Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

There’s a reason my purse is the size of international travel luggage.

I lug around a lot. ย There’s my giant makeup bag full of the two things I actually use and the 87 things I sort through in search of my favorite two items. ย There’s my camera, because I never know when I want to ignore it to take pictures with my iPhone. There’s a bag of smoked almonds because you do not want to see me hangry. ย There’s that calligraphy pen you gave me last week… tucked safely away in a zip lock bag.

There are three pens that don’t work, one pencil, and two lip glosses. ย I totally have a band-aid if you need one… I just hope you’re not in a hurry because it will take me a few moments to find it. ย Safety pin? ย Yes. ย Toothpick? ย Maybe. ย Pair of shoes for spin class? Duh.

You know what giant purses are also great for? ย Smuggling a massive amount of treats into movie theaters. ย Yea… I’m that girl. ย With my giant bag, you’d never know that I’m smuggling a gourmet picnic (with wine).

You’d also never suspect that I’d be smuggling my two favorite movie treats (popcorn and chocolate) in one very snackable cookie shape. ย Just for future reference… you definitely want to sit next to me at the movies. ย You’ll recognize me as the girl carrying her purse luggage across the aisle. ย I apologize in advance. ย Have treats; will (most likely) share.

ย ย Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s pump the brakes. ย Did we properly celebrate the fact that we’re folding buttered popcorn into chocolate chip cookie batter? ย This little gem of cookie genius is brought to us by Deb from Smitten Kitchen. ย She now reigns supreme as Queen of Snacks.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Think about the goodness of a sweet brown sugar cookie batter, combined with a salt buttered popcorn. ย Dreams!

I have a taste for salt (because I also have a taste for sugar), so I added a bit of extra grey sea saltย into the batter and onto the tops of the cookies.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a hard time deciding whether or not to add chocolate to this cookie batter.

Wait… a hard time trying deciding on chocolate!?

You’re right. ย That’s madness. ย In goes the chocolate!

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Buttered popcorn, dark chocolate chunks, and coarse sea salt. ย Oh yes please.

If you’re thinking white chocolate is a good plan, I would support you in that endeavor!

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are crunchy around the edges and soft in the center. ย Dark chocolate works really nicely with the buttery popcorn and extra salt. ย The popcorn gives the cookie a definite chew.

Here’s a mega tip! ย I was talking with Deb about these cookies and she suggested they be made with microwave popcorn! ย Yea. ย Seriously. ย Let’s just all admit that sometimes microwave popcorn is sometimes the bee’s knees.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Milk. ย Spilled.

Deb’s Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 24 cookies

adapted slightly from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Print this Recipe!

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup yellow corn kernels

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate

coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Let’s make the popcorn first. ย Place oil in the bottom of a medium saucepan. ย Heat over medium heat. ย When oil is hot, add corn kernels in a single layer across the bottom of the pan. ย Cover the pot but keep the lid ajar to let a bit of steam out. ย Listen to the popcorn as it pops. ย Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner once the popping has subsided. ย Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter. ย Toss to coat all of the popcorn in a bit of butter. ย Piece through the popcorn to remove any unpopped kernels. ย Set aside to cool. ย You’ll have about 4 cups of popcorn.

Next we’ll make the dough. ย Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. ย Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. ย Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. ย Cream until butter is pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. ย Beat in egg and vanilla extract for one more minute. ย Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low until just combined. ย Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a spatula to fold in the popcorn. ย It might seem like a disproportionate amount of popcorn considering the cookie batter. ย Keep folding. ย The popcorn will break down a bit as it’s folded in. ย Fold in dark chocolate.

Scoop dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet. ย Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with coarse sea salt. ย Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until the edges and tops are golden brown. ย Remove from the oven, allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. ย 

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  1. I’ve made these several times and it’s become one of my favorite cookie recipes ever! also is one of the ‘most requested’ from my friends (aka my eager taste testers)! So good. Love a salty+sweet. Thanks Joy!

  2. Going to see “”Bad Moms” tonight with a bunch of my GREAT mom friends. I’m smuggling in THESE and another mom is smuggling in the wine. It’s going to be a great night! Thanks for the great recipe!

  3. Would love to know if you’ve adapted this recipe to bake in an 8×8″ square pan & make bar cookies? I send many packages to our deployed soldiers & they would go nuts for this combination all year long! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!

