Is olive oil a good substitute for butter on popcorn?

Olive oil is a healthy and tasty alternative to butter . There are several kinds of olive oil, but you want to choose one with a mild flavor for your popcorn. A good quality olive oil has a rich flavor and provides heart-healthy fats.

How to make popcorn crunchy?

Why is my popcorn chewy and rubbery? A top reason popcorn turns out chewy is because steam gets trapped in your pot when the popcorn kernels are popping. Fix this by using a well-vented lid or leave the pan slightly open to make a light and crispy popcorn.

What makes popcorn taste better?

Coconut oil is the very best oil to use for popping popcorn. You're looking for virgin (AKA: unrefined) coconut oil. It's what makes popcorn taste like the stuff from the movies. Refined coconut oil will work from a method perspective, but it won't give quite the same movie theater taste.

How to make popcorn butter without soggy?

The reason it goes soggy is because butter contains 15% water. Yes, water is what is making your popcorn soggy! So if you're wondering how to keep popcorn from going soggy, the secret is to use clarified butter instead of normal butter . Clarified butter is just butter with the water evaporated out!

What is the best liquid butter for popcorn?

Clarified butter is an easy, quick way to get that theater-butter flavor without getting soggy popcorn.

How to make popcorn crunchy again?

Resist the urge to toss out that bag of stale popcorn. If you're looking to breathe new life into the snack, spread it on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at 250°F for about five minutes. It should be as good as new!

Should you wet popcorn before popping?

There isn't enough moisture in unpopped kernels to create the pressure, so they fail to burst and open. To make your popcorn pop better, try soaking the kernels in a bowl of water for 10 minutes and then draining them . Then, pop the kernels as usual.

What is the secret ingredient in popcorn?

The flavor all comes down to one ingredient: Flavacol. You've likely never heard of Flavacol because, really, only movie theaters use it. Essentially, it's butter-flavored salt . It's a really fine, bright orange powder that adds that buttery flavor you crave and the signature yellow color.

What should I add to my popcorn to make it better?

For savory popcorn: Olive oil, kosher salt, and nutritional yeast . Nutritional yeast is the perfect seasoning if you want cheesy flavor but also want vegan popcorn seasoning. For sweet popcorn: Olive oil, cinnamon, and a dash of brown sugar. This will satisfy your sweet cravings without making your teeth hurt!

Why does movie popcorn taste better than homemade?

However, many don't know that the main reason for the taste of that movie popcorn is a topping called Flavacol .

Is it OK to put olive oil on popcorn?

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels, cover the pot, and cook until popped, shaking the pot occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and drizzle the popcorn with the remaining olive oil while stirring. Season with salt and then give one final stir.

What is a healthy oil substitute for popcorn?

Avocado Oil Avocado oil has a slew of health benefits. It contains tons of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. And like coconut oil, it allows you to make buttery popcorn without actual butter. It's creamy, salty, and flavorful — everything butter is, only not greasy.

Can popcorn be popped without oil or butter?

Pop your popcorn in a dry pan or skillet, no oil . Controversial, I know, but I find that popping popcorn in hot oil increases the likelihood of burnt popcorn and dead kernels. Dry pan popping results in beautiful light popcorn that provides the perfect blank canvas for all your favorite seasonings.

Better-Than-Butterkist Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn Recipe (2024)

Posted By Laura in Entertaining, Family Recipes, Featured | 4 comments

While we were photographing for our ‘Ingredients for a Family Movie Night‘ post, I happened to post on my Instagram Stories that I was making Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn. I immediately and repeatedly got asked for the recipe – so here it is.

We happen to have our own home-grown popcorn expert. Years ago, a very young Boy was fascinated by microwave popcorn – it was a rare treat, but watching it expand and pop in the microwave filled him with wonder.
We wouldn’t buy it except on rare occasions, suggesting he figure out how to make it the old-fashioned (and healthy) way.
So he did.

This post contains affiliate links – you don’t pay any more, but I may earn a teensy smidge of commission (which frankly just helps my coffee habit). But I never recommend something to you I wouldn’t recommend to my sister. And yes, I do love my sister.

He started with dragging our old air popper from the back of the cupboard – but the results were too cardboardy. Next he tried various home made microwave options – but they either scorched and melted the containers (yes, really), didn’t pop properly or the flavour was horrible. Strike Two.

So he did what all Gen Z’s do. He turned to YouTube – and began trying every method he could find until he perfected it.
He’s still a popcorn freak. He loves nothing better than a gift of gourmet popcorn kernels (yes, they are a thing, and yes he really does get them every birthday and Christmas)
Last Christmas we bought him a whirley-popper pan, which was apparently the top of the game. But until then he made popcorn to die for, any time anyone asked, inside 3 minutes.
And this is his extensively researched, tried-and-tested foolproof method of popping.
He personally loves a buttery salt flavour, and uses Flavacol as flavouring – it’s diacetyl free, don’t worry, but if you have a sensitivity then opt for the ones without the yellow colourings.

Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn Recipe

Popcorn Ingredients

(makes a BIG mixing bowl full!)

½ cup kernels (if you halve the butterscotch, then 40g of kernels is about right)
3tbs oil (peanut is best, standard rapeseed veg oil is fine; HIGH burn point and flavourless. No olive oil here!)

Popcorn Method

warm the oil and three kernels in a large heavy-bottomed pan with the lid on
when you hear the third kernel pop, the oil is hot enough
add all your kernels, and replace the lid.
holding the lid firmly on, start shaking the pan vigorously – keep those kernels moving as they pop.
when the popping stops, immediately remove from heat and tip into a large bowl

Butterscotch Ingredients

120g sugar (caster is best, but granulated works fine if it’s all you have)
120g butter
2tbs (be generous) golden syrup

Pre-heat oven to 150ºC / 300ºF / Gas Mark 2

Butterscotch Popcorn Method

Gently melt all ingredients on a low heat.
Let the mixture bubble for a minute

Better-Than-Butterkist Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn Recipe (2)

Pour the hot butterscotch sauce onto the popcorn in the bowl – you need to work fast here as it thickens quickly as it cools. Toss the corn around with two forks until the whole bowl is glazed.

Better-Than-Butterkist Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn Recipe (3)

Lay the sticky pale popcorn in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet (or be sure to use greaseproof paper/non-stick tray liners) – you may need to do this in two halves if you don’t have a couple of baking trays.
Place in the oven and cook for ten minutes until golden brown

Better-Than-Butterkist Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn Recipe (4)

Remove from the oven – and resist eating it. It’ll be scorchio hot, and soft and sticky. Patience will pay off.
It’ll cool quickly – break up the clusters with a fork, and tip it into serving bowl (bowls if you’re sharing)

Better-Than-Butterkist Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn Recipe (5)

(when it’s hot, Butterscotch Popcorn is super-very-really sticky. You DO need a good non-stick pan – this is the Tesco GoCook Oven Tray, and it’s faultless. NOT part of our work with Tesco, this is my own pan which I bought a few months back. It’s a total steal at £8, far better than trays I’ve bought for three times the price.)

Crunchy Butterscotch Popcorn Alternatives:

Butter Almond Popcorn – add a teaspoon of almond extract to the melting pot. Add 120g flaked almonds, crushed, to the corn before coating it.
Chocolate Crunch Popcorn – add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the melting pot.

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