Zebra popcorn is an easy oven-baked caramel corn that’s drizzled with milk chocolate and white chocolate for the ultimate popcorn recipe!
I’m a huge fan of sweet gourmet popcorn recipes! Homemade gourmet popcorn makes a great gift, a fun addition to a cookie tray, and it’s the perfect movie night snack.
This zebra popcorn recipe was based on my easy homemade caramel corn recipe. It takes that buttery homemade caramel corn one step farther by adding a drizzles of melted white chocolate and milk chocolate.
The result is a delicious popcorn that’s a great snack and is hard to put down!
“Made this popcorn to give as gifts. It came out looking as good as the store-bought stuff, only this popcorn tasted much better. Great recipe.” – Kelly
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Popcorn: It doesn’t matter whether you use air popped popcorn or microwave popcorn as long as it’s plain (unflavored) popcorn.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work.
- Salt: If you don’t have kosher salt or sea salt, use half the amount of table salt.
- Almond bark: I like to use white and chocolate almond bark because it’s easy to find, especially around the holiday, and it melts and sets up nicely. I like to use white almond bark instead of white chocolate chips because chocolate chips don’t always melt well or set up well. You could substitute something similar, like candy melts, if you prefer.
How to make zebra popcorn
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Add the popcorn to a greased rimmed baking pan (like a rimmed cookie sheet) or pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven while you make the caramel.
Step 2: To make the caramel, add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Step 3: Once at a boil, stop stirring and let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.
Step 4: Pour the caramel over the warm popcorn. Toss to coat the popcorn. The popcorn won’t be entirely coated.
Step 5: Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Step 6: Once the popcorn has cooled to room temperature, drizzle the popcorn with the melted milk chocolate almond bark over the top of the popcorn. Then drizzle the popcorn with melted white chocolate almond bark in stripes.
Step 7: Let the almond bark set before serving.
Recipe Tips!
- Stripes: Once you’ve drizzle chocolate over the popcorn, don’t stir it. It needs to set up to create the stripes.
- Baking sheet: If you have a deep rimmed baking sheet, that will make stirring the caramel corn so much easier!
Storage
This popcorn should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored.
More popcorn recipes!
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Zebra Popcorn Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups popped plain popcorn
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- ¾ cup salted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ounces chocolate almond bark melted
- 2 ounces white chocolate almond bark melted
Instructions
- Grease a large rimmed baking sheet or pan with cooking spray or line with a silicone baking mat.
- Preheat oven to 225F.
- Put popcorn on baking sheet, and place in the oven while you make the caramel.10 cups popped plain popcorn
- Add brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to a large, heavy saucepan.1 ½ cups brown sugar, ¾ cup light corn syrup, ¾ cup salted butter, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Let it boil 5 minutes without stirring.
- Remove from heat.
- Add baking soda and vanilla, and stir in to combine.½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Remove popcorn from oven, and pour caramel over warm popcorn, tossing to coat. The popcorn may not be completely coated, and that’s ok.
- Bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Break apart before drizzling with chocolate.
- Once the popcorn has cooled and been broken apart, drizzle with chocolate.2 ounces chocolate almond bark
- Drizzle melted white chocolate over the top.2 ounces white chocolate almond bark
- Let the chocolate set up before serving.
Notes
- Popcorn: It doesn’t matter whether you use air popped popcorn or microwave popcorn as long as it’s plain (unflavored) popcorn.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work.
- Salt: If you don’t have kosher salt or sea salt, use half the amount of table salt.
- Almond bark: I like to use white and chocolate almond bark because it’s easy to find, especially around the holiday, and it melts and sets up nicely. You could substitute something similar, like candy melts, if you prefer.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Evelyn says
Do you think we could use puff popcorn with no kernels
Kate says
Hi! I’ve never tried using puff popcorn in place of popcorn, so I’m not sure how it would work out.
Floranet says
Your ebullience is refreshing!!
Kelly says
Made this popcorn to give as gifts. It came out looking as good as the store-bought stuff, only this popcorn tasted much better. Great recipe.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that it turned out so well for you. Thanks for commenting!