  4. So good! I made these today. Had to cut up a godiva chocolate bar because I didn’t have dark chocolate chips, and used dark brown sugar instead of light brown. So. Amazing. My mother is on a diet so I calculated the calories for her, 111 per cookie, and I made 24. The popcorn kernels were a little old, albeit still good, so they weren’t as crunchy as I had hoped they would be. But I’m very happy with the results. Would recommend!!

  5. These cookies were delicious! The popcorn broke down beautifully and added such a lovely, unique flavor. The only thing I would have done differently was chop my dark chocolate up a little bit more but it didn’t change how tasty these cookies are.

  6. These cookies look faboulous! I have been experimenting with popcorn too, I made some popcorn tortillas that turn out really well. Can’t wait to start using popcorn in baked goods, this recipe is a good start.

  7. I just made those to bring for a long-ish car drive tomorrow, but i don’t know if I can resist eating them all! They look (and smell) perfect. I had to use a hand mixer but the mess was worth it.

  8. I tried this recipe without the pop corn… ’cause I had none. They are so chewy and soft and tasty ! Loved it…next time….pop corn ! Kids and hubby ate them all !

  9. I am interested in this great recipe but feel unsure about adding the popcorn! What is the texture when it’s all baked?

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  11. I totally just angry baked these. Why “angry baked” you may ask? I just failed one of my nursing exams and to channel my negative energy/anger in a creative way I opted to bake these cookies. Tasty and definitely stress-relieving. Thank you for sharing!

  12. Does anyone know how well these keep, either as batter or as baked cookies?? I want to make them for Friday during the day for a work function, but I don’t have time on Thursday night.
    I did just have an idea… I suppose I could make the mix tonight (Tuesday) without the popcorn. Then on Friday morning I could make the popcorn, mix it in, and pop it in the oven. That wouldn’t be too bad potentially. Has anyone tried this?

  13. I just made these, but I can never truely follow a recipe, so I doubled it, added oatmeal and walnuts. and a touch of cinnamon. OMG. These are absurdly good. Also, I used already popped popcorn.

    I wish they were fluffier, but…oh well, they’re still fabulous.

  14. These are fantastic! I made them last Friday before sweetheart and I went to go see World War Z. He absolutely loved them, and they were the perfect thing to nervously nibble on through horrifying movie trailers, haha. Next time I’ll have to bring more, so they last until the movie itself!

    Anyway, since I didn’t have chocolate chips, I opted to throw in a couple of handfuls of white chocolate chips. They were brilliant! Totally perfect.

    Thank you so much for this recipe, Joy! And all of your other recipes too!

    xoxo

    Sophie

  15. Thanks muchly, Joy! I’ve made these twice now and both times people have been astounded by their tastiness. And even when I overbaked them by 5 to 10 minutes, they still stayed soft the next day! Very cool. :)

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  17. hi!,I love your writing so so much! share we communicate more approximately your post on AOL? I need a specialist on this house to resolve my problem. Maybe that is you! Having a look forward to look you.

  18. Hi Joy! I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, and drooling over all the fantastic recipes. This time, I actually made one…shocker! (I’m more of a recipe reader, than a recipe follower) :) My daughter’s soccer team had a bake sale and we were all asked to bring something. In my head I said ‘AHA! I’m making those popcorn cookies!’ Had I declared that out loud, people may have looked at me funny. They did look at the sign in front of our cookies, and say ‘Popcorn? Huh?’ but mostly out of curiosity, bought them. I thought they were quite tasty, although, after they had cooled you really couldn’t taste much popcorn, but there was just a nice crunch to them.

    Thanks for your lovely recipes, pictures and letting us into your life.

  19. I wanted to like these but the popcorn came out rather stale once the cookies were baked. The raw cookie dough was amazing though, a perfect combo of sweet and saltly and buttery. Any tricks for protecting the texture of the popcorn?

    1. I agree! I made the original recipe last year when I first bought the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I liked them but didn’t love them (and that’s hard for me to admit since I usually think Deb’s recipes are perfection). When I saw this chocolatey version, I thought “now why didn’t I think of that?!”
      Anyway, I made them this week, and although I loved the flavour combination of the sweet buttery dough, chocolate, and salt, I didn’t love the weird chewy texture of the popcorn in the cookie. My husband, however, clearly disagreed as he inhaled 4 cookies in a row without stopping to breathe. Thanks for a fun recipe!

  20. I just made these and they’re delicious but they look very different from yours. I wanted the flat, chewy texture like yours, but instead mine are puffed up and fluffy. Any ideas what I did wrong?

