Easy Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Recipe - Feeding Your Fam (2024)

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This Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Recipe is an easy homemade snack made with coconut oil, sugar, salt and popcorn kernels. Skip the movie theater and stay home with a big batch of this deliciousness!!

If you are a popcorn fan like our fam check out my other recipes for Caramel Popcorn and White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn.

Homemade Kettle Corn

Homemade Kettle Corn is one of our go to snack choices! This recipe is so simple to make and is ready in under 10 minutes.

Don’t be afraid to try this, it really is easy and comes out perfect every time. If you haven’t tried making homemade popcorn before, let this be a turning point for you!

You won’t go back to store bought once you taste a fresh, hot batch of this kettle corn!!

How to Make Homemade Kettle Corn

To make this stovetop kettle corn you will want to use a 4-5 quart pot or cast iron. Place the pot on the stove top over medium-high heat.

Add the oil and one or two popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and wait until you hear the kernel pop, this will take just a few minutes, so don’t walk away.

This is to help you know when the oil is hot enough to add in the kernels and start the popping.

After you know the oil is hot enough, remove the lid and add in the rest of the kernels, sugar and salt. Give it a quick stir and place the lid back on the pot, leaving the lid off to the side a little so heat can vent from the pan.

Pour in just enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan, one kernel deep.

With the lid on the pot, vented and it still over the heat, gently shake the pan as you hear the kernels begin to pop. You might want to wear some oven mitts for this part as the heat over the stove can get hot.

Continue to shake the pan over the heat until you hear the popping slow down.

Remove from the heat and keep the pan covered for 1-2 minutes until you no longer hear popping. If you remove the pan too early, you will have popcorn popping all over!!

Ingredients Needed for this Kettle Corn Recipe

Just a few simple ingredients and you are all set for your binge weekend or family movie night! For this homemade kettle corn recipe you will need:

  • 1 cup yellow popcorn kernels (or just enough to cover the bottom of your pot)
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

That is it!! Now sit down and enjoy a show, snack or make up a batch as a special gift!!

What Kind of Popcorn Kernels Should I use?

I personally prefer yellow kernels, they just work perfectly when cooked in a pot or cast iron. My second choice would be white kernels.

There are definitely other varieties of kernels that you can use for this recipe, so if you have one you like best, go ahead and use that one.

Kettle Corn Recipe

Easy Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Recipe - Feeding Your Fam (6)

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4.77 from 26 votes

Kettle Corn Recipe

Kettle Corn is a simple and delicious sweet and salty treat!! It is so simple to make, you will never go back to store bought!

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: After School Snack, Breakfast, Gift, Snack

Cuisine: American, Comfort Food, Holidays

Keyword: Kettle Corn Recipe

Servings: 10

Calories: 92kcal

Author: Sarah Alvord, Feeding Your Fam

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow popcorn kernels (or just enough to cover bottom of pot)
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • In a large 4-5 quart pot over medium high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add one kernel of popcorn and cover pot with the lid tilted to create a small vent, until you hear the kernel pop.

  • Remove the lid and add the remaining popcorn kernels, sugar and salt. Stir to coat and then quickly flatten kernels on the bottom of the pot, just so they cover the bottom.

  • Cover the pot with a vent and shake gently. You will hear the kernels begin to pop.

  • Continue shaking over the heat for another 2-3 minutes or until the popping begins to slow down.

  • Remove from the heat and leave the lid on for just a few seconds until you hear the popping stop. Makes 8-10 cups of popped popcorn. Store in an air tight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1.6g | Fat: 4.7g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 58mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @feedingyourfam or tag #feedingyourfam!

How to Store Homemade Kettle Corn

The best way to store any left over kettle corn is in air tight containers, or zip top bags. This popcorn will keep fresh for up to a week or longer.

We like to make large batches of this recipe and take it with us on long road trips or weekend campouts. It is always a hit and always gets eaten!

This Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Recipe is an easy homemade snack made with coconut oil, sugar, salt and popcorn kernels. Skip the movie theater and stay home with a big batch of this deliciousness!!

Easy Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Recipe - Feeding Your Fam (2024)

FAQs

Is kettle corn healthier than regular popcorn? ›

Regular popcorn is considered a healthy snack. While kettle popcorn has similar health benefits, you should watch the sugar. Regular popcorn is a classic salty snack, while kettle popcorn has a sweeter flavor.

Is kettle corn just sweet popcorn? ›

Kettle corn is a sweet variety of popcorn that is typically mixed or seasoned with a light-colored refined sugar, salt, and oil. It was traditionally made in cast iron kettles, hence the name, but in modern times other types of pots and pans are used.

