Peppermint Bark Popcorn
Get your chocolate and peppermint fix with this peppermint bark popcorn recipe. It's gluten-free, ready in 20 minutes and perfect for holiday parties.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on December 12, 2024

This peppermint bark popcorn is my ideal Christmastime treat. It features my favorite salty snackโstovetop popcornโdrizzled with melted dark chocolate, followed by white chocolate and crushed candy canes. Itโs crisp, sweet, salty, pepperminty perfection, and I love it.
This popcorn has been one of my favorite holiday recipes since I shared it in 2012, and Iโm updating it with new photos in 2024. For more classic peppermint bark flavor, Iโve stirred peppermint extract into the dark chocolate and added a generous drizzle of white chocolate as well.
If this popcorn recipe looks intimidating, I promise itโs a manageable little project thatโs ready in thirty to forty minutes (and half of that time is chilling time). Itโs fun to make! Share your batch with friends this year, and Iโm sure theyโll ask you for more next December.
Key Ingredients & Where to Buy Them
Youโll find the full recipe further below. Hereโs what youโll need.
- Popcorn kernels: Look for unpopped popcorn near the microwave popcorn.
- Semisweet to dark chocolate chips: I like Whole Foods 365 or Guittard.
- Peppermint extract or flavoring: Iโve used Frontier Co-op and Whole Foods 365, both great. If you donโt have it, you can skip it and still get a nice amount of peppermint flavor from the candy canes.
- Chopped white chocolate: I used Ghirardelli white chocolate bars from Target. Bars of white chocolate melt better than white chocolate chips, in my experience.
- Peppermint candy canes: These are generally only available during the holidays unless you can find them online.
- Flaky sea salt (optional): I love Maldon Sea Salt and use it as a finishing salt on sweet and savory bites.
Popcorn Variations
Tailor the chocolate to your tastebuds. If you prefer a lighter, sweeter chocolate flavor, substitute milk chocolate in place of the dark chocolate chips. You can also trade all white chocolate for the dark chocolate or vice versa.
For a lighter treat, omit the white chocolate or use half as much dark chocolate. Itโs still fantastic.
You could go in many different directions with this basic chocolate-drizzled popcorn concept. You could mix some lightly salted, roasted nuts with the popcorn before drizzling it with chocolate. You could even sprinkle it with coconut flakes or sprinkles instead of peppermint.
More Christmastime Treats
Please let me know how your popcorn turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you, and I hope this recipe becomes a holiday tradition for you as well.
Peppermint Bark Popcorn
Get your chocolate and peppermint fix with this peppermint bark popcorn recipe. Please do make the popcorn on the stove with a bit of oilโitโs really easy and tastes SO much better than microwave or air-popped popcorn. This peppermint bark popcorn is perfect to bring to holiday parties since it is gluten-free and easily vegan (see note). Recipe yields about six cups of popcorn.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
- ยฝ cup popcorn kernels
- ยฝ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet to dark chocolate chipsย
- ยฝ teaspoon peppermint extract or flavoringย ย
- ยฝ cup (3 ounces) chopped white chocolate
- 4 standard-sized peppermint candy canes (to yield about โ cup finely crushed peppermint)
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the chocolate from sticking to the pan (youโll need to fit the baking sheet into your refrigerator laterโuse two smaller baking sheets if needed). Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid (if you have a medium-sized Dutch oven, itโs perfect for this). Turn the heat up to medium, add 2 kernels of corn, and cover.
- Once the kernels pop, remove the lid and pour in the remaining popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and give the pot a little shimmy to distribute the kernels evenly.
- Cook over medium heat, shaking the pot occasionally. Crack the lid just a smidge so the popcorn stays crisp, and cook until the popping sound slows to about one pop per every few seconds. Remove the pan from heat and dump the popcorn onto the parchment paper-covered pan. Discard any kernels that didnโt popโthis is important because they will be hard to see later. Sprinkle the salt evenly all over and stir to combine.ย
- Place the candy canes in a plastic bag. Cover the bag with a tea towel and crush the candy canes by rolling a rolling pin over it. (A mallet or hammer works, too.) When youโre done, the candy canes should be pretty finely crushed.
