I love popcorn, it can be a great snack to eat when trying to be healthy as I’m sure you know. I have a popcorn maker which pops the kernels just with heat, which is the healthiest way to enjoy it, rather than tossing it in a pan with oil.
What can also make it not so healthy are the additional toppings ladled over it. Butter and caramel and other goodies can outdo the nutritious value of eating popcorn.
I decided to invent this recipe for Chocolate and Peanut Butter Popcorn, which contains no diary-fat and no refined sugars, as part of my healthier January drive.
But it turned out to use quite a bit of coconut butter, which is better for you than regular butter, but is still fat nonetheless. So I ended up halving the quantities for the topping of this popcorn and it didn’t take away from the deliciousness at all.
For lovers of chocolate and peanut butter together, this one is for you! The chocolate is made from raw cacao powder (unsweetened cocoa, if you can’t get hold if it), a bit of agave nectar for sweetness and coconut butter. The butter mixes with the cacao when molten, making a kind of choccy sauce. When cooled it sets a little, so your fingers don’t get all messy.
The peanut part came from raw peanuts, blended in my Optimum 9400, to make a natural peanut butter, with some added salt, agave nectar for sweetness and coconut butter which again helps it set a bit.
After popping the corn, I let it cool before adding the toppings. You could eat them straight away, or leave it a while and bag up to take to the cinema with you!
You will love this and it really isn’t too bad a way of getting your chocolate and peanut butter fix…
Yield: Several cups of popcorn
Ingredients:70 grams popcorn kernels, popped
Chocolate sauce:35 grams coconut butter2 tablespoon raw cacao powder2 teaspoon agave nectar
Peanut Butter coating:20 grams coconut butter100 grams raw peanuts½ teaspoon salt2 teaspoon agave nectar
Method:Pop the popcorn kernels and leave the popcorn aside in a large bowl.
For the chocolate sauce melt the coconut butter in the microwave, in a small bowl. Add the cacao powder and agave nectar and stir until a sauce forms.
For the peanut butter coating, melt the coconut butter in a microwave. Place the peanuts in a food blender, add the melt coconut butter, salt and agave nectar. Blitz until a smooth (ish) paste is formed.
Pour the chocolate sauce over the popcorn and toss it about so it’s all covered. Spoon the peanut butter coating all over and mix that through.
If you leave this to sit in a cool place, the chocolate and peanut butter sets a little and can be enjoyed on the go.
Happy Popping!