  21. I know everyone here may not trust our fabulous Joy and the unarguable fact that two delicious things eaten together are usually delicious! Fear not! Sensitive to all of my fellow loyal readers concerns, I consequently have made and nearly downed the entire batch, solo. Subbed semisweet for dark; orville butter popcorn for air pop. Ahhhh, the sacrifices I make… ;)))) thanks Joy/Deb! My two official fave food bloggers can’t be wrong ;)

  22. Oh my gosh. I do not know how I did not think of this. Popcorn has been my all time favorite snack since I was a little kid, and my dark chocolate and sea salt obsession is completely out of control. How I never thought to put them in a cookie is beyond me. I will definitely be trying these IMMEDIATELY.

  23. First, my mind is totally blown with this idea. Seriously, just ran around and told everyone nearby about this. Even strangers. Second, You’re a girl after my own heart with the movie snacks. We would have a potluck.

  24. I made a gluten free, dairy free version of these with Red Mill gluten free flour and 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp Canola oil and they turned out really great! Thanks for the recipe!

  25. Growing up, for a special treat, when we made popcorn, my mom would throw in a handful of plain M&M’s. Salty and sweet. When I make these cookies, I think I will make them with M&M’s instead of the dark chocolate pieces, but either way, these sound amazing

    Thanks!

  26. I made these today, minus the sea salt because I was out.

    I think they would be really good if you browned the butter first. I know it needs to be solid to cream with the butter, but I think you could brown the butter first and then let it cool to room temperature before moving on.

    Unless that’s breaking a sacred baking/chemistry rule that I don’t know about. : )

  27. I made these on the weekend and they are delicious. Next time I would double the batter recipe and the amount of chocolate chips but leave the popcorn amount the same. I don’t know what happened but my cookies were “all” popcorn and I would have preferred more batter and chocolate.

  28. AH THIS IS PERF. Thanks Joy. I usually make a big batch of air popped popcorn and eat it throughout the week. But if I’m feelin’ a sweet tooth craving this totally works too. Like really works actually.

  29. GENIUS JOY. When I make a big batch of air popped popcorn I usually just put it in a bag and eat it throughout the week. But this is something I can do when I’m feelin’ a sweet tooth craving. Thanks for the recipe BOO

  30. I have to make these!!! I buy white and dark chocolate covered popcorn all the time for my family. So there would be perfect combo. And I love choc. chip cookies with sea salt.

    HELP!: I’ve read and reread this recipe but how much finished popcorn do we use if we are going with the “mega tip” of using microwaved or store bought popcorn?

      1. Thanks! You’re the best! Making these this weekend for the hockey staff.

        You need to come to Portland, OR, and see all of our fantastic food carts. No, not the roach coaches, actual food cart neighborhoods. I think you’d love them. :)

  31. These look incredible. I don’t even know where to start. I am that girl who also carries around her world on her back (snail much?!?) inside the bag that is never actually used. I would happily tote around a second just to have these on hand at any given point in the day that I might need them! YUM

  32. This are the strangest and most surprisingly delicious cookies I’ve ever made! I’d highly recommend trying them. I added toasted pecans and salted caramel pieces to this recipe. Heaven, right?

  33. Have I told you lately how much I love you? This recipe reminded me that I needed to do that.

  34. This post — especially the first five paragraphs — is so lyrical and gracefully well written! The cookies look delicious, too.

    You have succeeded in convincing me that you’d be a good movie-going partner. Since I spend my days as a letter carrier, like your mother did (as your previously mentioned), I too am exceedingly well versed in packing massive quantities of stuff into a suitcase-sized satchel and then lugging it across town. I somehow get paid to do that! And then I use my paycheck to buy chocolate to tuck into cookies that I stuff into other suitcase-sized satchels and take to the movies. Shall we be friends?

  35. Hello.
    I might have a baking day with my kids next week and these seem like a great new recipe to try.
    Do you have any idea how long do they keep? I am not sure how does the popcorn “behave” after a day or two inside a cookie..
    I have the Smitten Kitchen book but somehow haven’t paid attention to these until seeing them now in your blog. I’ve checked the original recipe and it doesn’t mention how long they keep fresh. I was hoping you could find out.
    Thanks,
    Hannah

  36. Oh yummmmm!!!!

    I know what I’m making tomorrow night!!! Joy, your cookie combos are second to none!!!

