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    Home » Recipes » Day of the Dead

    White Chocolate Popcorn Skull - Halloween Dessert

    Published: Oct 8, '13 · Modified: May 20, '18 · By: Beth · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Halloween, you can set the mood to fun by serving a spooky White Chocolate Popcorn Skull at your party or movie marathon - your guests will love this sweet and salty treat.

    The first time I made white chocolate coated popcorn was in the kitchen of my first candy store back in the late 80's. We spent an entire week experimenting by throwing anything and everything we could find into chocolate.

    Believe me, not everything tastes better in chocolate.

    Fortunately, popcorn does. As soon as we started selling the chocolate coated snack, it became one of our best sellers.

    Holidays like Halloween were the busiest times in my candy store, and we always sold a lot of popcorn dressed up for the occasion. Usually that meant just drizzling on holiday colors like orange and black, but sometimes I got much more creative and made things like this popcorn skull.

    Creating shapes is so easy if you use plastic cake pans as a mold. Pouring the popcorn into a mold doesn't take any more time than spreading it on a baking sheet and it takes minutes to decorate them with more chocolate. You can have this skull ready to serve in about 30 minutes.

    White Chocolate Popcorn Skull

    Print
    Halloween Dessert - White Chocolate Popcorn Skull
    Prep Time
    30 mins
    Total Time
    30 mins
     
    Make White Chocolate Popcorn in the shape of a skull
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Halloween
    Keyword: halloween popcorn, popcorn skull, white chocolate popcorn
    Servings: 1 Skull
    Author: Beth Jackson Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    • ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
    • 16 ounces melted and tempered white chocolate or melted white confectionery coating*
    • 4 ounces melted and tempered dark chocolate or melted dark cocoa or black confectionery coating*
    Equipment Needed:
    • 1 skull shaped plastic cake pan or non-stick metal pan
    • air popper for the popcorn or a plain brown lunch bag and a microwave
    • extra large mixing bowl
    • disposable pastry bag or a zip top bag
    Instructions
    1. Pop ⅓ cup of popcorn kernels in an air popper. If you don't have an air popper, then place your kernels in a plain brown lunch bag, fold the top of the bag over a few times, heat in microwave on high power for 2-3 minutes until you hear the popping of the kernels slow to one to two pops per second.
    2. Place the popped kernels in a very large mixing bowl and discard any unpopped kernels.
    3. Pour melted and tempered white chocolate or melted white confectionery coating over popcorn.
    4. Use a large spatula or spoon to gently fold the popcorn and chocolate just until the popcorn is covered.
    5. Quickly spoon the white chocolate popcorn into the skull mold, pressing down, making sure the top is level.
    6. Refrigerate if using white chocolate, freeze if using confectionery coating, until set, about 15 minutes.
    7. To un-mold, hold your hand over the popcorn, turn mold upside down and set just above your work surface.
    8. Press gently on mold, allow popcorn skull to fall out. If it wont release from mold, it may need a few more minutes of chilling time.
    9. Pour melted and tempered dark chocolate or melted dark cocoa candy melts into a disposable pastry bag or zip top bag.
    10. Snip off one tip.
    11. Pipe on eyes, nose and mouth.
    12. Refrigerate for 7-10 minutes until set.
    13. Serve skull within two days or store it in a large metal popcorn tin for up to 3 weeks.

    *see my chocolate making tips page for instructions

    Special Equipment Needed:

    1 skull shaped plastic cake pan (or non-stick metal pan)
    air popper for the popcorn or a plain brown lunch bag and a microwave
    extra large mixing bowl
    disposable pastry bag or a zip top bag

    Instructions:

    Pop ⅓ cup of popcorn kernels in an air popper. If you don't have an air popper, then place your kernels in a plain brown lunch bag, fold the top of the bag over a few times, heat in microwave on high power for 2-3 minutes until you hear the popping of the kernels slow to one to two pops per second. Times will vary because every microwave heats differently.

    However you pop your popcorn, you'll want to place the popped kernels in a very large mixing bowl and discard any unpopped kernels. I shake my bowl, then scoop hand fulls of popcorn out into another large mixing bowl. Then all the unpopped kernels and really small pieces of popcorn end up at the bottom of the bowl and are thrown away.

    You can also use a Kernel Katcher Popcorn Sifting Bowl. I've always wanted a sifter that does this and just found these on Amazon. I just might have to add one to my kitchen collection. If you have one, I'd love to hear how well it works.

