I am a bonafide, certified, card-carrying popcorn lover! I have been since I was a kid, when my parents would hand me a little red plastic cup of crunchy popcorn to enjoy while we snuggled up to watch movies almost every night.
My love for popcorn carried me right on through to buckets of movie theater popcorn during date nights when I was a teenager, shared bags of microwave popcorn with my dorm mates in college, and finally to my own kitchen with my own family, where I have absolutely perfected the best method for buttery, crunchy, salty movie theater-style popcorn right at home on the stovetop.
Making stovetop movie theater popcorn is way more affordable than microwave popcorn bags. For the cost of one box of microwave popcorn, you can get four times that amount of stovetop popping corn!
Can you just melt butter and put it on popcorn? Yes absolutely – it makes the best buttered popcorn if you do it this way. Be sure to shake it so the butter is evenly distributed throughout the kernels.
I have popcorn and clarified butter. Now what?
Now, grab your measuring cup of butter and start to slowly stream it onto the popcorn. At first you’ll see nothing but clear, bright yellow clarified butter.
But as you get to the end of the clarified part, you’ll start to see that third opaque, white layer—the milk solids. Stop right then! We just want the clarified butter on our popcorn—not the milk solids.
Milk solids from clarified butter are a great addition to pasta sauce, omelets, and baked goods to give a bit of creaminess.
Stir up your popcorn really well to make sure every kernel gets a touch of butter. Sprinkle on your desired amount of salt (if you used salted butter, you might want to go light on the salt at first). You can also feel free to add other flavorings (garlic salt, ranch mix, etc.) during this stage—but I’m a purist and usually just use salt as a popcorn topping.
What do I need to make movie theater popcorn?
For a large batch of popcorn (enough to satisfy 2-4 movie snackers), you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup of popping corn kernels—I like using Sprouted Popcorn because sprouted corn can be easier to digest, but the regular stuff works, too!
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil—For the best flavor, look for “virgin” or “unrefined” coconut oil.
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter—Salted or unsalted, either works.
- Fine salt—I like sea salt, but regular table salt does the trick, too.
Making Movie Theater Popcorn At Home | But Better
FAQ
Can I put melted butter on popcorn?
Does butter taste good on popcorn?
Why does melted butter make popcorn soggy?
Does butter affect popcorn popping?
Does butter make a good buttered popcorn?
Yes absolutely – it makes the best buttered popcorn if you do it this way. Be sure to shake it so the butter is evenly distributed throughout the kernels. How do you add butter to popcorn?
Is popcorn considered a healthy snack?
Popcorn is made out of whole grain of corn. Whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Popcorn becomes more healthy as a snack depending on the way it is prepared. If popcorn is prepared in excess butter or seasoned with lot of salt and taste makers then it shall fall into the category of energy dense snack than a nutrition dense snack. Excess amount of sodium and butter will lead to hypertension, weight gain, and cardio vascular issues. Hence, it is important that popcorn must be had as air popped and slight seasoning must be used to make it a healthy snack.
What happens if you put melted butter on popcorn?
In real life, it rarely goes as planned. Pouring hot melted butter on freshly-popped popcorn causes it to get soggy and a bit chewy. Not only that, the popcorn on top gets super buttery and the rest stays dry. Plus, your fingers get all greasy.
Does stovetop popcorn have melted butter?
Homemade stovetop popcorn is a treat, but it can be difficult to get the melted butter evenly onto the popcorn. Too often, some kernels are shrunken and soggy, while others have almost no butter at all. Here’s an easy way to ensure even distribution every time.