Hibiscus Sugar Popcorn Recipe

459

Hibiscus sugar popcorn is sweet and tart buttered popcorn sprinkled with a beautiful violet colored hibiscus sugar. It tastes like a Sweet Tart!

When you buy through the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 

What Is Hibiscus?

Hibiscus, also called jamaica (pronounced hah-MY-cah) in Spanish, is a type of plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions. It’s native to India and Malaysia, but can also be found in China, Thailand, Sudan, and Mexico.

The dried hibiscus you buy isn’t the flower petals, it’s the calyx and sepals. The calyx is the bud’s outer layer that protects the developing flower. It’s made up of sepals that are dried and sold whole or ground into tea.

What Does Hibiscus Taste Like?

Hibiscus has a tart, sour and mildly fruity flavor, similar to a cranberry or pomegranate. It’s not floral in flavor so it works in savory as well as sweet dishes.

What Can You Do with Hibiscus?

Here are some of the many ways to use hibiscus.

• One of the most common ways to use hibiscus is tea.
• Add color to desserts like cookies, cakes or flan.
• Make jam and jelly.
• In sauces, syrups or salsas.
• Use in savory dishes like enchiladas.
• And of course in chamoy! Try my chamoy popcorn and chamoy caramel popcorn recipes.

Where To Buy Hibiscus

You may be able to find dried hibiscus flowers at your local grocery store, but chances are you’ll need to go to a Mexican grocery store or buy them online.

I bought and used these organic hibiscus flowers on Amazon and they were great!

How to Store Hibiscus

To keep hibiscus fresh as long as possible, store in a cool, dry place away from light and moisture. If stored properly, hibiscus can stay fresh for up to two years. 

HIBISCUS SUGAR POPCORN INGREDIENTS

1. Popcorn: You can use air-popped, unflavored microwave popcorn, or stovetop popcorn (see here for how to make perfect stovetop popcorn).
2. Butter – I used unsalted, but feel free to use salted.
3. Dried hibiscus flowers – Creates a beautiful, lavender color when blended with the sugar.
4. White sugar

MAKE HIBISCUS SUGAR

Step 1: Add dried hibiscus and white sugar to a high-speed blender or food processor.

Step 2: Pulse until the hibuscus has turned into powder

PREPARE THE POPCORN

Step 3: Make 8 cups of popcorn. I prefer stovetop popcorn (see my recipe for perfect stovetop popcorn here), but you can use air-popped or unseasoned microwave popcorn. Use 1/4 cup popcorn kernels to make 10 cups of popcorn.

Step 4: Make sure to remove all un-popped kernels.

Step 5: Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.

ADD THE BUTTER

Step 6: Melt butter in microwave.

Step 7: Drizzle butter over popcorn. Toss to coat.

ADDING HIBISCUS SUGAR TO POPCORN

Step 8: Using a spoon, sprinkle strawberry sugar mixture over popcorn.

Step 9: Toss to coat.

Tips & Tricks

1. Use a high-powered blender. I tried this first in a food processor and it left small pieces of hibiscus. Little pieces of hibiscus are not as appealing as leaving small pieces of strawberries in my Strawberry Popcorn recipe. My high-powered blender was able to turn the hibiscus into a powder.
2. Let the hibiscus sugar settle in the blender. The blending process creates a cloud of hibiscus sugar. Leave the blender lid on for a bit while the cloud settles.

How Long Does Hibiscus Sugar Popcorn Last?

Hibiscus sugar popcorn doesn’t last long, not only because it tastes so good that you’ll probably eat it all in one sitting! It also will get soggy if it’s not eaten soon after making because of the melted butter.

I would suggest making just enough to eat at a time. If you do have any left over, you can probably store it for a day, two would be pushing it. To crisp it up, put it in a 250°F oven for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

How to Store Hibiscus Sugar Popcorn

Hibiscus sugar popcorn is best when eaten in one sitting. If you do plan on storing some, store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review below! And don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest!