Healthy Homemade Popcorn Recipe

One of the biggest struggles I hear from people trying to lose weight is...snacking.

Snacking too late. Snacking too much. Snacking on the wrong foods. Snacking on too many good foods. Not knowing what to snack on. And so on.

Now, I'm all about snacking and consider myself a snacking advocate. I have a snack each day in between my meals because, frankly, I like snacks. And snacks can be a great way to provide energy, continue to hit your protein goals, and stick to your stick to your macros.

So I've recently started making my own popcorn and seasoning it myself so I can control the ingredients and flavors.

Popcorn is so dang simple! Kernels + coconut oil + heat = popcorn. Keep reading to learn how to make the best-tasting and healthiest popcorn possible.

Stovetop Popcorn Tips

While making homemade popcorn is relatively simple, there are some tricks to make sure you make the best popcorn possible. I've listed them below:

1. Use a heavy-bottomed pot: I strongly recommend that you use a good quality and thick pan, like a Dutch oven. Why? When making stovetop popcorn you need to make sure that the heat is evenly distributed. Otherwise, you might end end up with burnt corn.
2. Choose the right oil: Use an oil that has a high smoke point, like coconut oil.
3. Cover it with a lid: Guys, I know this seems like common sense, but I've seen a lot of funny popcorn gone wrong videos. So, just a friendly reminder, don't forget to cover it with a lid!
4. Use 3-4 kernels for temperature test: To make sure your pan has the right temperature, add 3-4 kernels first and cover the pan with a lid.  Once they've popped take them out, and pour the remaining kernels into the pan.
5. Tilt the lid slightly: No one wants soggy popcorn. So once the popping stops you need to tilt the lid just ever so slightly so the popcorn doesn't get steamed.
6. Listen closely: Once the popping starts to dwindle down with around 2-3 second lulls in between, that's when you know it's time to take it off the stove. 
7. Get seasoning: After transferring your popcorn into your go-to bowl, add your preferred seasoning. And voila-healthy homemade popcorn!

Do I Need Oil To Make Popcorn? 

Nope! You don't really need oil or butter to make popcorn kernels pop. You can actually just use water and it will still pop the same way. Adding oil or butter to your popcorn is mainly for flavor and to act as grease to prevent it from burning. 

So if you want to try water, just pour enough to keep the kernels covered but not floating.  If the kernels haven't popped and the water has already evaporated, feel free to add just a tad bit more.  I personally prefer the flavor with the coconut oil popped popcorn.

How Do I Make The Salt Stick To The Popcorn? 

If you aren't planning to use any butter, one way to go make sure that your salt doesn't end up at the bottom of the bowl and on your popped popcorn is to use superfine salt.

TIP: You can use a mortar and pestle or run regular salt through your food processor making it more of a fine dust than granules. 

How To Make Vegan

Popcorn in its unflavored form is generally vegan. But when you start adding animal products - found in butter and cheese - it no longer qualifies. So if you want dairy-free popcorn, make it at home with oil instead of butter. 

I've made several different toppings so far, like cinnamon and coconut sugar, cilantro and lime, and this parmesan and sea salt popcorn. Let me tell you. The flavor is super fresh and vibrant -- SO different than your typical microwaveable popcorn.

How To Store

Stovetop popcorn is always best enjoyed fresh! But, if you need to store it, the best way is to seal it in an air-tight container then set it aside in your freezer.

This might come as a shock for you ( as it did for me!) but freezing the popcorn will keep it fresh for a longer period.  And some trivia! Popcorn never fully freezes, so you don't have to worry about the texture changing.  Just make sure that you don't refreeze your air popped popcorn once you've taken it out of the freezer because it will affect the texture and taste. And don't freeze unpopped kernels, as it could affect their ability to pop correctly later.

More Healthy Snacks Recipes

If you're craving for more healthy snacks like this healthy popcorn that you can easily whip up, here are some of my favorites that I'm sure you'll enjoy!

• High-protein snacks for weight loss
• Easy homemade baked pita chips