Amazing Pink Popcorn for Valentine’s Day

We’re sharing a fun way to make pink popcorn for Valentine’s Day! You can then switch up the color and make it for any holiday but it’s one of our favorites!

Popcorn is one of our favorite treats so making pink popcorn for Valentine’s Day seemed like a no brainer.  We weren’t trying to make a candied popcorn though, we just wanted to add a little variety to the regular kernels that we usually cook.

What we found was that this is an easy project that might be even more fun for other holidays.  I think that green for St. Patrick’s Day is going to be the next one we try.

The dyed kernels also look pretty in a jar so they’ll make a good gift with a ribbon around the top.

Someone will surely be surprised to get this unique valentine.

Supplies Needed for Pink Popcorn

All you’re going to need to dye popcorn kernels are the popcorn kernels and some food coloring.  

Easy Peasy.

We thought it would be clever to make pink and red since we curiously had both of these in our food coloring collection.  Of course when it was all said and done they looked the same, but throughout the project they did have some differences.

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How to Dye Popcorn Kernels

We used about 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels for each color.  It took about 10 drops of food coloring to coat them.

Add your popcorn kernels to a zipper bag, drop your food coloring in and you’re set.

Just zip the bag up and squish the coloring around until all the kernels are coated.

Once you’ve got all the kernels coated well, dump them onto a baking sheet so that they can dry.

You can see that there was still a bit of difference in the colors when they were in the baggies and when they were poured onto the baking sheet to dry.

It wasn’t a huge difference but they did look a bit different.

Make a Pretty Valentine

If you want to give the popcorn kernels as a gift just put them in a pretty container and add some ribbon.

Even a pretty clear bag with ribbon will make a nice valentine.

How to Cook Your Popcorn

If you’re not familiar with cooking popcorn on the stovetop it’s really not too tough.

You’ll need:

• Your popcorn
• Cooking Oil
• A deep skillet with a lid

The ratio of oil to popcorn kernels is about 2 tablespoons of oil to 1/2 cup of kernels.

You want enough oil to cover the bottom of your pan.

There are lots of opinions on what kind of oil to use and all I’ll say to that is use whatever oil you normally use to cook with.  If it’s vegetable oil then use that, if it’s olive oil then use that.

You won’t want to use butter because it will burn before your popcorn has a chance to fully pop.

Heat your oil over high heat with 4-5 kernels in it.  Once those kernels pop, spread the oil over the bottom surface of the pan and add the remaining popcorn kernels.  Put the lid on your pan and wait for the popping to begin.

You want to be sure that your kernels are in one layer on the bottom of your pan.  If you’ve got too many kernels they may not pop evenly.

And then the fun begins.

The popcorn will mostly pop all at once and it’s a fun sound to hear while you’re waiting for your snack to finish.  Once the popping has slowed down, turn the heat off and let the pan sit for a minute in case there are any more kernels waiting to pop.

Our dogs think that popcorn is the best treat ever.  We’ve yet to ever make a batch that there wasn’t a big pop when the lid was removed and a few pieces hit the floor.  

The dogs never get far away when they hear the popcorn start.  We know they are counting on us dropping a few pieces for them.  

Of course once your popcorn is finished cooking it’s up to you to put your favorite toppings on it.

You’re going to need some butter.

Probably some salt.

And of course whatever other toppings you love on your popcorn!

Why This is the Best Pink Popcorn

This isn’t your normal candied popcorn for Valentine’s Day, this is just adding a bit of color to your popcorn.

It’s still a healthy and delicious treat.  Well it’s healthy depending on what toppings you add when it’s all finished.

The fun thing about dying your popcorn kernels before you cook them is that it makes the inside of the popcorn a bright pink color.

Of course you can see that once it was popped it’s impossible to tell that we used red and pink dye since all the insides appeared pink.

We also didn’t let the dye dry as long as it should have so there’s a little bit of pink tint on a few of the pieces. It’s kind of fun though!

Pink Popcorn Tips

The pink popcorn didn’t turn our fingers or tongue pink so that’s a definite bonus.

Be sure to use care when you’re making the dyed kernels though because food coloring can stain quickly if you spill it or splash it on a porous surface.

We had no trouble cleaning it off the pans, but we were very careful to not drip it anywhere and washed our hands several times just to be on the safe side.

Of course be careful when you’re cooking your popcorn, you’re using stovetop and hot oil so take the precautions that you need.

So what do you think of this snack?  We can’t wait to try it out for some other colors – like green for St. Patrick’s Day.  Or purple and green for Mardi Gras. 

If we can find some purple food coloring.

Do you want some more fun Valentine’s Day Inspiration?  Be sure to check out:

Heart Shaped Pom Pom Wreath
Valentine Heart Garland
DIY Valentine Decor

Follow us on Pinterest and on Instagram for lot’s more ideas and inspiration!

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