Deliciously sweet and salty, this honey popcorn recipe is the perfect treat for a movie night, party snack table or just a normal day. It's also made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about!
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Sometimes you just want a tasty treat that won't leave you feeling guilty or physically sick. This is a great one!
Made with a few simple, wholesome ingredients, and minimal sugar, this homemade popcorn recipe is a delicious snack or dessert, great for movie time or when you just feel like a bowl of popcorn.
It's like caramel corn, but not as a heavy and a whole lot healthier. Plus it's a nice change from plain popcorn with butter.
Why you'll love this recipe
Healthy - Most sweet popcorn recipes use refined sugars and processed oils. This recipe uses honey, a natural sweetener and butter (or coconut oil) which is much healthier. You can feel good about eating it and feeding it to your family.
Easy - This recipe is as easy as any other sweet popcorn recipe, but much healthier! You don't need any fancy equipment or advanced cooking skills to make it.
Delicious - Come on... sweet and salty honey popcorn? There isn't anyone that wouldn't enjoy that.
Ingredients
Popcorn - Popping popcorn yourself saves money and is much healthier than the pre-popped stuff. We use homegrown Tom Thumb popcorn, but you can use the popcorn kernels available wherever you grocery shop!
Honey - A natural sweetener that is so delicious. A much healthier option (especially if you use raw honey) than the corn syrup and other refined sugars that are often used to make sweet popcorn.
Butter or coconut oil - Adds richness to the recipe and adds a healthy fat. Coconut oil is a great alternative to butter if you're dairy free. Both taste great!
Vanilla - Use pure vanilla extract for the healthiest option.
Sea salt - Adds that delightfully salty compliment to the sweetness.
Cinnamon (optional) - A nice additional flavoring if you're a fan of cinnamon.
FAQ
Totally, and it's delicious. You want to caramelize it partway in a saucepan first with a few ingredients, then drizzle it on.
Yes! It uses simple, real ingredients, making it a tasty, guilt-free treat.
Eating any type of sugar in excess can cause weight gain, but there is so little in a batch of honey popcorn, that on its own, I don't believe it's fattening.
If you eat a lot of sugar, then of course eating honey popcorn will add more to your daily intake. The body can process up to 7 teaspoon of sugar in a day (28 grams), so I aim to stay below that.
This recipe uses ¼ cup honey, which is 12 tsp, so share with your family and don't eat it all yourself!
Yes! For crisper popcorn, preheat the oven to 250°F, spread popcorn on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 or so. Allow to cool completely.
Honey popcorn can last up to 1 week if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze popcorn for up to 3 months.
Tips for making honey popcorn
- Move the pot at least every 3 seconds while popping the corn, to avoid burning at the bottom of the pot. (if popping corn on the stovetop)
- You can use different types of honey, like herb or flower infused honey or hot honey for a fun change.
- If you're short on time, you could use pre-popped popcorn from the store, although this isn't the healthiest or most economical option.
- You can sub 1-2 tablespoon of honey with brown sugar for a more caramel like flavor.
- Follow the optional baking step for super crunchy, golden honey popcorn!
Serving ideas
- Snack: Eat on its own as a sweet snack
- Topping: Use as a crunchy topping on your ice cream or yogurt
- Gift Jar: Present in a mason jar as a delicious, homemade hostess gift
- Trail Mix: Mix with nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate chips for a tasty and nutritious trail mix.
- Baking Ingredient: Incorporate honey popcorn into baked goods like cookies, brownies, or bars for added texture and flavor. Try mixing it into the batter or using it as a topping before baking.
- Party Mix: Mix honey popcorn with other flavored popcorns, pretzels, cheese crackers, and nuts for a party snack mix.
- Gourmet Popcorn Balls: Use honey popcorn to make popcorn balls by freezing for 5-10 minutes after mixing, then shaping into balls.
- Chocolate Drizzle: Drizzle melted dark chocolate over honey popcorn for a decadent treat. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
- Peanut Butter Popcorn Clusters: Toss honey popcorn with melted peanut butter and let it set into clusters for a sweet and salty snack.
- Festive Popcorn: Add seasonal spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice when the time is right!
- Granola Bars: Mix into homemade granola bars for a fun and sweet crunch.
Tools you may need
Large bowl
How to make honey popcorn
Ingredients:
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Instructions:
Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Put a few kernels in the pot and once they start to sizzle, it's likely hot enough. Pour in the remaining kernels, cover and holding both pot handles, swirl the pot around on the burner every 2-3 seconds. This will prevent the popcorn from burning.
Continue until most of the kernels have popped, there will be 2-3 seconds between each pop. Remove the pot from the heat and pour into a bowl (to prevent the bottom from burning).
In a small saucepan, melt the butter/coconut oil over low heat. Add the honey, salt and cinnamon (if using) to the melted butter or oil and turn up to medium-low heat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture bubbles, stirring consistently. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Drizzle the honey mixture over the popcorn and toss and stir mixture to evenly coat. Allow to cool fully.
(Optional) Lay out on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake @ 250°F for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. This will result in golden, crunchier, less sticky honey popcorn, but you can enjoy it without baking it as well.
How to store honey popcorn
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a 7 days.
Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!
More Healthy Treats
- HONEY ROASTED CASHEWS
- NANAIMO BARS
- CINNAMON AND HONEY ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
- RHUBARB CRISP
- MAPLE NO BAKE COOKIES
📖 Recipe
Honey Popcorn
Deliciously sweet and salty, this honey popcorn recipe is the perfect treat for a movie night, party snack table or just a normal day. It's also made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about!
Ingredients
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- ¼ cup butter or coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Put a few kernels in the pot and once they start to sizzle, it's likely hot enough. Pour in the remaining kernels, cover and holding both pot handles, swirl the pot around on the burner every 2-3 seconds. This will prevent the popcorn from burning.
- Continue until most of the kernels have popped, there will be 2-3 seconds between each pop. Remove the pot from the heat and pour into a bowl (to prevent the bottom from burning).
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter/coconut oil over low heat. Add the honey, salt and cinnamon (if using) to the melted butter or oil and turn up to medium-low heat. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the mixture bubbles, stirring consistently. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Drizzle the honey mixture over the popcorn and toss and stir mixture to evenly coat. Allow to cool fully.
- (Optional) Lay out on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake @ 250°F for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. This will result in golden, crunchier, less sticky honey popcorn, but you can enjoy it without baking it as well.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a 7 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 223mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 0g
This nutrient calculation is done by an automated calculator and may not be accurate.
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