• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Cookies & Cream Popcorn

snacks· Tailgating Recipes
January 24, 2018

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post has been sponsored by Frito-Lay. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cookies & Cream Popcorn – SMARTFOOD® Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn is coated with crushed chocolate cookies and drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate to make a sweet & salty snack for all your football parties this season!

bowl of Cookies & Cream Popcorn in front of a bag of smartfood brand kettle cornCollege football ended last week but the football postseason is well underway and I’m loving every second of it. Have you guys been watching all the playoff games like I have???

Because of how cold it’s been these last couple weeks, we’ve been staying in to enjoy all the games from the comfort of our living room this year. That means I needed to step up my snack game, for sure! Last week I shared the incredible bacon blue cheese chips that I’ve been making for all my watch parties. And this week I have a snack that is just as incredible, if not more so.

But this time, it’s a sweet and salty snack to satisfy all your tastebuds all at once. Check out my Cookies & Cream Popcorn!

Bowl of Cookies & Cream Popcorn Closeup of Cookies & Cream Popcorn

The inspiration for this treat came from popcorn that I had wayyy back in high school. There was a specialty popcorn shop in town that tossed popcorn in all sorts of incredible flavors – cotton candy, peanut butter, and, my all-time favorite, cookies & cream. From the first bite, I was obsessed!

Cookies & cream has been my favorite flavor for anything (ice cream, cake, chocolate, you name it!) since I was a little kid. I even named my black and white cat Cookies & Cream (CC for short)! So when thinking of sweet and salty snack ideas for munching on during gametime, I knew this popcorn was one I needed to recreate and serve at our Super Bowl LII watch party.

To make this recipe incredibly simple and quick, I used a bag of SMARTFOOD® Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Popcorn instead of popping my own. Such a time saver, plus the sweet and salty flavor of the kettle corn serves as the perfect base for the cookies & cream popcorn. It’s also great for snacking on its own so I made sure to stock up.

Bag of Smartfood kettle corn with kettle corn spread around the top

I added the whole bag of the popcorn to a large bowl and tossed it with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and melted semi-sweet chocolate. I then finished off the popcorn with a drizzle of white chocolate and then let it cool so the chocolate could harden again.

Bowl of kettle corn with crumbled oreos Pouring melted chocolate onto the kettle corn and oreo crumbles Cookies & Cream Popcorn in pan drizzling white chocolate over it

This recipe will only take you 4 ingredients to make and less than 10 minutes. So there really aren’t a ton of tips necessary to help you make this recipe because it’s basically fool-proof. However, I have thought of a couple, just in case you need them:

  1. I think the semi-sweet chocolate is much easier to mix into the popcorn when done in batches. So I mix in the chocolate about 1/3 at a time.
  2. For the drizzle of white chocolate, I think it’s much easier to drizzle by putting melted white chocolate in a sandwich bag and cutting a corner off. However, you can always use a spoon to get the job done, too.
  3. Do not serve until the chocolate has set again. You don’t want to go for a handful of the popcorn and find that the chocolate is still melted. What a mess!

And there you have it – yet another great snack recipe for your gameday get-togethers. Frito-Lay knows how important snacks are for these events so they have collected a bunch recipes ideas for you guys to use. Make sure to check them out!!

Print Recipe

Cookies & Cream Popcorn

SMARTFOOD® Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn is coated with crushed chocolate cookies and drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate to make a sweet & salty snack for all your football parties this season!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Total Time10 minutes mins
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 10-ounce bag SMARTFOOD® Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn
  • 18 chocolate creme sandwich cookies
  • 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3 ounces white chocolate

Instructions

  • Place bag of SMARTFOOD® Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn into large bowl. Place sandwich cookies into gallon zip bag and close bag. Smash cookies into pieces, but not into complete crumbs. Add cookie pieces to popcorn and toss with a large spoon.
  • Melt semi sweet in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Add 1/3 of chocolate to popcorn mixture and stir to combine. Repeat with another 1/3 of the melted chocolate and stir. Finish and stir. Pour popcorn out onto a baking sheet.
  • Melt white chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Drizzle white chocolate over the popcorn mixture. Let mixture sit until chocolate hardens. I placed mine in the fridge to help stir it up.
  • Pour cookies & cream popcorn into a large bowl and serve!

