Chocolate Popcorn
20 min
Halloween party snack that takes under 20 minutes. White chocolate ganache dyed blood red — creepy, easy, and genuinely delicious.
snackdessertfor kids
Hands down the best Christmas confection — dark chocolate packed with marshmallows, rice krispies, dumle caramels, pistachios, and dried cranberries. Ready in under 20 minutes.
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter and syrup together in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- 2
Break the chocolate into smaller pieces. Pull the saucepan off the heat and add the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the chocolate melts.
- 3
Line a small baking tin (about 20x20 cm) with baking paper.
- 4
Add the marshmallows, rice krispies, dumle pieces (halved), roughly chopped pistachios, and cranberries to the tin. If you're using large marshmallows, snip or cut them into smaller pieces first. Set a little of each ingredient aside to sprinkle on top as decoration.
- 5
Give the chocolate mixture a good stir and make sure all the chocolate has fully melted.
- 6
Pour the chocolate mixture over everything in the tin and stir gently with a spoon so the chocolate runs down between all the goodies.
- 7
Sprinkle the reserved toppings over the top — and add some cake sprinkles too if you like.
- 8
Pop it in the fridge and let it set completely before cutting into pieces.
Per average serving
1.1k
Calories
kcal
1.4
Protein
g
0.2
Carbs
g
121.5
Fat
g
0g
Fiber
0.2g
Sugar
17mg
Sodium
Family Portions
2portions
Adults
2
Children
No children added
Ingredients
Per average serving
1.1k
Calories
kcal
1.4
Protein
g
0.2
Carbs
g
121.5
Fat
g
0g
Fiber
0.2g
Sugar
17mg
Sodium
Tips from the kitchen
- Pull the saucepan off the heat before adding the chocolate. The residual heat from the butter and syrup is enough to melt it gently. If you leave it on the burner, you risk the chocolate seizing up or going grainy.
- Halve the dumles before adding them to the tin. Whole ones are too big and make the slab hard to cut cleanly once set.
- Reserve your toppings before mixing everything together, not after. It's much easier to set aside a small handful of marshmallows, cranberries, and pistachios at the start than to fish them out of the chocolate mixture later.
- Give it a full two hours in the fridge before you try to cut it. An hour is usually not enough. You want it completely firm so the pieces hold their shape and don't crumble at the edges.
- Use a sharp knife and cut in one clean downward press rather than sawing back and forth. Sawing drags the toppings and makes a mess of the surface.
Ways to vary it
- You can swap the pistachios for roasted salted almonds or hazelnuts if that's what you have. The salt works well against the dark chocolate.
- For a slightly more festive look, use red and green M&Ms instead of cake sprinkles on top. They hold their colour well and look great on a Christmas plate.
- If you want a milder chocolate flavour, use half dark and half milk chocolate. The texture sets a little softer, so give it extra time in the fridge.
Storage & leftovers
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, this lasts about two weeks. It freezes well too. Cut it into pieces first, layer with baking paper, and it'll keep for up to two months. No reheating needed, just let frozen pieces sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so before serving.
What to serve with it
A cup of strong black coffee or a small glass of port cuts through the sweetness nicely. On a Christmas dessert table, it sits well next to something lighter like clementines or a bowl of nuts.
UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 5 July 2026
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