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3 Wicked Good Popcorn Recipes

tasty popcorn and fresh corn
Image: Thanthima Lim/Shutterstock

In case you didn’t know, today is National Popcorn Day! A whole day dedicated to the buttery, salty goodness of popcorn; what could be better? For this day only, you can feel free to to indulge in this tasty snack. It’s all in the name of celebration, because this is a legitimate holiday, right? It is also a good excuse to try various kinds of popcorn that you otherwise wouldn’t. There are hundreds of recipes to choose from, there’s no way to try them all in a day! So here are some tried and true recipes to get you started. (All of the recipes were made with ½ cup of popcorn kernels in mind. Adjust measurements accordingly.)

Italian Popcorn Seasoning—to “spice” up your everyday popcorn

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp. of garlic salt
  • ½ tsp. of salt
  • ¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: ¼ tsp. of red pepper flakes
  • Melted butter (varies, according to how much popcorn you want)

Directions:

  1. Mix ingredients (except butter) together in a small bowl.
  2. Pop your favorite unbuttered popcorn in the manner of your choosing: air-popped, stove-popped, microwave popped.
  3. Coat with melted butter. Shake seasoning onto popcorn and stir to cover evenly.
  4. Any leftover seasoning can be stored in the fridge until your next popcorn binge!

Chocolate Popcorn Balls—for those with a sweet tooth

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbs. of butter
  • 1 bag of mini marshmallows (about 10 oz.)
  • ¼ cup of cocoa powder

Directions:

  1. Pop your favorite unbuttered popcorn. Set aside in large bowl.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium heat.
  3. Pour in the marshmallows, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
  4. After melted, remove from heat. Add cocoa powder and stir.
  5. Immediately pour mixture onto popcorn. Stir to coat evenly.
  6. Cool for a few moments in the fridge or freezer until firm and easy to touch.
  7. Form into balls with a spoon, or using your hands.
  8. For added sweetness, drizzle melted peanut butter or caramel, sprinkle with coconut flakes, or crushed peppermint.
  9. Leave out until balls reach room temperature. Enjoy!

Honey and Sea Salt Popcorn Balls—a healthy alternative to caramel corn

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbs. of honey
  • Sea salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Pop your favorite unbuttered, unsalted popcorn. Set aside in large bowl.
  2. Heat the honey in a saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Stir until it begins to simmer.
  4. Leave for one minute without stirring. It will bubble, and that’s okay (this is all a part of the caramelizing process).
  5. Remove immediately from heat after the one minute.
  6. Drizzle over popcorn, stirring to coat.
  7. Sprinkle sea salt to taste. (You can omit the salt, if you wish.)
  8. Cool for a few moments in fridge or freezer, until firm and easy to touch.
  9. Shape into balls using a spoon or your hands.
  10. Leave sitting out until balls reach room temperature. Enjoy!

Something seasoned, something sweet and something healthy; there’s a jazzed-up popcorn for everyone. Have fun experimenting with this classic in your own way. What’s your favorite recipe for popcorn? Comment below…

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