Popcorn Cookies

When it comes to out-of-the-box cookie mix-ins, we’ve seen it all: peppermint, coconut, pretzels, bacon and more. But popcorn cookies? While it’s certainly a new one, we couldn’t believe how good it tasted baked into tender, chewy cookies with chocolate chips and pecan pieces.

As far as gourmet cookies go, these popcorn cookies might take the cake. You can use any kind of popcorn, so long as it’s fresh and not stale or soggy. Make this recipe yours by playing with different popcorn flavors, baking chips and nuts. Who knew cookies with popcorn would be such a hit?

Ingredients for Popcorn Cookies

• Butter: Soften one stick of butter to room temperature so it creams seamlessly with the sugar.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cookies and gives them a crispy outer edge.
• Egg: One egg is used to bind the ingredients together and give the cookies volume and structure.
• All-purpose flour: Thanks to its mix of hard and soft wheat, all-purpose flour is perfect for creating tender yet strong cookies.
• Baking soda: Baking soda helps the cookies rise and puff up just a bit. Don’t confuse it with baking powder, or you’ll get very different results!
• Popcorn: Lightly crush 2 cups of freshly popped popcorn for these cookies, and pick out any rogue kernels.
• Chocolate chips: We found that semisweet chocolate chips taste best in the cookies with the pecans and popcorn.
• Pecans: Toast the nuts to bring out their nutty sweetness and remove their raw, oily flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture just until no white streaks remain.

Editor’s Tip: Before adding the flour mixture, take a second to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.

Step 2: Add the mix-ins

Fold in the crushed popcorn, chocolate chips and pecans until they’re evenly dispersed.

Step 3: Portion the dough

Drop the cookie dough by the tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.

Editor’s Tip: I like to use a cookie scoop to make sure the cookies are a uniform size. If the dough feels very warm, pop the cookie dough into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 4: Bake the cookies

Bake the cookies until they’re golden brown, 13 to 14 minutes. Remove the cookies and transfer them to wire racks to cool at room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: The cookies are done when the edges and bottoms are lightly golden brown.

Recipe Variations

• Brown the butter: Browned butter’s toasty, nutty flavor is a perfect match for these popcorn cookies, where buttery popcorn, pecans and chocolate take center stage. Brown the butter (adding an extra half stick to make up for the evaporation), pour it into a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Place the butter in the fridge to solidify, measure out a 1/2 cup, then soften the butter at room temperature to use in this recipe.
• Try flavored popcorn: There are all sorts of flavored popcorns you could try in place of regular butter popcorn. Sweet is best, so try chocolate popcorn, white chocolate popcorn, cinnamon popcorn or caramel popcorn.
• Change the chips: Feel free to play around with the baking chips. White chocolate, butterscotch or milk chocolate chips would be excellent in these popcorn cookies with pecans.

How to Store Popcorn Cookies

Store popcorn cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. They’re best eaten within the first few days of baking, though, as the popcorn may lose its pleasant chew.

Can you freeze popcorn cookies?

Yes, you can freeze popcorn cookies, but the moisture from the freezer may make the popcorn soggy. Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container with sheets of parchment paper in between to prevent sticking. Freeze them for up to three months and thaw them at room temperature whenever you’re ready to enjoy them again.

Popcorn Cookies Tips

Which popcorn is best to use in these popcorn cookies?

You can use pretty much any type of popcorn for this popcorn cookies recipe, whether it’s a store-bought bag of popped popcorn, popcorn purchased from the movie theater, one of the best microwave popcorns, or popcorn made on the stovetop.

To make popcorn at home on the stovetop, pour 2 tablespoons of canola oil and 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels into a pot over medium heat. Place the lid on and wait to hear the sound of the popcorn sizzling. Once the first kernel pops, start shaking the pot, holding down the lid. Keep shaking so the popcorn doesn’t burn, until all the popcorn has popped, two to three minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, dress the popcorn with butter or anything else, then pour it into a bowl and let the popcorn cool to room temperature before using it.

Can you make these popcorn cookies gluten-free?

Yes, you can make these popcorn cookies gluten-free by swapping one of the best gluten-free flour blends for the all-purpose flour. Also, make sure all other packaged goods are certified gluten-free.

Why did my popcorn cookies spread so much?

Your popcorn cookies may have spread too much for a few reasons. Make sure you measured the butter properly and didn’t accidentally add too much, which would cause them to spread too much (and vice versa with not enough flour). Also, if you didn’t cream the butter and sugar enough, the cookies may spread too much while baking. Creaming the two together creates air pockets, making the cookies lighter and more cake-like.