One of the best parts of the holiday season is making all the foods I normally consume much much worse for me. Vegetables become pie, nuts get glazed, fruit turns into cake, and popcorn gets…holidrizzled? Whatever you want to call it – caramel corn, kettle corn, candied corn – pretty much anything covering the normally nutritionally-sound popped kernels is a staple of the season, and goddamn do I love it. A far cry from the crunchy golden corn found in the giant multi-flavored tins around Christmas, Boom Chicka Pop have a stacked lineup of sweet and salty delights to meet any of Santa’s daily requirements, including Frosted Sugar Cookie and White Chocolate Peppermint.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Kettle Corn

Frosted Sugar Cookie comes out of the bag with festive pretty pink sparkles that definitely summon seasonal memories of soft sugar cookies. The aroma is predictably sweet and corn-y like kettle corn but there’s a nice caramel-y undertone to it as well. The flavor is also reminiscent of classic kettle corn with the added boost a smooth and creamy white chocolate finish. The drizzled glaze has a distinct butteriness to it that reminds me sugar cookies and the delicious buttercream they’re topped with, but truthfully, it mostly tastes like creamy kettle corn. Really delicious really creamy kettle corn.

More often than not sugar cookie flavored products don’t really nail the nuances of sugar cookies, and this is no exception – more of a homage than replica – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t insanely tasty. Some of the pieces have lots of glaze and a strong crunch, while others feel more like standard popcorn. There’s a nice saltiness that cuts through the sweet for a wonderful addictive balance, and while it may not taste like it came straight from the oven on Xmas eve, it’s a wonderful treat worthy of seasonal snacking – and hard to put down.

Rating: 9/10

Found at: Walgreens ($3.99)

White Chocolate & Peppermint Kettle Corn

Peppermint and popcorn might sound like a pretty weird combo, but let me assure you, it works. White Chocolate Peppermint is essentially the same creamy drizzled kettle corn as the sugar cookie with less buttery flavor a lovely, minty, perfectly balanced bow placed right on top. The saltiness is mellowed a bit but the addition of mint adds extra wintery intrigue that seals the deal on a great festive popcorn.

There’s no strong toothpaste-y aftertaste and the creamy sweetness of white chocolate drives most of the flavor. The mint isn’t weak, but it’s mellow and cooling in a way that takes a risky combination and executes it with finesse. Little red sugar sprinkles bring the peppermint vibes full circle and add a touch of extra crunch that keeps each bite a little different from the last. This one is definitely the most unique of the Boom Chicka bunch, and I really enjoy it, but the muted saltiness puts it just below the holidrizzle hierarchy of king sugar cookie.

Rating: 8/10

Found at: Walgreens ($3.99)