Gingerbread Popcorn
This Gingerbread Popcorn is an easy and sweet treat to enjoy throughout the holidays. Made with 6 simple ingredients, this lightly spiced and decadent snack is ready to eat in 10 minutes or can be given away as a delicious gift!
Gingerbread popcorn recipe
From November to December, serve this kettle corn style Gingerbread Popcorn as a sweet treat on family movie night! It’s perfectly spiced and so comforting around the holidays. The best part is your kids will love it!
My gingerbread popcorn recipe is made with 6 simple ingredients and ready to eat in 10 minutes. The buttery, caramelly gingerbread popcorn seasoning is poured onto popped popcorn and baked in the oven until it’s sticky, crunchy, and golden brown. It’s one of the best and easiest holiday treats you can enjoy as a snack or gift to friends and family.
Looking for more fun flavored popcorn recipes? Then you have to try my Caramel TWIX Popcorn and Rainbow Popcorn Balls!
How to make gingerbread popcorn
Learning how to make candied popcorn at home is so easy. All you need is some butter, gingerbread spice, and, of course, popcorn! I prefer to make this recipe with air popped popcorn but microwave popcorn works just as well.
Here’s how it’s done:
Pop your popcorn and preheat the oven. Layer the popcorn on two large baking sheets.
Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
Pour the gingerbread butter mixture over the popcorn and toss to coat.
Bake for 10 minutes, making sure to stir the popcorn halfway through the cooking time.
Let the baked popcorn cool for a few minutes, then pour in a bowl and enjoy!
Variations
There are plenty of ways you can customize your homemade gingerbread popcorn, whether it’s with a few treats mixed into each serving or playing with the ingredients. Try any of these variations:
- Add ins – Stir pecans, walnuts, a chopped chocolate bar, chocolate or caramel chips, candy, or pretzel pieces into the gingerbread popcorn once it’s cool.
- Gingerbread spice mix – You can leave the spice mix as is or add nutmeg, allspice, or ground cloves for warmer flavors.
- Oil or butter free popcorn – To keep your popcorn butter or oil free, mist it with water (using a water mister) once before tossing it with half of the seasoning. Mist again and toss with the rest of the seasoning. Misting the popcorn once or twice will help the seasoning stick, keep the snack low calorie, and won’t cause your popcorn to get soft.
- Caramel gingerbread popcorn – Stir the gingerbread spices into a batch of homemade caramel sauce and pour it over the popcorn. Toss it all together, then bake!
- Maple ginger popcorn – Stir 1 to 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup into the melted butter mixture to give this popcorn snack a comforting maple flavor.
Gingerbread popcorn as holiday gifts
This easy homemade gingerbread popcorn makes enough for a couple servings but if you’re giving some of the kettle corn out as gifts, you can always double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe. Baking the popcorn in the oven should prevent it from becoming soggy too quickly, but just in case, give out the gifts within 2 days of making the popcorn.
Place about a handful of popcorn in a Christmas tin along with some sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, gingerbread cookies, and snowball cookies, or wrap it in small plastic gift bags with ribbon. Voila! A simple and delicious gift for friends, family, or neighbors.
More simple and giftable holiday snacks you’ll love
- Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Cinnamon Sugar Pistachios
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
- Chocolate Vegan Fudge
Pin for later:
Gingerbread Popcorn
PrintIngredients
- 12 cups popped popcorn
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place popcorn on 2 large rimmed baking sheets.
- In a bowl mix melted butter, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon and salt together. Pour butter mixture over popcorn, tossing so it’s fully coated.
- Bake for 10 minutes, stirring the popcorn halfway.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before pouring it into a big bowl. Enjoy!
Lisa @ silkandcookie says
This would be a fantastic snack around the holidays, or in winter time. Warm spices, and popcorn infront of a fireplace. Amazing!
Pamela says
I agree! Gingerbread is a favorite winter time flavor… mmmm!
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
This is so cool, I bought an air popper a few weeks ago and a few nights ago I used it for the first time, and now I’m experimenting with loads of popcorn flavours. Definitely going to try this one, ginger is amazing!
Pamela says
If you come up with any, please share! Very excited about new popcorn recipes!
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
I’ve made white chocolate with dried cranberries it was to die for and so easy to make!
Pamela says
Oh my, that sounds great! I have some dried blueberries… hrmmmmm!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I eat popcorn like this almost every day! Love it! I spray mine with coconut oil first so the toppings stick 🙂 And also add nutritional yeast (nooch) + stevia and sometimes cocoa powder..for a cheezy, sweet, vegan treat! Your popcorn has me wanting some! 🙂
Pamela says
I’ve been eyeing up various coconut oils to try as a olive oil alternative – it’s just the price tag that usually makes me cringe. I’ll be trying it soon!
Kristi @ lifesprinkles says
This sounds amazing! I love gingerbread – this will be perfect for movie date nights. 🙂 I have never used an air popper but I think I need to get on board!
Pamela says
The air popper is amazing! I was surprised by how much better it tastes.. every single piece is fluffy!
Pam says
My kids would love this!
Pamela says
It’s lots of fun!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
This sounds SO amazing! I am obsessed with my air-popper and have been looking for some new and creative seasoning ideas. I will definitely be trying this one :).
Pamela says
Great, enjoy it Hannah!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
What a treat, Pamela! I love the idea of air popping this. Love the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg combo. Hope you had a lovely weekend! 🙂
Pamela says
I love those spice smells together! Hope you did too Anne!
Mande @ Newfound Foodie says
Hi, from a fellow Brooklyn girl!
I love this. I *need* to get a popper and try it. I bet there’s one at Goodwill (it’s kind of like how there’s always like 5 George Foreman grills there).
Pamela says
Hey Mande! That’s a great idea, I bet they have one there along with their Foreman grills (my local one is totally like that + hundreds of wicker baskets). Popcorn high fives!
ashley - baker by nature says
I seriously NEVER tire of popcorn!!!! And gingerbread flavored kernels sound divine!
Pamela says
It’s my new favorite snack. Look out for some new popcorn adventures coming soon!
sally @ sallys baking addiction says
I need to buy an air popper. I make microwave popcorn ALL the time, but there is nothing quite like the air-popped. I wouldn’t be able to stop snacking on this gingerbread kind!
Pamela says
I love air popped popcorn too, it’s so addicting.
Miss Messy says
T’his sounds freaking amazing! Like seriously amazing. I love anything gingerbread!
Pamela says
Me too, did you by chance try the gingerbread Oreo-Os that were out last year? Beyond dangerous, beyond delicious.