Description
Popcorn Cookies combine the light crunch of popped popcorn with rich chocolate chips and crunchy pecans in a buttery cookie base. These deliciously unique cookies are perfect for snack lovers looking for a fun twist on traditional treats, baking to golden perfection with a soft, chewy texture and delightful pops of flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Dash of salt
Add-ins
- 2 cups popped popcorn, lightly crushed
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking your cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar for 5-7 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a smooth, aerated base for your cookies.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, which helps bind the dough and adds flavor.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and a dash of salt to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning.
- Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating until just incorporated to form the cookie dough.
- Fold in Popcorn and Mix-ins: Stir in the lightly crushed popped popcorn, semisweet chocolate chips, and chopped pecans gently to evenly distribute without crushing the popcorn too much.
- Portion Cookies: Drop tablespoonfuls of cookie dough about 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets to allow room for spreading.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 13-14 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before serving, which helps them firm up and enhances texture.
Notes
- Lightly crushing the popcorn prevents it from becoming too hard or breaking teeth while maintaining its unique texture in the cookie.
- Use fresh popcorn for the best flavor and crunch; stale popcorn may negatively affect texture.
- Ensure the butter is softened but not melted to maintain proper dough consistency for creaming.
- Spacing the cookies 2 inches apart allows them to spread without merging during baking.
- Cooling on wire racks helps prevent sogginess on the bottoms of the cookies.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds based on preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
