Better Movie Nights Start Here
How to Make Pink Popcorn
Pink popcorn is simply popcorn coated in a sweet candy syrup tinted with food coloring, then baked until the shell turns crunchy. It’s fun, nostalgic, and so easy to make at home.
We love making different colors of popcorn because it’s such a cheerful snack for almost any occasion. Bowls of colorful popcorn light up a party table, and pink popcorn in particular feels like a celebration — perfect for baby showers, gender reveals, bachelorette parties, Valentine’s Day, or just as a playful homemade gift.
Our method bakes the syrup onto the popcorn so you get that crisp candy crunch (unlike many tutorials that leave it sticky). Here’s how to make pink popcorn the Dell Cove® way.
Originally published: March 1, 2023. Updated: September 16, 2025.
How to Make Pink Popcorn
Dell Cove Spices & More
12
10 minutes
20 minutes
American
Desserts, Special Occasions, Party Snacks, popcorn recipe
Whether it's for a gender reveal party, a baby shower or a birth announcement, we'll show you how to make pink popcorn that's sweet, pretty and delicious.
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
2 T unsalted butter
3 T water
¼ tsp salt
Red or pink food coloring
6 cups popped Dell Cove Movie Night popcorn
Directions
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Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).
Line 1 to 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Put 6 cups popped Dell Cove® Movie Night popcorn in a large bowl and remove any unpopped kernels. See our ultimate popcorn popping tutorial for directions on how to pop your popcorn kernels.
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In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, water, butter, and salt.
Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks clear and fluid (about 2–3 minutes).
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Remove from heat. Stir in 1–2 drops of the red or pink food coloring.
Add more, one drop at a time, until you reach a soft pink. (Start light! It's easy to go darker.)
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Once you have the shade of pink that you like, pour the warm syrup over the popped popcorn, making sure that all the pieces are coated.
Using a spatula, toss gently until all the pieces are evenly coated.
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Spread coated popcorn in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet (or sheets).
Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Stir the popcorn on the tray with a spatula and continue baking for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until popcorn is dry to the touch and glossy.
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Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow to cool thoroughly.
Serve right away or store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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