Maple Bacon Popcorn

Is it just me or is maple bacon starting to / has become a classic flavor ?! I think it totally has and I’m like preeeetty okay with it. Maple bacon pancakes are a 100% in my book but I’m not so into the drinks flavored with maple bacon goodness… Anyway I had an epiphany a few weeks ago while I was sitting in my living room watching Grey’s Anatomy, eating a bowl of kettle corn for dinner (which is an all to often occurrence) and I was like… MAPLE BACON POPCORN?! I love kettle corn because it’s half sweet and half savory and I knew maple bacon would bring popcorn kernels the same flavor profile! 

This is a great treat to bring over to your favorite bachelor for the holidays. I took a bowl over to Jared’s and all of his ‘bro’s’ had the same reaction “is there bacon in this?!” Ah, yes indeed there is bacon in it. Men love anything with bacon… The way to a man’s heart is supposedly food, but it if has bacon it’s like a guarantee. Remember that ladies #thewhiskingkitchendatingadvice. When you do decide to make this scrumptious popcorn be careful boiling your sugar mixture, it burns so quickly! Be sure to keep an eye on it the whole time it’s boiling. The first time I made I actually burned my sugar mixture. You want it to have a light caramel color, any darker than that you risk having a yucky burned flavor.  

I’m all about ribbons, wrapping paper, decorations, etc. around the holidays! I love breaking out my inner Martha and going above and beyond on wrapping presents. I find the best / cheapest gift wrapping essentials at hobby lobby. That is also where I found this plain brown wrapping paper for my popcorn cones! Cut out an even square about 8×8 inches, roll into a cone and seal with tape! You can add some cute ribbon or twine if you’re really feeling the holiday season like I am 🙂 

Maple Bacon Popcorn

6-8 Cups of popped popcorn
3/4 Stick of unsalted butter
3/4 Cup of brown sugar
4 Tablespoons of pure maple syrup
3/4 Cup of finely chopped bacon
Sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl. In a small sauce pan heat butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup until bubbling. Let bubble for 2-3 minutes to thicken. This mixture will quickly burn so be sure to keep a close eye. After 2-3 minutes of cooking, remove from heat and stir in bacon pieces. Stir browns sugar bacon mixture with popcorn and spread evenly over parchment paper. Sprinkle evenly with sea salt and bake for 8 minutes for a chewy popcorn and 10-15 for a crunchier popcorn (I personally cared for the crunchy popcorn more!)

Enjoy!

xo