Vanilla Almond Popcorn
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This month’s Recipe Redux theme is near and dear to my heart: healthy travel snacks.
I’m someone who’s hungry throughout the day, so when I’m on the road I need to plan ahead to make sure there’s nutritious food available along the way. As a parent, I also need to think about my children’s nutritional needs while we’re traveling. Our food principles relax a bit when we’re on vacation, but I still like to focus on healthy food most of the time we’re away so we can maintain a strong energy level and get the most out of our vacation. I recently posted my 10 tips for getting real food on the road.
One of the easiest whole grain snacks to make is popcorn, and I have many flavored popcorns in my arsenal, including fiesta popcorn, chocolate popcorn, maple gingerbread popcorn, and pumpkin popcorn. This sweet vanilla almond popcorn is a good road trip snack because the almonds add a bit of protein. For a bigger protein boost, you can mix in some whole almonds to make a basic trail mix. Sweetened by dates, this recipe contains nothing but healthy ingredients to keep you feeling your best while you’re traveling.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels
- 2 tbs. coconut oil
- 2 Medjool dates
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbs. almonds
- 1 tbs. water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Pop the popcorn. I use this air popper, but you can use whatever method you like.
- In a food processor, combine the coconut oil, dates, vanilla, almonds, and water. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- In a large bowl, combine the popcorn with the sauce. Transfer to a large roasting pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. The popcorn is done when all the pieces are no longer soggy.
- Cool on a wire rack, then store in an air-tight container.
Nutrition
Vanilla Almond Popcorn Price Breakdown
This recipe yields about 13 cups of popcorn and costs a total of $1.19, or $.20 per 2-cup serving. Vanilla almond popcorn is a healthy, delicious snack to take with you on the road or pack in your child’s lunchbox.
I absolutely love this idea! I make popcorn for a snack all the time, but I never thought to use coconut oil for a little added flavor! And the almonds are perfect for an extra crunch, thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you, Lauren! I love making flavored popcorn for my kids (and myself!). Even if the snack cabinet is empty, as long as we have popcorn kernels, we’re good to go.