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    February 19, 2024

    Homemade Popcorn

    The best homemade popcorn is just a few minutes away—no fancy poppers necessary! Top it with browned butter and nutritional yeast and you’ve got yourself one darn delicious movie night in.

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    a bowl of homemade popcorn seasoned with butter, salt and nutritional yeast on the counter

    More fabulous snackers

    How To Make The Best Stovetop Popcorn

    Cooking popcorn is a lot of fun—you listen to the sound of the kernels as they pop and let that guide you. And popcorn is a terrific anytime snack—it pairs perfectly with just about anything from family movie night to grown-up cocktail parties! You’ll just need three things: a good pan (with a heavy bottom and a lid), popcorn kernels, and a little oil. If you’re looking for more things to nosh, check out our Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips and Homemade French Fries.

    popcorn kernels, butter, vegetable oil, salt, and nutritional yeast in bowls on a counter

    Ingredients For Homemade Popcorn Seasoning

    • Heaps of Parmesan cheese & cracked pepper

    • Salt & pepper

    • Curry powder and a sprinkle of coconut aminos

    • Nutritional yeast & olive oil

    • Garlic powder

    • Smoked paprika

    • Our very favorite way to flavor popcorn is with a rich and heady and umami-y combination of brown butter and nutritional yeast—simply brown some butter and toss the still-warm popcorn with the browned butter, nutritional yeast and a sprinkling of salt.

    a whirly pop full of homemade popcorn being popped in vegetable oil
    a dutch oven full of homemade buttered popcorn

    How To Make The Best Popcorn at Home

    1. Heat the vegetable oil and two kernels of popcorn over high heat in a Dutch oven. These two popcorn kernels are your tester kernels—they’re going to tell you when the oil is ready!

    2. Listen for the pop! Once you hear the two kernels pop, lift the lid and add the remaining kernels. Cover the pot again.

    3. Listen again! When you hear the sound of popping, hold the lid down and start shaking the pan around over the burner to agitate the kernels.

    4. Listen again! When you hear the popping begin to slow down, pull the pan off the heat. Leave it covered for one more minute and then...

    5. Pour popcorn into a large bowl! Top as desired!

    browned butter in a saucepan to drizzle on popcorn
    a bowl of homemade popcorn with browned butter and nutritional yeast in a bowl

    How to Store Leftovers + Tips

    • Popcorn starts to lose its pizazz the longer it's exposed to air. To combat this, store it in the smallest glass (or other air-tight container) for the volume you have.

    • Is homemade popcorn healthy? Popcorn is high in fiber and antioxidants and it has a low-glycemic index, too! It’s low in calories—plain popped corn has just about 100 calories in three cups.

    • Butter distribution: Layer in the butter by adding half of the popcorn to your bowl, drizzling butter on it, then add the remaining popcorn and butter.

    • We usually make our popcorn in a whirley pop, which has a specific popping method. There’s lots of great popcorn popping vessels on the market.

    a dutch oven full of homemade popcorn seasoned with butter, salt and nutritional yeast

    More Favorite Snacks From The Modern Proper

    Homemade Popcorn, For Tastier Movie Nights

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Homemade Popcorn

    Updated on February 19, 2024

    • Serves: 4
    • Yields: 12 cups
    • Prep Time:  5 min
    • Cook Time:  5 min
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    Ingredients

    • 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
    • ¾ cup popcorn kernels
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
    • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

    Method

    1. Add the oil and two kernels of the popcorn to a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Cover and heat over high heat. Once both kernels have popped, add the remaining kernels and cover. Gently swirl the kernels in the oil to coat. Once the kernels begin to pop, about 2 minutes, shake the pot vigorously every 30-60 seconds to ensure even cooking. Once about half of the kernels have popped, crack the lid slightly to release any steam.

    2. Once the popping slows down, remove the pot from the heat and let sit, covered, for 1 more minute.

    3. Meanwhile, add the butter to a small saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter is foamy and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.

    4. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl, then evenly pour the brown butter over the popcorn. Add the salt and nutritional yeast and toss until thoroughly coated.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories217
    • Protein2 g
    • Carbohydrates2 g
    • Total Fat22 g
    • Dietary Fiber1 g
    • Cholesterol45 mg
    • sodium367 mg
    • Total Sugars0 g

    Homemade Popcorn

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Robert

      Your popcorn recipe makes 12 cups. Your nutritional information is per serving. How much is in a "serving"?

      3 cups! The recipe serves 4 total.

    • Joleen

      Homemade popcorn is FAR superior to microwave. Although it has taken me several batches to get the heat just right (my gas stove + stainless steel pot = burnt popcorn easily) I have finally mastered the stovetop popcorn! We love to use coconut oil and our popcorn ends up tasting like movie theater popcorn!

      Delicious! Once you go homemade popcorn it would be hard to go back to the microwave stuff!