Pin for later:

Cookies & Cream Popcorn photo collage

More snacks you’ll love:

Bacon Blue Cheese Chips

Tray of Bacon Blue Cheese Chips

Sage & Browned Butter Pita Chips

Sage & Browned Butter Pita Chips cut into triangles

Classic Cannoli Dip

Bowl of Classic Cannoli Dip with a chocolate chip cookie dipped in

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

24 Comments

« Healthy Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Chocolate Berry Cups »

Comments

  1. the vault says

    March 20, 2026 at 9:21 am

    This Cookies & Cream Popcorn sounds like the perfect treat for game day! The mix of sweet and salty with chocolate drizzle is irresistible. For more exciting ideas, visit the vault – your treasure chest of inspiration!

    Reply
  2. Basketball Stars 2 says

    August 16, 2024 at 3:11 am

    This includes a wide range of hairstyles

    Reply
  3. Karen Lizarraras says

    January 26, 2018 at 11:36 pm

    My oh my i love this idea!!!! its absolutely delicious

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 8:36 am

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  4. Becca says

    January 26, 2018 at 6:09 pm

    Yuuuum, stoppppp – I’m meant to be eating healthy! Hahaha. Salty & sweet is my favourite combo… I used to eat popcorn & ice cream together in the same bite at the cinemas. “Used to”.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 8:37 am

      Haha love that! I used to add chocolate candies to my popcorn but ice cream is a whole other level!

      Reply
  5. Cait says

    January 25, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    All i can say is YUM!!!! I cant wait to try this omg. My mind is blown…

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:01 am

      Yessss! Just wait until you try it, girl!

      Reply
  6. K.C. says

    January 25, 2018 at 8:59 pm

    This sounds delicious…in fact all of your snacks do. Let’s party! You bring the
    snacks. 😉

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:08 am

      Haha deal!

      Reply
  7. Swati Saxena says

    January 25, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    This is such a kid friendly recipe , looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:11 am

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  8. Chris says

    January 25, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    I have never came across such an AMAZING popcorn combo! Wow! Can’t wait to give this a go on the weekend! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:12 am

      Yesss I hope you love it!

      Reply
  9. Brittney says

    January 25, 2018 at 6:20 pm

    Girl, this is genius! I just showed this to my husband like “babe look…no really LOOK” lol! yum!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:15 am

      Haha love that! I do the same with my husband!

      Reply
  10. Cliona Keane says

    January 25, 2018 at 5:50 pm

    Oh wow! This is genuinely amazing!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:16 am

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  11. Joyce says

    January 25, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    Cookies and cream rock in everything! I usually just have my popcorn plain because I don’t know how else to make it but holy moly I know how I’ll be making my popcorn tonight! Love this idea!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:26 am

      You’re gonna love this!!

      Reply
  12. Elizabeth says

    January 25, 2018 at 4:47 pm

    Hubba hubba! I’m giving this popcorn all the heart-eye emojis right now. 😀

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Haha love that! Thanks so much!

      Reply
  13. Savita says

    January 25, 2018 at 4:32 pm

    This is such a brilliant idea for game day snack! Cookies and cream! What not to like!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      January 28, 2018 at 10:27 am

      Thanks so much! Glad you like it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

fall flavors

a hand holding up a cinnamon bun soft pretzel

Cinnamon Bun Soft Pretzels

slices of Pumpkin Banana Bread on a cotton napkin with walnuts sprinkled around and bananas in the background, shot from a side angle

Pumpkin Banana Bread

slice of carrot snack cake on a pink plate

Carrot Snack Cake

Roasted Brussel Sprouts in a baking dish with melted butter and a spoon in it, shot from a side angle

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

apple cinnamon charlotte sitting on a plate with cinnamon sabayon sliced in half to reveal the apples in the center

Apple Cinnamon Charlotte

close up of potato dinner rolls on a wooden round serving platter

Potato Dinner Rolls

ORDER MY NEW COOKBOOK NOW!

photo of entertaining made easy cookbook available for preorder now

Breakfast
Appetizers
Entrees
Salads
Sides
Drinks
Desserts
Roundups
Holidays

Browse by Date

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy

holiday favorite

Fudge Striped Cookies on a wire rack drizzled chocolate, shot from a side angle

Fudge Striped Cookies

close up of slices of cranberry orange loaf on a serving platter

Cranberry Orange Loaf

a slice of victoria sandwich cake with a bite remove and a few crumbs on the plate

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Sausage Egg & Cheese Pastry Muffins on a platter with a sprig of rosemary, shot from a side angle

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Pastry Muffins

zoomed in shot of a Rum Cake surrounded with raspberries on top of a cloth napkin, shot from the front

Rum Cake

 

Sour Cream Doughnuts – dense and crispy on the o Sour Cream Doughnuts – dense and crispy on the outside, moist and cakey on the inside! Your favorite old-fashioned cake doughnuts ready in half the time as yeast doughnuts!