- Place the chocolate chips in one microwave-safe bowl and the white chocolate in another microwave-safe bowl. Melt them in the microwave in twenty-second bursts, stirring between each, or over double boilers until itโs completely melted and smooth (one may be done before the other).ย
- Stir the peppermint oil into the dark chocolate chips, then drizzle the mixture all over the popcorn. Next, drizzle the white chocolate all over (if it has thickened, warm it up for 10 to 20 seconds first). Working quickly, sprinkle the popcorn with the crushed candy canes. Very lightly sprinkle it with flaky salt, if using.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chocolate is set completely (it should be snappy when you try to break some off). Break up the popcorn sheet with your hands and serve. The popcorn is best served on the day itโs made but will keep for a few days. Store leftovers in an airtight plastic bag at room temperature.
Notes
Make it vegan/dairy free: Substitute dairy-free chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life. You can omit the white chocolate if you canโt find it. Double-check that your candy canes are vegan, if necessary.ย
Change it up: This recipe is very flexible. For a lighter treat, omit the white chocolate or use half as much dark chocolate. Or substitute milk chocolate if you prefer a lighter, sweeter chocolate flavor.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Iโd be the one hovering over this at the office! YUM.
Oh snap! I planned on making something very similar this weekend and Iโm going all out with dark and white chocolate. Hoping I can capture some precious daylight. Yours looks lovely! I really need something with drizzled chocolate :)
I love anything peppermint!! Omg I havenโt had lunch yet so I really wish there was like a smell-o-computer or something. Iโd probably eat at least 2-3 servings of this in one sitting if I made it. Iโm definitely going to pin this so I remember!
Happy Holidays!
Ha. I think I ate at least three servings of this while I was typing up the post. Itโs dangerous stuff.
Ohh I canโt wait to try this one! Iโm thinking white chocolate and pistachios!
Nice. Will be making this for work next week. Just made pretzels drizzled with chocolate and sprinkles for my daughterโs Brownies xmas party last night. The salty and sweet together are so good.
Thanks for adding to my peppermint bark obsession! At least this one is easier on the waistline. I have an office party Friday so I think this will be just the snack to bring. Though Iโll have to make it just before work so i donโt eat the whole batch. I canโt believe you have leftovers to share. Stronger woman than I!
If it makes you feel any better, the only treat on offer at my workplace is the odd glass of cheap white wine ;)
Love this popcorn โ I bet crushed candy canes give it a really nice crunch!
oh. my. god. making!!
It does look decadent. What a great idea for something light AND minty-chocolatey good.
You had leftovers?!
Donโt worry, I polished off most of the leftovers while I was typing up this post. :)
This looks really lovely. Iโve been trying to focus on making even more at home, and snacks can be a big problem. This is just enough sweet without being overkill.
Considering my โnight lifeโ consists of bedtime movies & sweets + saltiesโฆ I kind of have to have this. I absolutely plan to eat this. In my bed. & re: your last commentโฆ man, thatโs the thing about blogging. You end up *seriously* wanting to hang out & we all seem to be scattered to the four corners! One of these daysโฆ
Oh my!! This looks soo good! Salty, sweet, chocolatey, pepperminty. Bookmarking now!!
I think this will make a lovely Christmas present. Mason jar, ribbon, and peppermint bark popcorn. Done and done! Thanks for the recipe!
I think youโre right!
Great idea! I am such a big popcorn fan! Love the peppermint.
Amazing! You could totally package this up for gifts! I love it.
Yes, please. Iโll have the whole batch, all to myself! This sounds so wonderful. Itโs my dadโs birthday tomorrow. Maybe I should make some for him (at least half will get there).
I will be totally making this over the weekend! I always drizzle my popcorn with dark chocolate, but the peppermint is going to put it over the top โ I just know it!
Love this idea, Iโm a peppermint bark addict!
This was devine and totally addictive. Iโll have to make this for my coworkersโฆand then not share it. :)
Keep it all to yourself! I might make some more for Jordanโs party.
Kate, this looks INCREDIBLE and just like the treat I need to get myself moving this afternoon. As a non-office worker, I feel you on not having a copious amount of treats around this time of year, and itโs always nice to treat yourself to something scrumptiousโฆ Definitely making this today. :) Thanks for sharing!
Working in an office of some kind has its perks in that senseโฆbut then you realize your pants donโt fit come January first! Oops!
