Almond Joy Popcorn (healthy)

It's February . . . and love is in the air. . . . Oh wait, or is it chocolate? :) Recipe Redux decided to do the theme of chocolate. While moderation is the key with all sweet foods, you can pair chocolate with healthy foods to make a snack that both satisfies cravings and gives you a health benefit. We decided to pair our chocolate with popcorn, a la a favorite little candy bar of ours, Almond Joy.

Here are some of the health benefits of popcorn:

• Popcorn is considered a whole grain, so it has some of the same nutritional benefits as brown rice or whole wheat.
• Popcorn has a lot of healthy antioxidants to protect you from free radicals.
• Popcorn contains B vitamins that can give you an extra boost of energy.
• Air-popped popcorn only contains 31 calories per cup. (At least, before you add anything.)

You can also check out our Parmesan Basil Popcorn that we posted yesterday. We've declared this week Popcorn Week on our blog, so check back later for some of our other favorite unconventional combinations. They're delicious!

Almond Joy Popcorn

Ingredients
4 C air popped popcorn
2 Tbsp coconut oil (you could also use a different kind of your choice)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/3 C coconut
1/2 C dark chocolate chips
1/4 C chopped almonds
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt

Directions
1. Melt coconut oil. Add almond extract to oil (carefully if your oil is hot!)
2. Slowly pour oil over popcorn, tossing as you go.
3. Top popcorn with coconut, toss again.
4. Add dark chocolate chips and almonds. You don't really need to toss it at this point, because the almonds and chips are so heavy they will fall to the bottom as you eat it.
5. Enjoy immediately!

*If desired you could shake on a little powdered sugar to make it sweeter.




Check out some of our other Redux friends' posts for this month! There are lots of healthy chocolate treats!