These are also known as old-fashioned doughnuts, you guys! They're bulky, firm on the outside, but oh-so-moist on the inside! The BEST combination of textures – crunchy yet chewy, dense yet moist! 

I fell in love with these at a local bakery, and now my husband surprises me with them from time to time! Do I have a great man or what?!

Pro tip: Don't roll the dough too thin or the doughnuts will turn to hockey pucks when you fry them! You're better off making the dough too thick than too thin!

Perfect for weekend breakfast, Easter morning, brunch, or anytime you want homemade doughnuts without the wait! 

💬 Comment "DOUGHNUTS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for weekend baking
📤 SHARE with someone who loves doughnuts!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/sour-cream-doughnuts
Creamy Poblano Enchiladas – tortillas stuffed wi Creamy Poblano Enchiladas – tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken, covered in a creamy poblano sauce and cheese, then baked until creamy perfection! 

I'm more of a green enchiladas fan than red, you guys! While this sauce isn't traditional green enchilada sauce, it's got similar flavor notes! Plus, with the added milk, it's super creamy and decadent! 

The secret? A roux makes the sauce ultra creamy without needing tons of heavy cream!

Pro tip: Don't skip the lime juice! It's KEY to balancing out the flavors – this is NOT an optional ingredient!

Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, dinner parties, family dinners, or anytime you want creamy enchiladas! 🎉

💬 Comment "POBLANO" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for Cinco de Mayo
📤 SHARE with someone who loves enchiladas!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/creamy-poblano-enchiladas/
Beef Empanadas – flaky pie dough filled with cum Beef Empanadas – flaky pie dough filled with cumin-spiced beef and tomato mixture!

These are perfect for Cinco de Mayo, you guys! Small party-perfect size (makes about 20!) with super flavorful filling that's NOT spicy – everyone will love them! 😍

Made with my classic pie dough for the flakiest crust, then filled with seasoned beef, onions, and tomatoes!

Pro tip: Make sure to chill the dough before rolling it out – this lets it rest and firm up so it gets nice and flaky while baking!

Perfect for Cinco de Mayo parties, game day, meal prep, or anytime you want delicious hand-held snacks!

💬 Comment "EMPANADAS" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for party planning
📤 SHARE with someone who loves empanadas!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/beef-empanadas
Apple Pie Sundae – cinnamon crumble ice cream to Apple Pie Sundae – cinnamon crumble ice cream topped with caramelized cinnamon apples, pie crust chips, and caramel sauce to make a fun way to eat your favorite pie! 

You guys, this is apple pie DECONSTRUCTED! All the flavors you love but in sundae form! 

I was inspired by a restaurant dessert but knew I could take it up a few notches! I added crispy pie crust chips and caramel sauce (because apples + caramel = perfection!), and the result is INCREDIBLE!

Pro tip: Use a cast-iron skillet to caramelize the apples – it gives them better color and flavor than a non-stick pan! And cook them just 8-10 minutes so they still have bite and aren't mushy!

Perfect for National Ice Cream Month, summer treats, fall desserts, or anytime you want apple pie without baking a whole pie! 🥧

💬 Comment "APPLESUNDAE" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for dessert inspiration
📤 SHARE with ice cream lovers!

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/apple-pie-sundae/
Chocolate Cream Pie – flaky pie crust baked to p Chocolate Cream Pie – flaky pie crust baked to perfection, filled with chocolate pudding, and topped with fresh whipped cream that won't wilt!

This is THE pie to make if you're trying to switch up your holiday traditions, you guys! Sometimes you need a break from pumpkin pie and pecan pie!

The genius secret? Unflavored gelatin in the whipped cream makes it stable so it won't wilt or melt – you can make this ahead!

Pro tip: Add the hot milk to the eggs VERY slowly or the eggs will scramble and the pudding will get lumpy!

Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, or anytime you want chocolate cream perfection! 

https://www.certifiedpastryaficionado.com/chocolate-cream-pie

💬 Comment "CHOCPIE" for the recipe
💾 SAVE for holiday desserts
📤 SHARE with someone who loves chocolate pie!

Copyright © 2026 Certified Pastry Aficionado · Web Design by Viva la Violet

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.