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This Peanut Butter Popcorn is a sweet and salty peanut butter lover’s dream come true! It’s a soft and chewy caramel popcorn texture with the most delicious peanut butter flavor. If you love peanut butter, this popcorn, along with our popcorn balls with peanuts, is going to be a guaranteed hit.

With only five ingredients, you can whip up a batch of this in no time. It’s a delicious buttery treat that you can serve as a dessert or a snack. Make a batch for your next movie night! This simple popcorn recipe is also a great treat to package up as gifts for neighbors and friends.

Do you love popcorn recipes? Try our Olive Oil Popcorn (Garlic & Rosemary), Homemade Poppycock Recipe, Caramel Corn, Homemade Chex Mix (we add caramel corn to it), or Copycat Cracker Jack.

Overhead of Peanut Butter Popcorn in a bowl

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Enamelware Popcorn Bowl

Movie Theater Microwave Popcorn

Jif Peanut Butter

Stirring a bowl of peanut butter popcorn

While you can certainly use air-popped popcorn, or even stovetop popcorn, for this recipe, I’m convinced that microwave popcorn is the way to go! You also get very few unpopped kernels.

A few years ago, I was at a family reunion and my aunt brought the most delicious caramel corn. It was buttery, sweet, and just the right amount of salty. When I asked what her secret was, she revealed that she used buttery microwave popcorn before she added the caramel sauce. It was perfect!

Microwave popcorn package in a bowl of popped corn for Peanut Butter Popcorn

So, when I set out to make the most delicious batch of soft, chewy Peanut Butter Popcorn, I decided to add the secret ingredient: Butter Flavored Microwave Popcorn. It really does taste extra delicious and the perfect salty-sweet treat!

What Goes Into Peanut Butter Popcorn?

Jif Peanut Butter and a bowl of popped corn for a Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe

To make Peanut Butter Popcorn, you only need five ingredients:

Creamy Peanut Butter (not the natural type of peanut butter that needs to be stirred)
Popped Popcorn (I recommend butter flavored microwave popcorn)
White Sugar
Corn Syrup
Vanilla Extract

You likely have all of these simple ingredients already sitting in your pantry, so you’re just minutes away from a really tasty treat!

Just make sure you’re using a classic creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. You don’t want the natural peanut butter because they separate and the more oily texture doesn’t work as well in a treat like this.

How to Make Peanut Butter Popcorn

Pouring the sauce onto Peanut BUtter Popcorn.

To make Peanut Butter Popcorn, start by getting the corn popped. If you’re using microwave popcorn, two bags of popcorn is all you need. If you’re using an air popper, about 1/3 cup of kernels should turn into 10 to 12 cups of popped corn.

Once the corn is popped, combine the sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Bring to a boil, then take it off the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until the mixture is creamy and smooth. It really is that simple!

However, if you’re not using microwave butter popcorn, you might want to add a pinch or two of salt into the sauce for a bit of extra flavor.

Overhead pouring peanut butter sauce on popcorn

When the peanut butter sauce is ready and while it’s still hot, just pour the peanut butter mixture over your popped corn in a large bowl, drizzling it around, and then quickly stir with a rubber spatula until all of the popcorn is completely coated. You’ll want to be careful as you stir not to crunch up the popcorn kernels too much.

As soon as it’s all mixed, you’re ready to start snacking!

Grabbing peanut butter popcorn from a bowl

Close-up of holding peanut butter popcorn

The combination of salty butter microwave corn and the sweet caramel peanut butter coating is a flavor duo to die for! Every bite is soft, chewy, and downright addicting.

It’s also a flexible recipe. If you like really gooey, soft caramel corn, just add less popcorn. Likewise, if you want it a little bit crunchier, just add a cup or two more popcorn. You can make it however you like it!

We cannot get enough of this Peanut Butter Popcorn recipe!

Pin it HERE!!

Pin it HERE!!

Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe

Tara Noland

This sweet and salty treat is a peanut butter lover's dream come true. Soft, chewy caramel popcorn with a delicious peanut butter twist!

4.62 from 18 votes

Print Recipe Save Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 6

Cook Time 5

Total Time 11

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 219 kcal

Video

Ingredients

12 cups popped popcorn microwave butter popcorn recommended
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter not natural peanut butter
splash of vanilla extract

Instructions

Pop your popcorn of choice and set the warm popcorn aside in a large bowl.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup and white sugar. Stirring often, bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.
Immediately drizzle the peanut butter sauce over the popcorn and gently toss and stir until the popcorn is completely coated with the peanut butter sauce. Eat immediately for soft, chewy peanut butter popcorn!

Equipment

Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, 16 Ounces (Pack of 3)

Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn, 3.29 Ounce Classic Bag, 24-Count

Enamelware Popcorn Bowl 4 3/4″ tall and 9 3/4″ in diameter 4 Quart (Standard version)

Notes

If you’re not using microwave popcorn with butter and salt, you may want to add a pinch or two of salt into the peanut butter sauce.

Also, if you want a really gooey caramel popcorn texture, use less popcorn. Likewise add an extra cup or two of popcorn if you want it to be a little less chewy.