    M

  37. First time commenter (long time reader!). This one caught my eye because it was such a strange combo, but now I have to try it! My parents made me a popcorn birthday cake when I was little and it was amazing so I have no doubt these would be great too.

  38. Excellent recipe! I’m making these tomorrow. I’d suggest culling the unpopped kernels of corn before adding the butter (fast, though, so the corn is still hot).

  39. When the movie Julie and Julia came out I created fun movie snack bags for my friends. In the snack bag, I had a croissant, baby belle cheese, grapes, chocolate, wine and wine glasses. We had a blast. The theater was crowded. I shared treats with the couple next to us, so they wouldn’t rat us out.
    In high school, we used to sneak in everything from ice cream to shakes to brownies.
    For one of our movie nights, Men in Black I used airplane sickness bags and filled them up with homemade chocolate chip cookies.
    Good times and food.

  40. Had to laugh about your bag. You’re lucky your vices are so light!
    I lug my coffee machine and my grinder (7 kgs on it’s own) around the country as I travel from assignment to assignment housesitting.
    I don’t think I would get through customs.
    Thanks for a delicious sounding recipe.

  41. This is a really unique, fun, and tasty recipe. HOWEVER, watch out for kernals! It’s really hard to keep from getting any kernals in the batter, and when you bite into one it is a real jolt.

  42. Joy, you are a girl after my own heart: one MUST carry a big purse in order to facilitate sneaking snacks into the movie theaters!!! I’ve had my eye on these popcorn cookies for a while, and now you’ve convinced me that I must go make them immediately. Thanks for the delightful post!

  43. All hail Queen Deb! You know if Deb made it and Joy is endorsing it, it HAS to be good! I can hardly wait to get started. I’m going to use air popped corn folded into my favorite Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and I’m still going to include my usual walnuts too. I can hardly wait to snack on them tonight with my friends while we do Karaoke!

  44. Joy

    My world has been rocked

    The batter to make these cookies is unreal, too (because you know the batter klaxon will sound as soon as you fold in the chocolate)

    These are so yummy and light and (ok, less light when you eat six in a row)

    thank you. Anna K x

  45. Yippeeeeee! A new post and recipe from you is a gift! Or a Culinary therapy session!
    You are FAB!

  46. OMG! Look, if you can figure out a way to make Blue Bell’s Caramel Kettle Crunch ice cream that has popcorn in it, I will worship you! For realsies! B-)

  47. In the words of my two year old self: gimme gimme! I would also like to note your podcast with Deb today was absolutely adorable. I felt like i was listening to three best friends from across the room. I do that a lot.

  48. I see the reicpe now has an amount for the dark chocolate. Thank you! I went ahead and made these as I couldn’t wait. I didn’t have dark chocolate but mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and I used those. I measured out a cup since many chocolate chip cookie reicpes call for a cup inclucing your (Joy’s) sweet potato chocolat chip from the book, Joy the Baker (which BTW are Delicious with a Capitol D). When I started stirring them in along with about 4 1/2 cups microwave butter popped corn, it looked like too much so I ended up using about 3/4 of a cup of the chocolate chips. They were GREAT! Both hubby and I loved them. Since I love dark chocolate I can’t wait to try them again with your suggestion of using 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks. If they’re any better than the ones I just make we may not be able to take it. Joy, hon, you’re a genius as is Deb P for inspiring you to make these. On another note I just listened to your pod cast with her and it was very interesting.

  49. I just made these using one cup of chocolate (chopped up bittersweet Callebaut, but you could use chips, too). Added them in with the popcorn. Delicious!

  50. I was getting ready to print this recipe and head into the kitchen to try these out when I realized that chocolate isn’t listed in the ingredient list. I notice you say dark choclate chunks in the article but don’t state how much. Or am I overlooking it? Also if I wanted to use microwave popcorn how much popped would 1/4 cup of kernels be? Thanks for the help.

  51. I have such a weakness for sweet and salty! I will definitely need to try this! I love the marriage of the two! For Easter, I paired Chocolate, Pecan Pie and my classic cheesecake recipe for the ultimate indulgence! So much for all of the sacrificing I did during Lent, huh?

  52. I’m so that girl at the theater! I get it honest. When I was little my mom would take us to the candy store next to the theater and let us load up her purse before we went in. My husband’s ultimate goal is to one day sneak an entire Thanksgiving dinner into the theater. I think I’m going to need a bigger purse. And some serious tupperware.

