Disney-Inspired Movie Night Snack: Sweet & Salty Popcorn Bowl

If you love a perfect sweet and salty combo, stick around – I’ve got just the snack for you! Introducing the Sweet & Salty Popcorn Bowl! It’s so easy to make and will be an amazing touch for movie night!

The Entrancing Smells of Main Street

Imagine that you have just entered the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. It’s early, the actual park isn’t open just yet, but you know that there is plenty to do on Main Street at this hour.
Ultimately, you are heading to the Main Street Bakery for a cold brew to start the day. But you get distracted by some wonderful smells. You slowly close your eyes and tip your head back to take it in. What is that smell? It is the mixture of amazing treats that the Confectionery has to offer, just wafting down Main Street, smacking you right in the face. Its only end game is to lure you into the shop. Do you give in? Of course you do, silly! Don’t ever walk past the Confectionery without dropping in!

Delicious Treats Galore

The treats in this place are a sight to behold. Basically, I end up wanting one of everything and I need to really practice my self-control. (One of my favorite things that I HAVE to buy during every trip is a caramel apple – they are gorgeous!) There is an endless variety of treats and candy – I always leave there with my backpack a little heavier than when I went in. 🥴

There is a special spot inside the Confectionery that you must visit called the Kernel Kitchen. Isn’t that a cute name? That is where you will find the “make your own popcorn bowls.” Choose your popcorn (butter, caramel, cheddar, or rainbow), choose from three different types of chocolate syrup, then pick your add-ins (different candies, pretzels, or marshmallows.) Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

Since I’m not currently on Main Street (or anywhere near it for that matter 🙁) I decided to take matters into my own hands and design my very own popcorn bowl right at home.

Jumbo-licious Corn

You can use whatever popcorn that floats your ferry boat for this recipe – pop it in a popper, pop it in the microwave, buy it in a bag, etc. Personally, I love big fluffy popcorn done in a good old fashioned air popper. That is what my mom used when I was growing up so as a nod to nostalgia, I prefer the air popper. I had a hard time finding jumbo kernels in the store so I ordered mine from Amazon – here’s the link if you also like big, giant, fluffy popcorns and you run into the same issue with sourcing it :). This is the air popper that I use and I just love it! (As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.)

Sweet & Salty Popcorn Bowl

This Sweet & Salty Popcorn Bowl is perfect for movie night or a magical anytime snack!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Dessert, Snack

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 8 cups popped popcorn (¼ cup of unpopped Jumbo kernels is approximately 8 cups when popped)
• salt (salt the popcorn to your tastes)
• 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• variety of sweet & salty toppings (for this recipe I chose mini M&Ms and mini pretzels but feel free to mix things up and use your favorites!)

Caramel Coating

• 3 tbsp light corn syrup
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

 

The Popcorn

1. Pop the popcorn (or buy it, no judgement here!)
2. Salt the popcorn to your taste and set it aside for the moment.

Caramel Coating

1. Preheat the oven to 250°.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
3. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Continue stirring until mixture begins to bubble.
4. Stir frequently for approximately 3 minutes, until the caramel is smooth and slightly thickened.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. (Don't worry if it foams a little bit!)
6. Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir until it is evenly coated.
7. Spread the popcorn in an even layer on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and stir one last time to prevent large clusters of caramel corn (small ones are great!) Let it cool completely.

Assemble the Bowl

1. Put 1 cup of caramel corn in each of 4 bowls. (Use bowls that will hold 3-4 cups so there will be room for all of the fixings.)
2. With a spoon, drizzle several tablespoons of melted chocolate over the popcorn in the bowl.
3. Sprinkle some mini M&Ms and pretzels (or whatever add-ins that you choose) on top of the chocolate.
4. Repeat the last 3 steps to create a second layer to the bowl. Enjoy your delicious Sweet & Salty Popcorn Bowl!

More Popcorn Fun

If you enjoyed this Sweet and Salty Popcorn Bowl, try my S’mores Popcorn Bowl. It is the perfect twist on a classic S’mores treat but there’s no campfire required!

Looking for a magical snack that’s a little bit more on the healthy side? Check out these Fruit Skewers! They are perfect for a summer treat or a picnic dessert.