How to Make Popcorn on the Stove the Old Fashioned Way

Learn how to make popcorn on the stove the old fashioned with just 2 simple ingredients that makes the perfect fiber-filled snack.

Like many of us, I grew up on microwave popcorn. It’s convenient, tasty and something fun to have when you’re watching a movie. As an adult popcorn really wasn’t something I was buying regularly as a snack. However, as my kids have started getting older, we’ve begun a fun tradition in our house of having weekly movie nights as a family. It’s a great way for us to connect and enjoy some time together. And let’s be honest, you can’t really have a movie night without snacks like popcorn. So from all this, I decided to learn how to make homemade popcorn on the stove. I can make more of it for super cheap compared to microwave popcorn, and I know exactly what ingredients are in it.

I learned very quickly that homemade stovetop popcorn is incredibly easy to make and the kids absolutely love watching the kernels pop as it’s being made. I love making this large batch of popcorn for our movie nights and we usually have a little bit leftover for the next day, which is always great. Each person in my family likes their popcorn a bit different, so we rotate having buttered popcorn, cinnamon sugar popcorn, puppy chow popcorn and plain old salted popcorn. It’s truly the best I know you’ll love it too!

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FAQs

Are there different types of popping corn? Which one should I choose?

Surprisingly, there are different types of popping corn to choose from. Your first choice will be between organic and non-organic. Both can easily be found and are relatively inexpensive. From there your options are yellow, white, blue and red. Yellow popcorn is the most common and easiest to source. It’s great because it produces the largest popcorn, growing 45 times larger once popped. Blue popcorn on the other hand is considered the healthiest as it’s high in antioxidants. Really, you can’t go wrong and I recommend just finding whatever type of popcorn kernels work for you and your budget!

Is popcorn a healthy snack?

Contrary to what you may believe, popcorn is a wonderful healthy snack. On its own popcorn is very low in calories and fat and high in fiber. Popcorn has around 15 grams of fiber per 100 grams, which is about cereal bowls full, making it an excellent addition to a healthy diet. That being said, once you add things like butter, sugar and seasonings, that healthy snack becomes a little less healthy, albeit delicious.

How do I season homemade popcorn?

You can season your homemade popcorn really any way your heart desires. If you want that movie theater type experience, I recommend tossing your popcorn in melted salted butter and adding a bit of extra salt to top it off. If you want a sweeter popcorn, you can add some cinnamon sugar in when tossing your popcorn in butter, make homemade kettle corn, or drizzle the popcorn in melted candy bars or chocolate.

How do I store homemade popcorn?

I love making a giant batch of popcorn, which is what this recipe is, and saving some for future snacking. I like to add the popcorn to a gallon sized bag, then squeeze as much air out as I can before sealing it. The popcorn will last that way three or more days. A few tips to keeping the popcorn fresher longer is to wait until it’s completely cooled before storing it. I also recommend storing the popcorn free of butter because it can make it a little soggy over time.

Ingredients

Popcorn kernels: You’ll need to find popping corn kernels at your favorite grocery store. Thankfully, it’s super easy to find them, and they’re very inexpensive. You can get several batches of popcorn with one bag that’s usually around $3 or less.

Coconut oil:I typically use organic virgin coconut oil (I get it in bulk at BJs) but you can use whatever coconut oil you prefer.

Butter: Butter of course is optional in this recipe, but if you’d like to make buttered popcorn, I highly recommend using salted butter. It adds a bit more depth to the popcorn and tastes absolutely delicious!

Salt: I recommend salting your popcorn if that’s what you like, but it’s not necessary. You can use any type of salt and even seasoned salts if you like.

How to Make Popcorn on the Stove

TOOLS YOU MAY NEED

• 6-8 quart stock pot
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing spoon
• Large bowl

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup popcorn kernels
• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1 stick salted butter (optional)
• 1 tsp salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Place a large stock pot on the stove and heat it on medium heat for 5 minutes until the bottom is nice and hot, then add in the coconut oil and allow it to fully melt.

Drop a few popcorn kernels into the pot and add the lid.

Wait until the kernels start to pop, then add the rest of the popcorn and replace the lid.

Periodically shake the pot to prevent burning as the popcorn pops.

Once there’s several seconds in between pops, remove the pot from the burner and take off the lid.

Add melted butter and salt or even a little sugar to make it into kettle corn and enjoy!

NOTES

• You can use other oils like olive oil in place of coconut oil, but be sure to use an oil with a high smoke point.
• It’s important to shake the pot as the popcorn pops to ensure there’s no burning.
• Remove the lid from the pot as soon as you remove it from the burner to prevent soggy popcorn.
• Store plain popcorn in an airtight container or gallon bag to keep it fresh for up to three days.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE SNACK RECIPES?

Looking for more snack recipes like this homemade popcorn? Check these out!

• Cheesy Sourdough Discard Crackers
• Everything Sourdough Discard Crackers
• Peanut Butter Oat Bars
• Fall Snack Mix

Did you making popcorn on the stove? If you enjoyed it, I’d really appreciate if you came back and gave the recipe a five star rating! Tag me on Instagram (@thesimplehomeplace) to show me your own recreation of this recipe!