Easy Kettle Corn Popcorn is the perfect blend of sweet and salty. Skip store bought and make this tasty recipe in minutes. You will love this for movie night.
Homemade Kettle Corn Recipe is so delicious and really simple to make. This kettle corn recipe is a keeper, and I doubt you ever buy store bought again.
You only need 4 ingredients to make this and it is super fast. If you love the blend of sweet and salty, this is a must try recipe. I have also been making Unicorn Popcorn, Zebra Popcorn Recipe and Koolaid Popcorn for years.
Table of contents
What is Kettle Corn Popcorn?
Kettle Corn was traditionally cooked in a kettle and then seasoned to perfection. Once popped, the corn is coated in a delicious mixture of salt and sugar.
It is sweet and savory for the perfect snack any day of the week. This recipe is one of our favorite Popcorn Recipes.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil. It’s important to use oil that has a high smoke point.
- Popcorn Kernels. Any brand is fine.
- Sugar. Regular, white granulated sugar.
- Salt. Combines with the sugar for the perfect sweet and salty flavor.
Get the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
How to Make Kettle Corn Popcorn
Step 1. Heat the oil. Add the vegetable oil and a few popcorn kernels (3-4) to a large saucepan with a lid. Heat on the stovetop using medium heat until you hear all of the popcorn kernels pop.
Step 2. Then add the remaining popcorn kernels. Shake the pan to coat the kernels in the oil. Stir if needed. Then add in the sugar and salt. Shake thoroughly again to coat the kernels with the sugar and salt.
Step 3. Add the lid to the pan. Constantly shake the pot while it’s cooking. It will probably take a minute for the kernels to start popping. Continue to cook while the kernels are popping until it slows to about 2 seconds between each of the pops.
Step 4. Continue to shake the pan. Make sure to constantly shake the large pot to keep the kernels and sugar from burning. Move the popcorn immediately from the stove and pour into a large bowl. Remove any unpopped kernels. Serve the popped popcorn warm and enjoy!
Storage
You can store leftover homemade kettle corn at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Make sure the kettle corn is room temperature before storing so that it stays crispy.
If it is still warm and any steam is trapped in the container, it will make it soggy.
You might be surprised but you can actually freeze popcorn. Allow it to cool at room temp and place inside a freezer bag.
Seal tightly and freeze up to 2 weeks. This will help to prolong the popcorn and keep it crispy.
Pro Tips
- Brown Sugar. You can substitute brown sugar in this recipe for the white sugar. It will give the popcorn more of a caramel flavor.
- Equipment. You do not need anything special but the pan is important. You do not want anything too heavy because you will be continuously shaking it. It will be difficult to do if the pan is very heavy.
- Burning the Sugar. If some of the sugar burns, just pick out those kernels. No worries as this is a learning process.
- Hot Oil. It is important to start with hot oil. Test it out with a few kernels before proceeding.
- Pour immediately into a serving bowl. The popcorn needs to come off the stove immediately and be poured into a bowl. This will help to prevent it from burning.
- Remove any unpopped kernels. Once the popcorn popped, take a few extra minutes to remove any kernels that did not pop. This is especially important if serving children this snack.
- Good quality ingredients. Since there are so few ingredients, it is important to use really good ingredients. We have the best results with name brand popcorn. versus generic brands.
- Oil. We used vegetable oil but other ideas include coconut oil and canola oil.
More Flavored Popcorn Recipes
- S’mores popcorn
- Candy Cane Popcorn Recipe
- Oreo Popcorn Recipe
- Snickers Popcorn Recipe
- Caramel Apple Popcorn
- Honey Butter Popcorn
This is a great recipe for movie night, after school snacks or any day of the week. Make it today for the perfect treat. Then leave a comment and star rating.
Kettle Corn Popcorn
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 cup Popcorn Kernels
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoons Salt
Instructions
- Add the vegetable oil and a few popcorn kernels (3-4) to a large heavy bottom pot with a lid. Heat over medium high heat covered until you hear all of the popcorn kernels pop.
- Then add the remaining popcorn kernels. Shake the pan to coat the kernels in the oil. Then add in the sugar and salt. Shake thoroughly again to coat the kernels with the sugar and salt.
- Add the lid to the pan. Constantly shake the pot while it’s cooking. It will probably take a minute for the kernels to start popping. Continue to cook while the kernels are popping until the toppings slows to approximately 2 seconds between each of the pops. Make sure to constantly shake the pan to keep the kernels and sugar from burning. Move the popcorn immediately from the stove and pour into a large serving bowl.
- Picked out any unpeopled kernels. Serve warm and enjoy!
