Youngstown doesn’t really seem like the granola capital of Ohio. It doesn’t seem like the sort of place that would embrace flaxseed flour and agave syrup in a snack food. It’s a hardcore, industrial, steel city, for Pete’s sake. But the city is also, in fact, the home of Peanut Butter Granola Pop. Big Dipper Food Company, maker of Granola Pop, is headquartered there.
To be honest, it wasn’t actually the natural-ness of Peanut Butter Granola Pop’s packaging that was the original draw. Instead, it was just the idea of Peanut Butter Popcorn. Who doesn’t want some of that (well, aside from those who are allergic to peanuts)? It wasn’t until consuming the entire bag of Granola Pop did the outside labeling become interesting. The packaging proudly touts zero preservatives, no high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and sea salt. The ingredient list includes the aforementioned flaxseed flour and agave syrup along with the requisite popcorn, peanuts and whole grain oats for granola.
Good night, it’s practically hippie food.
It’s also delicious. And it’s very different from traditional caramel popcorn. It’s not as sweet. While the popcorn is plenty crisp, it’s lightly enrobed in natural tasting peanut butteriness. Better that the poofy popcorn itself are the heavy bits of peanut butter coated granola and peanuts that sink to the bottom of the package. Quite honestly, the concoction comes very close to providing all the joys of eating peanut butter with your fingers, minus any sticky mess.
Youngstown’s Big Dipper Food Company produces all sorts of brittles and popcorns. Granola Pop comes in both peanut butter and cinnamon flavors. There’s also less healthy-sounding popcorns with names such as Butter Caramel with Coconut Popcorn Clusters. For those who just need candy, there are options such as Cashew Brittle and Spicy Peanut Brittle
Both the brittles and popcorns can be found at local gourmet grocers or ordered online.
For more information, visit www.bigdipperfood.com.