The 3-Ingredient Popcorn Upgrade For Sweet And Salty Bites

If trying a simple kettle corn is the only way you've dabbled in sweet flavors on your popcorn, it's time to go a step further. There are plenty of ways to turn your popcorn into a tasty, dessert-worthy treat, including incorporating caramel (which turns it into the perfect crunchy ice cream topping), adding melted marshmallows to make Rice Krispie-inspired treats, and creating a sweet glaze with melted cotton candy. But if you want an elevated way to stay in the sweet-and-salty lane without fully diving into the sweet popcorn waters just yet, go for peanut butter and honey with a bit of sugar instead.

Whether you're using it on toast or in your popcorn bowls, peanut butter and honey is a combination that never fails. The saltiness of the peanut butter perfectly balances out the bright sweetness of the honey and sugar, but contrast isn't all that these toppings are good for. When you melt the former, all of the elements become nice and gooey, creating sticky bites and clumping the popped kernels together. Plus, these are likely three ingredients that you have on hand already, so this snack can't get much easier to whip up.

To ensure an even amount of both peanut butter and honey in every bite, you'll want to whip up what's essentially a peanut butter syrup; that's where the sugar comes in. Feel free to use either creamy or crunchy spread and either a natural jar or a regular one. To make the syrup, pop your kernels ahead of time, then you'll want to heat sugar and honey on the stove, taking the pot off the burner when it reaches a boil. Immediately add your peanut butter and stir until smooth. Then, pour your new syrup all over the popcorn and toss everything together.

While this is enough to make a tasty sweet-and-salty snack, there's more that you can do to elevate the flavors. When stirring in the peanut butter, add a dash of vanilla extract. You can also experiment with the 26 different types of honey out there — dark buckwheat, for instance, will give you less sweetness and more nuttiness, while orange blossom will add a touch of citrus flavor. Hot honey is an ideal spicy popcorn upgrade, although you can also add some sriracha, red pepper flakes, or chili powder to your syrup for a kick. A little melted chocolate will bring rich sweetness, while chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or toffee bits will up the crunch factor. But whatever you choose to tack on, make sure to toss your bare kernels in a little sea salt before you get started.