# I Want To Make Not-Sweet Pop Rocks At Home (explained why in OP) - How To Do This **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 24, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026 "2024-02-24T15:52:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/1 "2024-02-24T15:52:02Z")
[Here is a recipe](https://www.craftsy.com/post/homemade-pop-rocks/) for at-home Pop Rocks. Pop Rocks being a candy, a principal ingredient is sugar. The thing is, Taco Bell had a promotion a while back where they [put cayenne-flavored Pop Rocks in a burrito](https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/taco-bell-pop-rocks-firecracker-burrito). I want to try this at home, only with considerably-milder peppers than cayenne (cubanelle is my upper-upper limit). Also, sugar in a burrito? No thank you. I can’t seem to find a recipe online for this … condiment. Is there a way to do this that doesn’t involve sugar? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/2 "2024-02-24T16:18:35Z")
I’d WAG that it’s the baking soda and citric acid making the popping when they get wet (from being in your mouth). I’d experiment with those two ingredients in some type of dry binder. I’m thinking flour wouldn’t taste very good. Since you want to do this with tacos, maybe corn flour/masa? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/3 "2024-02-24T16:35:41Z")
I’m guessing that the Taco Bell ones were mostly sugar, just like the candy ones. Way too much sugar is a common trend in all American fast food, even in foods that folks don’t think of as being sugary. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/4 "2024-02-24T16:39:19Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > (cubanelle is my upper-upper limit). I always thought cubanelle were sweet peppers. I’ve never noticed any type of heat off of them. Are you thinking poblanos? What I might try if you don’t like cayenne or if it’s too hot is to cut it with some quality paprika. Were you going to dry the cubanelles? I’ve never seen them sold as anything but green, and I suspect you don’t want anything with liquid for your pop rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/5 "2024-02-24T16:55:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m guessing that the Taco Bell ones were mostly sugar, just like the candy ones. Especially when it’s cut with cayenne pepper that probably take the sweetness down a few notches. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/6 "2024-02-24T17:32:49Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Is there a way to do this that doesn’t involve sugar? You’d need a binder/coating that is solidly hard at room temperature, but also dissolves quickly in your mouth and won’t break your teeth when you bite down on it. I genuinely can’t think of anything edible that combines all those properties, except for cooked sugar. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/7 "2024-02-24T17:46:02Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I genuinely can’t think of anything edible that combines all those properties, except for cooked sugar. Cornstarch? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2024, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/8 "2024-02-24T19:09:32Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I’d WAG that it’s the baking soda and citric acid making the popping when they get wet (from being in your mouth) I doubt the linked recipe results in much popping. Maybe some fizz. The commercial kind are made under high CO2 pressure. Some sort of maltose-based oligosaccharide should do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-to-make-not-sweet-pop-rocks-at-home-explained-why-in-op-how-to-do-this/998026/9 "2024-02-26T07:33:50Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I genuinely can’t think of anything edible that combines all those properties, except for cooked sugar. Some fats would. Chocolate comes to mind (cocoa butter, I mean) - a sugar-free 90% dark chocolate might do the trick.