Stovetop popcorn is a quick and easy snack to make. It is a healthy snack that is great for taking to school or work or make your own popcorn for home movies. A great tasting, versatile snack!
Stovetop Popcorn
Stovetop popcorn is simple and quick to make. It doesn’t use much oil so is a relatively healthy snack option. Make it ahead of time and put into small zip lock bags for easy snacks to take to school or work.
There is very little that goes into this recipe so it is very allergy friendly. It is also vegetarian and vegan friendly (assuming you don’t add butter to it after). It is a very versatile snack that you can mix up by simply changing the seasoning or toppings you add to it after it is cooked. You can make it sweet, savory, spicy or even tangy. Whatever you feel like!
Oil
Any oil can be used to cook the popcorn. I like to use coconut oil as it adds a nice flavor to the popcorn.
I find 3 tablespoons of oil is enough. It is just enough to cover the bottom of the saucepan. If you are using a larger saucepan you may want to add a little more oil so it covers the bottom. In my experience, when there is not enough oil in the saucepan then the popcorn tends to burn quite easily.
Cooking Stovetop Popcorn
When cooking stovetop popcorn you don’t want the heat too high, otherwise you will end up burning the popcorn after it pops. Too low in temperature and the kernels won’t all pop quick enough. The popped popcorn will stay on the heat too long, increasing the chance of burning.
Between medium and medium-low is the optimal heating temperature for cooking popcorn. It will differ slightly depending on the saucepan used and the stovetop. It is best to start with medium low and increase the heat a tiny bit if the kernels are not popping quick enough.
To test that the saucepan and oil has heated up enough, place 3 kernels in the saucepan after you have added the oil.
Cover the saucepan and wait for the kernels to pop. You will have to listen closely to make sure you notice them pop.
Once the kernels have popped, the saucepan has heated up enough and it is time to add in the rest of the kernels.
Cover the saucepan and let the kernels start to pop. Once they start popping you want to occasionally shake the saucepan. Shaking the saucepan will help any of the unpopped kernels to drop to the bottom so they can pop. Occasionally lift the saucepan lid up slightly to let some of the steam out of saucepan. Make sure to lift it away from you to avoid oil splatter.
Once the popping has slowed down to 1 pop every couple of seconds, then it is time to take the saucepan off the heat. Empty the contents into a bowl so that the popcorn doesn’t burn from the remaining heat of the saucepan.
Cover the popcorn with your desired seasoning and toss to fully coat.
Storing Stovetop Popcorn
Cooked popcorn is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It should keep for 1-2 weeks.
Whilst popcorn may be safe to eat a week after cooking, it does go kind of stale quite quickly. So it is best consumed as soon as possible.
A great idea is to divide the popcorn into small zip lock bags to take as snacks to various places. Not only is this easy to do, it is also a much cheaper alternative to buying small packets of popcorn from the shops.
For more great snacks check out Snack Recipes
Simple Stovetop Popcorn
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or oil of choice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium sized saucepan on medium-low heat, with 3 popcorn kernels in it. Cover and wait for kernels to pop.
- After the 3 popcorn kernels have popped the oil and saucepan are hot enough. Add in the rest of the popcorn kernels and cover.
- As the kernels pop, shake the saucepan to allow the remaining kernels to fall back to the bottom. Periodically lift the saucepan lid away from you to release some of the steam.
- Once the rate of kernels popping is once every couple of seconds, turn off the heat and empty the popcorn into a bowl.
- Sprinkle popcorn with seasoning of choice and mix to fully coat.
