Nothing says summer like a Mermaid themed recipe! If you are ready for an easy to make ocean themed snack then you have to try this recipe.

This Sweet & Salty White Chocolate Mermaid Popcorn would be the perfect addition to your summer movie night. Or serve it poolside for an easy to grab treat that’s crave-worthy sweet and salty. It’s the perfect party favor for a birthday party or kids classroom party too.

So let’s do this.

Mermaid Popcorn Ingredients

The ingredients you need are simple. First of all you need popped popcorn with a dash of crunchy salt like Kosher salt. To make your popcorn you may need coconut oil and to salt your popcorn you may want a drizzle of butter. Next you will need white chocolate, mini marshmallows, and mermaid themed sprinkles.

Equipment to Make Mermaid Popcorn

The most important thing you need to consider before making this Mermaid Popcorn is how do you want to serve it? It would be cute in popcorn bags like these. I added mine to mason jars. You could also just serve it in a big bowl – but a popcorn recipe this cute deserves to be displayed.

You will also need: a small stock pot with a lid or an air popcorn popper. And you will need either a microwave safe bowl or a double boiler to melt the chocolate. A rubber spatula is helpful and much better than a wooden spoon. Plus you need a baking sheet and parchment paper (which you will be placing in the fridge) to cool and set the chocolate a little faster.

What Kind of Marshmallows Should I Use?

Mini marshmallows are a must because large marshmallows will overwhelm the size of the popcorn kernels. But an option is – if you like a little more crunch, you can get Dehydrated Marshmallows just like what you find in breakfast cereal!

The Best Ways to Make Homemade Popcorn

Easy: Just use an Air Popper! If you’ve never used an air popper, let me tell you right now it makes delicious and flavorful popcorn. The only quirk is that because you are not using any oil, you will need a drizzle of butter to salt your popcorn.

Stovetop: Drizzle oil into a stock pot until the bottom just has a tiny glean. Place 5 or so kernels of popcorn in pot, cover with a lid and heat to medium heat. Once the kernels pop, Add enough popcorn that the kernels have a sheen of oil but are not completely covered in oil. Stir the kernels every 30 seconds or so. As the heat pops the kernels you will hear the popping speed up and then slow down. Just like when you make microwave popcorn. Once the pops are around 2 seconds between sounds and slowing down, quickly take the popcorn off the heat. Remove the lid after a few more seconds.

How to Melt White Chocolate

When it comes to melting your white chocolate for this recipe, it doesn’t need to be tempered. Tempering is when you make your chocolate have the snap and glossiness of a professional chocolate bar. It’s a way of heating the chocolate that alters the crystal structure giving it a perfect snap that stays solid at room temperature.

Even though you don’t need to do it, I tempered mine because it makes the Mermaid Popcorn easier to store, serve, and eat. Here is a full tutorial on how to temper white chocolate.

The short version is, melt 1/3 of your chocolate for just a few seconds in the microwave and stir. Continue this process of melting for a few seconds and then stirring until the chocolate is melted. Then add dry chocolate, the remaining 2/3, in small amounts at a time. Stir the dry chocolate into the liquid chocolate until it’s completely melted in. Continue this process adding small amounts at a time until the dry chocolate that you are adding quits melting. And voila! You have tempered chocolate.

How to Put the Mermaid Popcorn Together

By now, you should have your popcorn popped and your white chocolate melted, so the rest of the steps are just to combine and chill your mermaid popcorn.

Start by placing the popcorn in a large bowl and drizzling white chocolate over the popcorn. Toss the popcorn as you go so that the coating will be even across the popcorn. Use all the white chocolate by scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.

While the chocolate is still liquid add your sprinkles and mini marshmallows. Toss gently and thoroughly to get an even coat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the popcorn in a single layer on the parchment. Place in the refrigerator for around 10 minutes or until the white chocolate has finished setting. It’s ready to serve once the white chocolate is set!

Mermaid Popcorn Serving Ideas

This popcorn is meant to be cute and meant for having fun so here are just a few ideas:

1. Wrap it in clear cello bags and add a seashell to the outside for a mermaid themed gift.

2. Take this popcorn to the beach as a themed snack.

3. Serve this for a mermaid movie night (with the movies Splash, Aquamarine, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Shape of Water-Adults Only!!! or Peter Pan).

4. Combine it with Seaweed, Banana Chips, Nuts, and Ocean Shaped Fruit Snacks for an even heartier Ocean Snack Mix.

How to Store Mermaid Popcorn

This popcorn will store just like any chocolate popcorn snack. It’s best in an air tight container and lasts for around 3 days before it starts to lose it’s crunchy texture.