Piña Colada Popcorn at a Glance
Nobody orders a piña colada because they're thirsty. You order it for the coconut, the pineapple, and the little ceremony of the lime wedge. That's exactly what this piña colada popcorn delivers.
It's all here: toasted coconut, dried pineapple, and a little lime zest with a white chocolate drizzle to hold it together.
Here’s how to make it with your Popper:
Piña Colada Popcorn Ingredients
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½ cup popcorn kernels
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2 tablespoons coconut oil
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¾ cup sweetened coconut flakes
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¾ cup dried pineapple, chopped into small pieces (freeze-dried stays crisp, regular dried is chewier — both work)
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1 cup white chocolate chips
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1 teaspoon coconut oil (for thinning the drizzle)
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¼ teaspoon rum extract
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1 teaspoon lime zest (about 1 lime)
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Pinch of flaky salt
Piña Colada Popcorn Directions
Step 1: Toast Coconut Flakes
Spread the coconut flakes in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
IMPORTANT: Coconut goes from toasted to burnt in the time it takes to check your phone. Keep your attention on it the entire time.
Step 2: Preheat Popper
Set your stove to medium heat and allow your Popsmith to preheat for 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add Oil and Kernels
Add the coconut oil, let it heat up, and drop 3 test kernels. When the first one pops, pour in the rest and cover the Popper.
Step 4: Turn and Pop
Keep cranking the Popsmith while the kernels pop to prevent burning. You don’t need to do this the entire time — a few cranks every couple of seconds do the trick.
Step 5: Transfer
Remove the Popper from the burner when popping slows to 1-2 seconds between pops and spread the popcorn in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Melt the White Chocolate
Microwave the white chocolate chips with the teaspoon of coconut oil in 30-second bursts, stirring well between each, until smooth. Stir in the rum extract.
GOOD TO KNOW: White chocolate scorches faster than regular, so stir even if it still looks solid; the chips hold their shape past their melting point.
Step 7: Drizzle and Decorate
Drizzle the white chocolate over the popcorn with a spoon, working back and forth across the whole sheet. While it's still wet, scatter the toasted coconut flakes and dried pineapple over everything, then grate the lime zest directly over the sheet and finish with the flaky salt. The chocolate is the glue, so don’t wait for it to cool.
Step 8: Set and Serve
Leave the sheet at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or in the fridge for 10. Then break into clusters and serve.
More Piña Colada Popcorn Tips
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Don't skip the toast. Raw coconut flakes are soft and a little waxy. Three minutes in a dry skillet turns them nutty and crisp, and it's the difference between piña colada popcorn and popcorn with coconut on it.
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Freeze-dried pineapple keeps the crunch. Regular dried pineapple tastes great but adds chew. For pineapple popcorn that stays crisp in every bite, freeze-dried is worth seeking out.
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The rum extract is the piña colada part. A quarter teaspoon in the melted chocolate gets you the flavor with zero booze. Coconut extract works too if that's what's in the cupboard.
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Zest straight over the sheet. The lime zest is the wedge on the glass. Grate it directly over the wet chocolate so the oils land on the popcorn, not the cutting board.
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Keep it out of the sun. White chocolate softens in summer heat, so if this is headed to a cookout, park it in the shade.
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Store leftover popcorn in an airtight container and consume within 3 days.
Vacation in a Bowl
Summer's full of excuses to make piña colada popcorn — pool days, backyard parties, any afternoon that needs rescuing. Just leave the Popper out on the stove because once you've worked through this batch, our popcorn recipes have your next one ready.
Headed somewhere with sand? Our beach snacks guide covers the whole cooler.