  53. These look so magically delicious! I totally want to sit next to you at the movie theatre. I went to the movies the other day and brought some dill spiced popcorn…my purse wasn’t big enough. :(

  54. I am making these tonight! I’m taking my grandson to see “The Cruds” I think that’s the name of the new animated flick out, tomorrow and I am going to get Grandma of the Year for these cookies!!!

  55. You have combined my two favorite food groups exactly!!! That’s all I’ve been eating over this spring break!! Yikes. Delicious!!!

  56. I made these out of Deb’s book and was a little disappointed. They didn’t have enough dough to keep it all together and ended up flat as a pancake. Yes the taste was great but just not the cookie I wanted from a merge of two great things.

  57. I have lots of luggage sized purses. I must add these cookies to the million other items that I schlep around everyday. They look quite healthy! :-)

  58. This recipe scares me. I’ve tried popcorn flavored jelly beans (shudder), and I wonder about the sogginess factor of popcorn in cookies.

  59. I love these! I made them with caramel corn, but I love the idea of chocolate chips – brilliant as always, Joy. Love that you have spin shoes too – I’m working up the courage to get some.

  60. OMG. I have been craving chocolate chip cookies for a week. This may be the solution for my craving and satisfy my love of sweet/salty combinations.

    Thank you.

  61. Hi Joy! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your posts and amazing recipes. Sweet or savory, I always enjoy your tasty offerings! Blogs like yours have inspired me to dedicate time to my love of food and writing as well- I created pinchofflavor.blogspot.com
    As always, looking forward to your next post!

  62. OMG, I am a total movie snack smuggler too! My husband found it objectionable when we were first dating, but he has since come around to the dark side…..homemade popcorn with parmesan cheese with a side of cadbury mini eggs was our last movie feast……the movie was OZ.

  63. I totally thought your spilled milk was a cutout in a cutting board and was trying to figure out what it was…I was thinking the outline of Italy somehow but then I read the rest of the post and realized my error. It was good for a laugh anyway :) And the cookies look delicious!

    By the way – my in-laws just stayed with me for the first time ever, and it was about as glamorous as you think having in-laws over would be (aka not glamorous) BUT the highlight was when I made your brown butter chocolate chip cookies from your cookbook and everyone couldn’t get enough of them. My mother in law even almost complimented me on them! So thanks for recipes that make awkward in-law situations at least taste good.

  64. You are a clever, clever, woman. No matter that you can’t find your keys in your massive purse. I know exactly how that is. At least you have a tasty treat waiting there for you at the end! Thank you so much, these look delicious!

  65. Your posts brighten my mornings! These look and sound fab. Do you think adding toasted chopped almonds or walnuts would be good? I love nuts in my cookies and brownies but wonder how they’d work with popcorn.

  66. Lol I’ve been a “bag lady” since back in high school. Joy thank heavens you are part of the bring-your-own-snacks to the movies! It’s highway robbery for stale popcorn and dried out sour patches. These cookies are my kind of treat–salty, sweet, and chocolatey.

  67. Joy! Did you know that a screen shot of your Whoopie pies is doing the rounds demo-ing an app called dolphin?
    Heck you proudly, already do, I’m sure. Dang. I want to be the first one to have noticed.

    Laya

  68. By ‘microwave popcorn’ you mean unpopped popcorn that’s put in the dough so it will pop into popcorn in in the cookie in the oven? If that works, that would be … so cool.

  69. I’ve always combined my microwave popcorn with Milk Duds for the salty-sweet combination, but this sounds mind-blowingly amazing! I am seriously considering mixing Milk Duds into this batter or salted caramel pieces along with the dark chocolate chunks. I think my whole body is salivating. Also, omitting both chocolate and caramel, Red Hots would be a great addition to the popcorn cookie batter for a movie night snack. I’ll just go ahead and create a whole line of ideas to add to this batter because it’s the best recipe known to mankind. Thanks, Joy!

  70. I made caramel corn cookies last month! I love popcorn, caramel corn, and any time I can combine those faves with a cookie, I am super happy! And good call on working in the chocolate. But I think you may have omitted it from the recipe unless I am blind and overlooking it!

  71. I was just munching on some microwave popcorn the other day. And I was just thinking…I need something sweet combined with this. Buttered popcorn chocolate chip cookies would have been the answer! I love the taste of salted popcorn combined with sweetness. I can’t wait to try these.

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