    Pour melted and tempered white chocolate or melted white confectionery coating over popcorn. Use a large spatula or spoon to gently fold the popcorn and chocolate just until the popcorn is covered. If you stir for too long, the chocolate will begin to harden and you will end up with spikes of chocolate on your popcorn.

    Quickly spoon the white chocolate popcorn into the skull mold, pressing down, making sure the top is level. Refrigerate if using white chocolate, freeze if using confectionery coating, until set, about 15 minutes.

    To un-mold, hold your hand over the popcorn, turn mold upside down and set just above your work surface, press gently on mold, allow popcorn skull to fall out. If it wont release from mold, it may need a few more minutes of chilling time.

    Pour melted and tempered dark chocolate or melted dark cocoa candy melts into a disposable pastry bag or zip top bag. Snip off one tip. Pipe on eyes, nose and mouth. Refrigerate for 7-10 minutes until set.

    Serve skull within two days or store it in a large metal popcorn tin for up to 3 weeks.

    Items used to create this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)

    More White Chocolate Popcorn
    and Skull Shaped Edible Craft ideas
    from Hungry Happenings


    White Chocolate Popcorn Infested with Milk Chocolate Roaches

    Nutter Butter Skulls

    Skull shaped pizza topped with bacon, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese
    or simply pepperoni.

    Skull and Crossbones Cheese

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth
    Beth
    Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth
    Latest posts by Beth (see all)
    • Homemade Chocolate Easter Bunnies - April 3, 2023
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    • Snowman Popcorn Bucket - December 24, 2022

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    About Beth

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    1. Alexis Tanner

      October 15, 2013 at 10:33 pm

      This is such a fun idea! So cute and sounds so good! I'm featuring this tonight at my link party and pinning!

      Reply
      • beth

        October 15, 2013 at 10:53 pm

        Thank you so much for featuring these on your blog:)

        Reply
    2. Tiffany

      October 12, 2013 at 3:25 am

      Super cute! Thanks for such detailed directions, I am really visual so the pictures help!
      Tiffany

      Reply
    3. Michelle | Creative Food

      October 11, 2013 at 12:48 pm

      So awesome!!

      Reply
    4. Diana - FreeStyleMama

      October 11, 2013 at 2:14 am

      Very cool!!

      Reply
    5. Lynn@Happier Than a Pig in Mud

      October 11, 2013 at 12:08 am

      Ghoulishly cool! I love it:@)

      Reply
    6. Heather - Chickabug

      October 10, 2013 at 4:24 pm

      I'm sure party guests would get a kick out of this. So cute! I love all of your Halloween treats! Keep 'em coming! : )

      Reply
    7. Jill @ KitchenFunWithMy3Sons.com

      October 09, 2013 at 12:13 pm

      Yum! Great idea...my boys would love this!

      Reply
    8. The Bearfoot Baker

      October 08, 2013 at 6:16 pm

      Chocoalte and popcorn is wonderful tA skull is a really cute way to make it for Halloween! Thanks for the tutorial 🙂

      Reply
      • beth

        October 08, 2013 at 7:11 pm

        It is one of my favorite flavor combinations!

        Reply
    9. Anonymous

      October 08, 2013 at 5:09 pm

      Girl, your a genius. My bff Husband bought me a skull cake pan last year. It was to late for halloween but now I can use it. I can make this in 3-D and maybe make it a pinata
      skull. Maybe even use rice krispes instead. You are so smart, talented and a designing
      genius. Thanks, Trish Butler

      Reply
      • beth

        October 08, 2013 at 7:11 pm

        I have the 3-D pan too and will be making some for our party this year. I'm actually just finishing up a recipe made in the smaller 3-D skull pan and will be doing a giveaway!

        Reply
    10. Lisa@hooplapalooza

      October 08, 2013 at 3:24 pm

      how awesome is this?!?! i would love to make one and sneak it into the movies as a snack. now to buy a large purse...

      Reply
      • beth

        October 08, 2013 at 7:10 pm

        Sounds like a great idea. I always sneak food into the movies:)

        Reply
    11. The Partiologist

      October 08, 2013 at 2:12 pm

      Seriously love popcorn and chocolate, in fact that's my favorite way to eat it! And I'm pretty sure I could eat
      that entire skull! 🙂 And then I would eat that skull pizza... just sayin!

      Reply
      • beth

        October 08, 2013 at 7:12 pm

        I'm sure I could too and I love that pizza recipe. It actually won a recipe contest. It is great!

        Reply

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    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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