This popcorn/peppermint bark fusion sounds like it would make that SO worth it though.
Iโll be lucky if my pants fit in January. Youโre right, though, this peppermint bark popcorn is definitely worth it.
I know I would be at least 5lbs heavier this week if I were working in an office around all those treats! I totally get what you are saying. This is totally my kind of treat, love it!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Iโve have been looking for a great recipe for holiday gifts.
Yes, Iโve been taking the treating making into my own hands as well since Iโm in the same boat. The best part is we get to make what we like!
Not in this house will it โkeep for a couple of daysโ. Itโll be a wonder if it lasts the afternoon!
Yum! I love this! I made something similar last year and couldnโt get enough of it. This is like the best holiday snack ever :D
Oh my. Oh. My.
This looks awesome, and with ingredients I already have around the house for Christmas! What a great way to change up the typical idea of peppermint bark.
This was a hit!!! Oh wow! I made this for a military squadron holiday party, and holy bajoly, it flew out of the bag. I could barely get it out of my house because I couldnโt stop munching. This tastes like a gourmet specialty treat. The cool thing is (well, aside from the deliciousness), is it was beyond simple to make. And cheap! Thanks for posting. I canโt wait to make a batch for my family, here at home.
Thanks for the glowing review, Allison. Iโm so glad you loved the recipe! It is so simple and cheap, and I was glad that it was gluten-free so I could share it with all my friends. Happy holidays!
This should be on every office holiday snack listโฆstarting now. I love the popcorn base!
This looks like a very good treat, easy to make and not very fattening!
I made this and it was great- however,I did use trader joes air popped pppcorn( I know, I know) .
I wasnโt able to create the โbark texture. It fell apart after a long time in the fridge. Tried the freezer too.
Was it my need for instant gratification and using store bought popcorn?
Thanks!
Hey Jill, I think you would just need to use a lot more chocolate in order to achieve the texture of peppermint bark. I didnโt want a heavy treat so the one cup of chocolate seemed about right for me.
Holy Effin Delicious. Easy and delicious and amazing. And well enough said.
Looks super yummy and simple. Maybe Iโll make this for dessert for my hubby and me tonight. :)
I make this recipe with WHITE chocolate and it is a family fav! It looks really festive too!
Looking for something to send clients for the holidaysโฆhow long do you think this popcorn will stay fresh?
Nancy, sorry I didnโt see your question sooner! I think it will stay fresh for up to 5 days or so. You might make a test batch to be sure. It is delicious and super simple! :)
I just made this for a college Christmas party, and it was quite the hit. So easy and festive!
Happy to hear it! Thank you, Sarah.
My brother recommended I may like this blog. He was entirely
right. This publish actually made my day.
You can not believe simply how a lot time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
I was given a huge bag of popcorn from Costco made with coconut oil, and I had about 1/4 c crushed candy canes left from another baking project, so had to try this. The melted chocolate didnโt want to come off the spoon so I added about 1tsp coconut oil and put the bowl over boiling water as I workedโฆstill couldnโt get the nice lines like your photo and ended up mounding the popcorn on the baking tray and smearing it with melted chocolate using a spatulaโsprinkled the crushed peppermint candy on top, then stirred, spread it out and popped it in the refrigerator. It tasted amazing! Wonderful treat with minimal work that tastes like Christmas. Put it in a jar with a ribbon and youโd have a perfect gift!
Sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Barb.
I was going to make this last year but had trouble smashing the candy canes. This year I was given a jar of them pre-crushed. I thought of this recipe last night. Itโs easy and worked out great. I put it in plastic bags and left it in the fridge overnight. Just tried a piece and itโs still fantastic. Thank you and enjoy your holidays!
Thanks for trying it, Emilie! Iโm glad you tried it. I appreciate the review!
I thought I posted something a few days ago, but maybe it didnโt take. I remembered this recipe from last year โ Iโd given up after trying to smash candy canes โ but this year my mother gave me crushed candy canes in a jar. So I made it, and everyone enjoyed it. Since there were so many other sweets around, I liked the amount of chocolate on the popcorn..just enough! Looking forward to making it again, thanks!
Thanks for your comment! Iโm glad everyone loved it.
Hi there, do I store these in the freezer if Iโm giving them away tomorrow?
Hi! Storage suggestions are below the recipe notes.