My barbecue truffle—an ode to the most famous food in my hometown—gets a lot of attention. People just don’t expect barbecue flavors in a dessert, but when you think about the molasses, brown sugar, and spices that go into barbecue, it starts to make a lot more sense. This chocolate barbecue popcorn is a standout. Mix up a batch for yourself and another to package as gifts. Once you taste it, you won’t want to give yours away.
recipe 
yields
Serves 4
¼ cup bacon fat or vegetable oil
½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1½ teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1½ teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Ingredients
steps
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large pot with a lid, melt the bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add popcorn kernels.
- Cook over medium-high heat, shaking often, until the popping of the kernels has slowed, no more than 5 minutes. Make sure not to burn your popcorn.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the brown sugar, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder,
onion powder, salt, dry mustard, and cayenne, whisking well to combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and drizzle over the popcorn, tossing well to coat evenly. - Spread the popcorn over the baking sheets, and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring twice, until the popcorn is dry. Store in an airtight container—if there’s any left to store.
Date Published: 09.24.25
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Recipe adapted from
Copyright © 2025 Phillip Ashley Rix.
