popcorn
I love popcorn, but it frustrates me.
How can I eat and eat and eat it, yet be even hungrier than when I started eating it? It’s like eating air, but air that ramps up your appetite. I suppose that’s why they serve is doused in butter? Maybe the fat fills you up? Anyway, I like popcorn au naturale – with some sea salt of course. If I’m feeling adventurous I may sprinkle with ground wakame, cayenne and nutritional yeast, but usually plain is where it’s at for me.
I wanted to make some sort of energy-boosting snack this morning, but I am sick of all my “staple” components – oats, buckwheat, quinoa etc – I needed a change, something different.
Enter popcorn…. it’s actually quite the healthy option according to a bit of research that has been done in the States:
Popcorn was found to have a high level of concentrated antioxidants because it is made up of just four percent water while they are more diluted in fruits and vegetables because they are made up of up to 90 percent water.
Researchers discovered one serving of popcorn has up to 300mg of antioxidants – nearly double the 160mg for all fruits per serving.
They also found that the crunchy hulls of the popcorn have the highest concentration of antioxidants and fiber.
(Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2120346/Forget-day-Popcorn-antioxidants-fruit-vegetables.html#ixzz1z3ZV67d6)
Research or not, popcorn is Yummo, and I wanted to include it in a vegan snack. Honestly, I could eat the whole batch of these in one go, but they DO stick to your ribs more than plain popcorn. I’ve listed some substitution ideas in the recipe below, but I highly recommend sticking to the recipe – these little balls actually taste like caramel popcorn, which can only be a good thing, right?
Caramel Popcorn Snacking Balls
(Vegan, gluten/wheat/soy/nut/refined sugar free)
- 3C air popped popcorn*
- 10 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/4t sea salt
- 2t lucuma powder (if you don’t have this, appropriate substitutions could be maca, mesquite, cacao/cocoa, or even protein powder)
- 2T coconut butter (other nut butter should work instead of coconut, but I would omit the water)
- 2t water
- 1/2t lemon juice
- Whizz everything together in a food processor until a soft dough forms.
- Roll into balls or you could press into bars if you are that way inclined.
- Store in the fridge.
35 Responses to “popcorn”
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Vegan. Stay at home Mum of Misty. Yoga teacher in training. Passionate about REAL food - creating it, eating it, sharing it. I can never stick to a recipe.
Mmmmm…. I’ve been plotting some sort of ‘balls’, but it did not occur to me to add popcorn. I’m quite the popcorn fan, and it’s something I can eat with my nieces and nephews (they get to eat a lot of ‘kid food’ and Aunty Sara food generally does not appeal).
Oh try this with your little nieces/nephews – it seriously tastes like caramel popcorn!! Misty LOVED them… I had to stop those little sticky fingers from grabbing fistfuls of them
This is so creative Lou! I love popcorn myself but you’re so right- it just makes you hungrier! Really cool about it being really high in antioxidants! Gives me an excuse to eat it more
Yeah, any excuse to eat more popcorn, huh?
Will definitely give this a go. We’ve been eating SO much caramel popcorn in Thailand and Malaysia. It’s so delicious there. All warm and sticky from the movie theatre.
When we were at the movies in Bangkok there was Teriyaki Salmon flavoured popcorn. I kid you not.
EW! Salmon popcorn?! So wrong!
Viper reckons this is the best thing I’ve ever made (!) He wanted to eat the whole batch. I think the next step would be to dip the balls in chocolate
Best idea ever!!! I so have to try this. Yum yum yum. I love the way your mind works
if you’re ever in Melbourne let me know!
I nominated you for a blog award- feel free to play along but if not that’s cool too xxx
Oh Melbourne, how I miss Melbourne (I lived there for 3 years) I miss all the amazing FOOD! But I don’t miss the cold
Me and Viper met on a blind date in a little pub in Fitzroy, ah memories.
Thanks Claire, you’re a star x
and i always thought I WAS CREATIVE! you definitely beat me in the energy ball competition, those popcorn balls look amazing! I love popcorn too but I think i would prefer to keep it savoury, with nutritional yeast and sea salt. yummy.
BUT if u send me a couple of yours to sample i might change my mind!!
Ha, I think these little babies would change your mind – me, Misty & Viper have been fighting over them… very very happy with this little sweetie snack!
GREAT idea Lou!! I bet kiddos will love these too!
Yes yes – and no stressing about choking on popcorn kernels, these are soft – hooray!
Yum! I have never substituted popcorn for anything in a recipe, you are so creative! I definitely want to try these
Hi Natalie! Totally give these a try – so quick + easy PLUS they seriously taste like caramel popcorn, YUM!
I love popcorn. These.look.awesome. Caramel-ly & awesome.
You’ve got it – I think they are my new favourite snack
i love popcorn too! what a fabulous idea! i’m going to definitely have to try these! i bet Misty loves those little treats:)
Misty has competition as Viper has decided these are his favourite things EVER – yeah the whole batch is history
I love popcorn–just had a stovetop batch with butter and fresh dill a couple days ago. These little popcorn balls sound fabulous!
YUM… popcorn and dill – what a fantastic combo! Thanks for reading, Eileen…. welcome
I’m so jealous you have a popcorn machine. oh what fun!
Eat away!
Dude, we have 3 of them! I’m not sure why? One doesn’t work, but is a dinosaur (Pop O Saurus) and way too cool to chuck out
I also have a waffle machine that makes penguin shaped waffles. Ha.
do you guys make popcorn balls at christmas time or is that just a US thing? anyway, these are sort of like them – except so much healthier and probably tastier! i’m so excited to give them a whirl!
Must be a US thing – I do remember some sort of terribly sugary “popcorn bar” thing when I was a kid, but that was pretty gross!
Viper reckons these are the best thing I’ve made, so I’m sure J would approve – Viper wants me to dip the next batch in chocolate! mmmmmm
YUM! These look so good, I haven’t had popcorn in forever!! I hateeee the butter that goes on most, so I make my own plain kernels on the stove with some olive oil/coconut oil and a bit of salt. Mmm..I see a movie night in my future.
YUM Lou! I love your creativity – honestly it is superb! I’ll have to give these a shot at some point – way to go!
Thanks so much, Shira
I’m a sucker for ANYthing that involves sweetie caramel dates, they are truly a wonderous thing! Happy Weekend!
This is so creative! I love popcorn as well. Sketch-free has a cool recipe for it in their e-book that makes it taste like actual movie popcorn, so I’ve been making the heck out of that! I have a caramel corn recipe I’m perfecting, but in the meantime I’ll have to give these a go!
Wow, Sketch-Free’s Ebook sounds great, might have to get one – love those girls! Excited about your caramel-corn recipe…. YUMMO
I have no doubt I would LOVE these. Popcorn and lucuma must make such a perfect match! Delish. And pretty, too.
Thanks Ricki! They are seriously addictive – basically ANYTHING with lucuma is good in my book (can’t get enough of the stuff!)