is still melted, sprinkle ½ of your desired toppings so they stick.
- Let Dry and Then Mix: After adding the toppings, let the chocolate harden for an 30-60 minutes. Once the chocolate has set, mixed it up, breaking up the chocolate popcorn pieces.
- Repeat: Spread it out again on the parchment-lined baking sheet and add more melted chocolate and more toppings. This helps to ensure that not just one side of the popcorn is covered in chocolate. I recommend at least two times, but you can do this as many times as you want to ensure the popcorn is really full of chocolate, and sprinkles. Then, once it's dry for the last time, break it up and it's ready to serve!
Helpful Tips
- Prepare Your Toppings in Advance: Have your chosen toppings, such as crushed cookies, ready before you melt the chocolate. This ensures a quick and smooth assembly process without the chocolate hardening.
- Use colored chocolate melts in the colors you want or buy candy food coloring, which is oil based and won't cause your white chocolate melts or white chocolate to separate. You can not add regular or gel food coloring to white chocolate or it will get grainy.
- The amount of chocolate and toppings can vary depending on how much popcorn you're making, how many different colors you're using, and how many times you decide to mix up and re-cover the popcorn with chocolate and toppings.
Valentine Popcorn FAQ
Yes, but if you want to add food coloring to your white chocolate or melting chocolate, be sure to use candy colors which are oil based food. Regular or gel food coloring will cause the chocolate to get grainy.
There are two reasons chocolate can seize up and get grainy. The first is it was overheated. You can combat this by making sure to follow the instructions exactly when melting your chocolate. If using a microwave heat on half power and use a double broiler if heating on the stovetop. Do not ever heat any type of chocolate or candy melts directly in a pan on a stovetop. It will always overheat and seize up.
The second reason is because liquid somehow got mixed in with the chocolate. Be sure your bowl and utensils are completely dry before adding and melting the chocolate. And, if adding flavors or food coloring make sure they are oil based.
In addition to Valentine's candy and sprinkles, you can top Valentine's Day popcorn with conversation hearts, nuts, pretzels, chopped cookies, crushed candy bars, and edible glitter or luster dust. Really, anything you think would be cute and tasty!
This popcorn is best with in the first couple days of making, but will last up to a week or two in an airtight container, very tightly sealed. The better the seal, the longer it will last and stay fresh and the less chance of going stale.
Serving and Gifting Valentine’s Day Popcorn
This Valentine's day popcorn is perfect for Valentine's Day and Galentine's Day parties and romantic movie nights! Like most popcorn, there are tons of fun ways to serve or gift it:
- Bags: I prefer clear plastic bags because you can see the popcorn, but, you can also use bakery bags, or these cute Valentine's Day treat bags.
- Boxes: popcorn boxes (especially these holiday themed ones!) are so cute and perfect for movie nights!
- Popcorn Tins: These decorative tins and popcorn buckets are so cute and festive! Plus, the tins keep the popcorn fresh and they are a great option for shipping and the least likely to get damaged in transport.
Check out these Valentine’s Day Recipes 💕
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Valentine’s Day Popcorn Recipe
Equipment
- sheet pan
- Parchment Paper
INGREDIENTS
- 8-10 Cups Popped Popcorn
- 10-12 oz Candy Melts pink and red or colors of choice
- 2 cups Mini Heart Marshmallows
- 1 Cup Valentine M&Ms
- ½ Cup Valentine Sprinkles
More Topping Ideas
- Chopped Cookies
- Candy
- Pretzels
Instructions
- Line a large baking pan with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silicone baking mat.
- Spread out popcorn evenly on the parchment so it is in a single layer.
- Melt your candy melts or chocolate according to the package directions.
- Using either a pastry bag or spoon, drip about 1/2 the melted chocolate all over the popcorn.
- White the chocolate is still wet, add 1/2 the marshmallows, sprinkles, M&Ms, and any other toppings you desire.
- Let dry for 30-60 minutes until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
- Mix up the popcorn and spread evenly over the parchment again. Repeat with adding more melted chocolate and toppings.
- Let dry completely and then break apart into bite size pieces. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Prepare Your Toppings in Advance: Have your chosen toppings, such as crushed cookies, ready before you melt the chocolate. This ensures a quick and smooth assembly process without the chocolate hardening.
- Use colored chocolate melts in the colors you want or buy candy food coloring, which is oil based and won't cause your white chocolate melts or white chocolate to separate. You can not add regular or gel food coloring to white chocolate or it will get grainy.
- The amount of chocolate and toppings can vary depending on how much popcorn you're making, how many different colors you're using, and how many times you decide to mix up and re-cover the popcorn with chocolate and toppings.
Sophia Assunta says
This is such a fun Valentine’s Day recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!