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)!

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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!

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.

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 :-).

📖 Recipe