What is the best oil for kettle corn? ›

I do not recommend making substitutions for granulated sugar. Coconut oil. Coconut oil tastes the best in this kettle corn recipe, but canola oil also works very well.

What makes kettle corn so good? ›

Since kettle corn's recipe involves sugar, it is going to taste sweeter than it will salty. Whereas traditional popcorn's salt and oil make it a dominantly savory snack. Here at America's Favorite Gourmet Popcorn, we break the rules a little by offering sweet AND savory flavors for both popcorn and kettle corn.

Is it OK to eat kettle corn everyday? ›

While both varieties of popcorn have similar nutritious benefits, sugar added to kettle popcorn is more likely to cause you to gain weight (due to its higher calorie count and addictive nature). However, there is no reason to worry if you consume kettle popcorn every now and then.

Why is kettle corn so addictive? ›

One of the reasons people enjoy kettle corn so much is its sweet flavor. The addition of sugar makes kettle popcorn very addictive, so it's no surprise that you can't stop eating it until you've finished the entire bowl.

Can dogs have popcorn? ›

Is Eating Popcorn Safe for Dogs? Yes and no. Plain, air-popped popcorn is safe for dogs to eat in small quantities. Buttered popcorn or popcorn with other toppings is not safe for your dog on a regular basis, although eating a few dropped pieces here and there probably won't hurt them.

What is popcorn with sugar called? ›

In the pantheon of popcorns, kettle corn sits somewhere in between plain popped corn and caramel corn. It's lightly golden — more or less so depending on the amount of sugar you use — and salty-sweet. It has a crisp crunch from the sugar coating, but won't stick to your teeth the way caramel corn sometimes does.

What is German kettle corn? ›

Kettle corn is traditionally popped in a large, oiled iron kettle. At the beginning of the 18th century, European immigrants cooked corn in cast-iron kettles coated with oil. Then, they would add molasses and honey to create the perfect sweet-savory flavor.

Can dogs have kettle corn? ›

Kettle corn and caramel popcorn are not good snacks for dogs. In addition to the butter and salt, both types of popcorn have tons of sugar and other preservatives that are very unhealthy for our fur babies. They may give your pup stomach issues like gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, or vomiting.

What oil does movie theaters use for popcorn? ›

It's a personal preference—and there are certainly people who eat both and wouldn't even notice the difference.” AMC, Regal, and Marcus theaters use coconut oil, while Cinemark opts for canola, and other regional chains use a blend.

What is the black stuff on kettle corn? ›

The black specks are simply naturally dark pieces of the pericarp (skin) of the corn, where the tip of the kernel attaches to the cob. The color of the specks will vary by crop and year. They are the same as those commonly seen in hard taco shells, corn or tortilla chips, cornmeal, and natural whole corn products.

What is sweet and salty popcorn called? ›

Kettle corn is a variety of popcorn that is seasoned and mixed with light colored refined sugar, salt, and oil, giving it a sweet flavor.

What is a fun fact about kettle corn? ›

Supposedly, the farmers and cowboys of the old Mid-West used to make their own version of kettle corn. After a day of harvest, they would throw rendered fat into a cast iron pot sitting over the fire. When the fat was hot, they'd throw in some corn kernels and whatever sweetener available, usually honey or molasses.

What is the healthiest type of popcorn? ›

The 10 Best Healthy Popcorn Brands of 2022, According to...
  • Bjorn Qorn.
  • Pipcorn Truffle Mini Popcorn.
  • Newman's Own Organic Touch of Butter.
  • Whole Foods 365 Organic Yellow Popcorn Kernels.
  • Trader Joes Organic Popcorn With Olive Oil.
  • Anthony's Organic Yellow Popcorn Kernels.
  • How to Choose a Healthy Popcorn.
Sep 27, 2022

What is the healthiest form of popcorn? ›

The healthiest way to eat popcorn is plain and air-popped. However, most of us need a little seasoning to enjoy this snack.

Why is kettle corn better than popcorn? ›

The addition of sugar during the cooking process gives kettle corn its distinctive sweetness, complementing the savory notes from the salt. This combination of sweet and salty flavors is a hallmark of kettle corn and sets it apart from regular popcorn.

What is the healthiest popcorn to make? ›

Air popped popcorn uses no oil, meaning it has the fewest calories. “Popping it in oil, however, is a great way to consume a healthy portion of fat to control hunger,” Jeffers says. Not only can you manage serving size, but you can also make it in under 10 minutes in most cases.

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