Looking for a super simple, satisfying, and healthy snack option? Homemade popcorn is your answer! Here’s how to make the perfect popcorn at home and with 16 popcorn topping ideas. Snack on!
If I had to pick one snack food to enjoy for the rest of my life there is no competition, it would be popcorn. I love the crunchiness, the fact that I can easily change the flavor to make it different every time, and that it is super easy to prepare at home so that I don’t have to depend on processed options.
Not only that, but popcorn is actually good for you! It is a whole grain, is low in calories, and is packed with all kinds of vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, folate, and Vitamins B6, A, E, and K, to name a few.
While any popcorn you get will have the benefits listed above, the pre-packaged microwave stuff is not ideal because it contains chemicals and additives (ever wonder where that fake yellow “butter” appearance came from…) that aren’t great for you.
But don’t worry! It is super simple to make your own at home – really! And we’re going to show you how to make the perfect popcorn at home (3 different ways!) as well as share 16 popcorn topping ideas.
Butter Substitutes for PopcornOlive Oil. Olive oil is a healthy and tasty alternative to butter. … Trail Mix. Adding trail mix to your popcorn can introduce a variety of flavors while also providing a healthy alternative to butter. … Coconut Oil. … Avocado Oil. … Ghee. … Canola Oil.
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Olive Oil. Olive oil is a healthy and tasty alternative to butter. …
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Trail Mix. Adding trail mix to your popcorn can introduce a variety of flavors while also providing a healthy alternative to butter. …
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Coconut Oil. …
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Avocado Oil. …
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Ghee. …
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Canola Oil.
16 Popcorn Topping Ideas
The classic topping for popcorn is, of course, butter and salt. This is always a delicious option that is sure to please, but here are some other possibilities for when you want to try something new.
How to Make Perfect Popcorn at Home: 3 Different Ways
There are three ways to easily make popcorn at home: on the stove, in the microwave, and with an air popper. All three are simple to make, healthy, and incredibly delicious.
An additional perk of the microwave and air popper varieties is that they are super easy for kids to do on their own.
I grew up on stove top popcorn. Not only would my mom frequently serve it for an afternoon snack, but she’d even pop up special batches that we would smuggle into the theater with us when we went to the movies. On those occasions, she would make it especially buttery, to resemble the stuff sold at the theater.
While it may seem a bit mysterious, making your own popcorn on the stove is actually incredibly simple (see below for detailed directions). To pop popcorn on the stove, all you do is heat some oil in the bottom of a heavy pot, add the popcorn, shake to coat, and let it do its thing, shaking occasionally to make sure as many kernels as possible get popped. Once the popping has slowed down to every 3-5 seconds, take the pot off the heat.
Once it is done popping, toss it with melted butter or oil, salt, and desired seasonings.
Air poppers were all the rage in the 80s and 90s because they allowed people to pop popcorn without the use of oils or butter. You didn’t hear about them for a while, but now they are making a comeback, not so much for due to a fear of fat, but because they actually produce fantastic, light, and delicious popcorn.
They are also super simple to use: just put the popcorn kernels in the receptacle (check your manufacturer’s directions to see how much popcorn you should put in), put a bowl under the chute, and turn it on!
Once it is done popping, toss it with melted butter or oil, salt, and desired seasonings.
The reason microwave popcorn is so popular is that it is super easy. Just throw the bag in the microwave, press the popcorn button (or set it for 2 – 3 minutes, depending on your microwave), and go. As mentioned above, though, the pre-packaged microwave stuff has a lot of added chemicals that aren’t so great for us. But did you know that it is super easy to make the perfect popcorn at home in the microwave?
Here’s what you do: place 1/3 cup of popcorn into a brown paper lunch bag, fold the top over 2 – 3 times, lie it flat in the microwave, and press the popcorn button (or set it for 2 – 3 minutes, depending on your microwave). Once the popping slows down to every 5 seconds or so you are done!
Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl, toss it with melted butter or oil, salt, and desired seasonings.
The Best Things To Add To Your Popcorn That Aren’t Butter
FAQ
What can I use instead of butter on popcorn?