7 Easy Homemade Popcorn Seasonings (Sweet & Savory!)

Making homemade popcorn seasoning is so much easier than you would think. Today I’m showing you how to make 7 of our favorite popcorn flavors, from herby ranch to cinnamon sugar! These seasonings have been munched down on in thousands of kitchens since I first published this recipe years ago – yours next?

The day I learned that popcorn is a whole grain was a pretty big day. Suddenly my favorite mindless-munching snack was a wholesome one, and let’s just say I ate a lot of popcorn after that discovery.

But while many store-bought flavored popcorns are loaded with butter and sugar, you can make your own homemade popcorn seasoning at home that’s healthier (and cheaper!) than the store-bought stuff.

How to Scale Popcorn Seasoning for Holiday Gifts

This is the question I get asked most. My easy rule is to multiply each blend by 6. That fills an 8-ounce jar for most flavors, and each jar seasons six 4-cup bowls of popcorn.

• Ranch (4-ounce jar): 1 Tbsp each dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, and onion powder, plus 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ tsp pepper. Tag: use 2 ½ tsp per 4 cups popcorn.
• Dorito (8-ounce jar): ¾ cup nutritional yeast, plus 1 ½ tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt. Tag: use about 2 ½ Tbsp per 4 cups popcorn.
• Taco (8-ounce jar): 6 Tbsp taco seasoning and 6 Tbsp nutritional yeast. Tag: use 2 Tbsp per 4 cups popcorn.
• Coconut Curry (16-ounce jar): 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut, 1 Tbsp curry powder, and 1 ½ tsp salt. Tag: use a heaping ¼ cup per 4 cups popcorn.
• Cinnamon Sugar (8-ounce jar): ¾ cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp cinnamon, and 1 ½ tsp salt. Tag: use about 2 ½ Tbsp per 4 cups popcorn.
• Gingerbread (8-ounce jar): ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp ground ginger, and 1 ½ tsp ground cloves. Tag: use 2 Tbsp per 4 cups popcorn.
• Mexican Chocolate (8-ounce jar): 6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 6 Tbsp powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp cayenne. Tag: use about 2 ½ Tbsp per 4 cups popcorn.

Whisk each blend in a bowl before you funnel it into the jar, since nutritional yeast and powdered sugar both settle into layers. On the tag, write the amount to use and the one step people skip: toss the popcorn with a teaspoon of oil or melted butter first. Shredded coconut has natural oils, so give the Coconut Curry jar a shorter use-by date than the others.

A jar pairs nicely with a bag of kernels. For the rest of your list, check out my 47 gift ideas for foodies.

Savory Popcorn Recipes

Ranch Popcorn Seasoning:

• ½ tsp dried dill
• ½ tsp dried chives
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Dorito Popcorn Seasoning:

• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Taco Popcorn Seasoning

• 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Coconut Curry Popcorn Seasoning:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ tsp curry powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Sweet Popcorn Seasoning Recipes

Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn Seasoning

• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt

Gingerbread Popcorn Seasoning

• 1 ½ Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

Mexican Chocolate Popcorn Seasoning

• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper