Spicy Chocolate Popcorn with Quinoa

We're spicing things up over here. So, bring on the heat babayy!

I'm a serious spice addict. If it was acceptable to put hot sauce on everything, I would do it. (I mean even if it's not, I'm probably going to do it anyway. I'm such a rebel. Watch out.)

As uncomfortable as it is, having my mouth on fire, feeling like I could open it and flames would come out, I kinda love it. It's a twisted pleasure.  (Side bar, is it weird that I think of Harry Potter at every dragon reference?)

But then there's this other demon I struggle. My inexplicable, complete and utter devotion to the mother of all sweets. Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.

Everything tastes better with chocolate.

Is chocolate not every girl's best friend? I mean really, what would our world be with out chocolate? You know, let my paint this picture for you.  It would be a cold, dark and gloomy place. No one would be happy, expect for those who abhor chocolate (sorry, but I think you're of the minority if you fall in this category).  Every woman would be in constant state of anger and frustration. Everything would get on our nerves (even more than it already does).

Sounds pretty terrible (chime in here guys), doesn't it?

So, I decided to listen to the two little devils on my shoulder, calling for spicy chocolate goodness. I didn't want dessert (well that's a lie, I always want dessert), I was craving something to snack on that would satisfy my serious sweet tooth. And so this spicy chocolate popcorn baby was born, and the dragon inside of me was jumping for joy.

This is probably the best late night movie snack on the planet. It's popcorn. It's chocolate. It's nuts. It's spicy. Oh, and there's just a hint of salt. With a dash of quinoa. Oh, and it's gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar-free.

Spicy chocolate popcorn with quinoa. Yeah, I did it. And yeah, it was totally awesome.

Spicy Chocolate Popcorn with Quinoa

This is probably the best late night movie snack on the planet. It's popcorn. It's chocolate. It's nuts. It's spicy. Oh, and there's just a hint of salt. With a dash of quinoa. Oh, and it's gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar-free.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 Cups

Calories 743kcal

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Ingredients

• 5 - 6 cups popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice I used peanuts, but this would also rock with almonds
• 2 tablespoons whole quinoa uncooked
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons nut butter of choice
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne start with less and work your way up if you're not a fan of heat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Powdered stevia to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Add the popcorn to the baking sheet, then sprinkle with nuts making sure they're evenly dispersed.
• Heat the coconut oil over low heat in a small saucepan until it melts. Whisk in cocoa powder, coconut sugar, nut butter, cayenne and salt. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes until everything is fully combined and it has thickened only slightly. Taste and add stevia until you get your desired sweetness.
• Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the popcorn-nut mixture and gently mix all the ingredients together. I think it would be easiest to use your hands, but a wooden spoon or spatula would also work.
• Sprinkle the quinoa over the mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the mixture every ten minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely. I found this firmed up best in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 743kcal | Carbohydrates: 116g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 5.5mg