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    Home » Recipes » Sweets

    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix

    Published: Feb 22, 2019 / Modified: Jul 1, 2021 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / 8 Comments

    • 26
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    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix with chocolate
    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix
    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix pin

    This Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix is a creative and fun way to incorporate veggies into a sweet snack. Great for parties and holidays (especially Halloween)! 

    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix

    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.

    Boy oh boy, do I have a fun one for you today! I actually need to give most of the credit for this recipe to my husband/sous chef Will. When I was brainstorming ideas for this month’s Recipe Redux theme, “Oscar Movie Inspiration,” Will gave me the great idea to do something with popcorn, a.k.a. the best movie and party snack ever.

    We then started to think about how to “veg-ify” the popcorn (not a real word, but it’s real in the Veg World). Will mentioned candied veggies, and soon enough we were down an internet rabbit hole about how to make them. From there, this Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix was born. 

    This snack mix is 1) SO delicious and 2) SO pretty! It would be perfect for an Oscars viewing party. I’m also getting major Halloween vibes from these photos, don’t ya think?! But first things first, let’s talk about how to make those colorful veggie strips! 

    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix with chocolate

    How to Make Candied Vegetables

    Making candied vegetables involves just a few ingredients: veggies of choice, water, and sugar. Root vegetables, such as carrots, beets, or parsnips, make the best candied vegetables since they already contain more natural sugars than other veggies. 

    Since we wanted this to be a colorful snack, we settled on carrots and golden beets. I chose golden beets instead of regular red/purple beets because I didn’t want the dish to inherit a faint pink color. 

    To make the candied vegetables, we loosely followed these instructions from Southern Living with a few of our own adjustments.

    First, you need to scrub and peel the outer layer of the veggies. Then use a vegetable peeler to peel down the carrot to make wide, long strips. Press firmly to make the strips as long as possible, about 2-4 inches. I’d recommend getting the widest carrot you can find. You can also use a vegetable peeler for the beet, or slice it into thick pieces and then carefully use a mandoline to make strips.

    candied carrots and golden beet strips

    Next, boil water and sugar in a small sauce pan. Add the veggie strips and bring everything to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Drain the veggie strips in a fine mesh sieve and carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Don’t overlap the strips. They will be tender, so use your fingers to gently pull them apart.

    Bake them at low heat (225 degrees) for about a half hour and let them cool for five minutes. They will shrink as they bake, hence the tip to make the widest/longest strips you can, and crisp up as they cool. Add them to popcorn and drizzle melted dark chocolate on top. Voila! 

    Doesn’t that sound fun?! Remember to bookmark this recipe if you’re watching the Oscars this weekend. And be sure to check out the other Recipe Redux snacks this month :-).

    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix

    Candied Vegetable Popcorn Mix

    A fun and delicious popcorn snack mix with candied carrots and golden beets, melted dark chocolate drizzle, and chocolate chunks.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 50 mins
    Resting time: 5 mins
    Total Time: 1 hr
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 272kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Ingredients

    • 1 carrot - large and wide
    • 1 golden beet
    • 1.5 cups water
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ¼ cup popcorn kernels
    • ½ cup dark chocolate chips - divided
    • Sea salt - to taste
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    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush it with nonstick spray.
    • Trim, scrub, and peel off the outer layer of the carrot and golden beet. Using a vegetable peeler, peel down the carrot and beet. Press firmly into each vegetable to yield wide, long strips.
    • In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the vegetable strips and lower heat to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the strips in a sieve.
    • Carefully transfer the strips to the lined baking sheet. They will be tender, so use your fingers to gently pull them apart without breaking them. Make sure they do not overlap on the baking sheet. Transfer the sheet to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool for ~5 minutes.
    • While the veggie strips are baking, pop the popcorn kernels in an air popper. If you do not have one, use pre-popped/packaged popcorn.
    • As the veggies are cooling, melt ¼ cup of the dark chocolate chips in the microwave. Place them in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir and repeat in 15-second intervals until the chips are melted and smooth.
    • Combine the popcorn and veggie strips in a large bowl. Add the other ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted dark chocolate on top of the mix.
    • Let the chocolate cool and harden before serving (or else you'll have sticky fingers). You can also skip the melted chocolate and add more chocolate chips to the mix. Add a dash of sea salt to taste. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Try to find a large/wide carrot to make thin, wide vegetable strips. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 2548IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall and follow me today!

    Happy Friday! 

    Lizzie

     

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    More Healthier Sweets

    • Vegan Tahini Oatmeal Cookies
    • Sheet Pan Pumpkin Bars (Lightened Up)
    • Acorn Squash Bread with Apple Cider Glaze
    • Cherry Almond Butter Energy Balls
    • 26

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    1. Alison

      February 25, 2019 at 9:28 am

      I am definitely going to have to try candied veggies! Sounds delicious!

      Reply
      • Lizzie

        March 11, 2019 at 8:30 am

        Thank you!!! They are so fun and easy!

        Reply
    2. AZ@...And A Dash of Cinnamon

      February 23, 2019 at 6:55 pm

      How interesting! I would have never thought to candy vegetables!

      Reply
      • Lizzie

        March 11, 2019 at 8:28 am

        Thank you! They really add a fun taste and color.

        Reply
    3. Farrah

      February 23, 2019 at 12:35 am

      Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks! I love this idea! I bet this would be a hit at any party–it looks so good! <3!

      Reply
      • Lizzie

        February 23, 2019 at 10:26 am

        Thank you so much! It’s one of my favs too :-)!

        Reply
    4. Leanne

      February 22, 2019 at 11:23 am

      What a fun take on popcorn! I immediately went there too with this month’s theme haha. Love the colorful photos!

      Reply
      • Lizzie

        February 22, 2019 at 2:35 pm

        Thank you Leanne!! It was a lot of fun to make and photograph. Can’t ever have enough popcorn right?! 🙂

        Reply

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