Say hello to the brownies that rescue every snack situation.
Save what, you ask?
Well — everything.
Sugar, salt, chocolate and butter. If those four ingredients can’t fix things, I’m not sure what can.
I wasn’t sure whether a batch of brownies topped with popcorn counted as a proper recipe. Then I tried one.
And wow. I don’t even have words. People who usually don’t care about brownies or popcorn couldn’t stop eating these. They made me feel less alone during a couch session of Sex and the City and a Talenti pint. Spoiler: feelings were not located, but the brownies helped.
I’ve always been that odd person who drizzles chocolate over a bowl of popcorn. If you do that too, we should be friends.
Here’s the point: the popcorn won’t be glued to the brownies like caramel corn. That’s intentional. The goal is to have real, salted, buttered popcorn perched on top of a fudgy, chewy brownie — not a hard, crunchy candy coating. A generous drizzle of sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate helps the popcorn adhere enough to enjoy each square without turning the topping into a solid block.
Some pieces of popcorn might fall off when you grab a brownie — and that’s fine. Eat those little stray pieces. You could also crumble brownie into a bowl of popcorn, but where’s the fun in that?
Buttered Popcorn Crunch Brownies
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, melted
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks
Topping
- 3 cups freshly popped popcorn
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt
- 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, approximately
- 2 ounces high-quality milk or dark chocolate, your preference
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan thoroughly with butter or nonstick spray.
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In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar and vanilla until nearly smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each until the batter is smooth. Stir in the oil and melted milk chocolate. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, folding until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 25–30 minutes, until set. Cool completely.
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Pop the popcorn, then toss it with melted butter and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt. Melt the topping chocolate with the coconut oil until smooth.
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When the brownies are cool, lift them from the pan as a single square and place on parchment. Score into equal pieces but keep them together so you don’t have to cut through the popcorn later. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top, then press a layer of popcorn onto the brownies. Continue drizzling and layering popcorn until it holds in place. The topping should remain airy and buttery, not like caramel corn. Finish with a drizzle of the melted chocolate.
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Let the chocolate set for 20–30 minutes, then serve. These are best the day they’re made, while the popcorn is still fresh and crisp.
Notes
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