Holiday Recipe: Maple Bacon Popcorn

Celebrate the holidays and National Maple Syrup Day with Maple Bacon Popcorn

Thursday December 17th, is National Maple Syrup Day. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener made from the sap of Sugar Maple Trees. It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce just one gallon of maple syrup! Popcorn is often strung and used as a garland around the Christmas tree but also served hot and buttered for sitting by the fire. Bacon, well what can I say? Just be sure to buy the natural uncured type which is hormone and nitrate/nitrite free. However you look at it, maple syrup, popcorn and bacon are all part of our holiday traditions. Here's a yummy Maple Syrup Day recipe that uses all three:

Maple Bacon Popcorn

1/2 cup Yellow Popping Popcorn

2 tbsp Coconut Oil (the secret to old time, Movie Theatre Popcorn!)

Old Time Stove Top Popper or Pan with Lid

4 Slices Uncured, Natural Bacon 

1/2 tsp Smokehouse Rub ( I like Chef Dave's Homemade Sweet & Sassy Smokehouse Rub)

Coconut oil (center) is the secret to old time Movie Theatre Popcorn. 

Maple Sauce

1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Vanilla

Set oven to 200 degrees. Rub bacon slices with Smokehouse Rub and pan fry on low. Once cooked, dice bacon into small bits. Add coconut oil to popping corn kettle and pop. Spread freshly popped corn on a Silicone Mat spread over a baking sheet.

Maple Sauce being poured over freshly popped popcorn and bacon bits

Maple Sauce: Combine and bring to a boil butter, sugars and maple syrup. Cook maple sauce for five minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp. baking powder. Immediately pour over popcorn and bacon bits laid out on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.

After 30 minutes at 200 degrees, give the popcorn a stir.

This Maple Bacon Popcorn is deliciously crunchy with the Maple Syrup giving it a depth of flavor without being gooey or sticky. The smokey bacon infuses throughout the popcorn and is a tasty surprise among the puffs. The recipe secret is coconut oil (I used Tropical Traditions Gold Label Organic Virgin Coconut Oil) which is an all natural fat. This is what the old time movie theatres used to use to pop their popcorn. It gives the popcorn a warm, delicious, buttery flavor. You will want to make this recipe again and again as it is absolutely scrumptious. Pack it in canisters and pop a bow on top. Makes a GREAT last minute gift!

Maple Bacon Popcorn

Special thanks to GaveThat.com for their help with this popcorn recipe.