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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?
save this recipe!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.
The Perfect Gift
I love making a big batch of popcorn seasoning to use as an edible holiday gift! Simply scale your favorite flavor up as much as you need, then store it in an airtight container (like a mason jar). These popcorn seasonings can be stored for up to 3 months.
Reader rating
“My adult grandchildren always look forward to the different flavours of popcorn I’ll bring to a game or other event. Sara, these top their choices, especially the Mexican Chocolate and Taco.” —Vivian
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 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
Make It Stick
There are a few ways to make the seasonings really stick to the popcorn. I always like to spray the popcorn lightly with either flavorless or olive oil. Simply spray or drizzle the oil over the popcorn and toss to coat the whole batch. Then sprinkle on your seasoning and toss once more for evenly coated popcorn.
Another way to ensure your seasonings stick is to swap out regular sugar for powdered sugar in the sweet recipes. This light sugar will coat each kernel without all sinking to the bottom. Ready to get popping?
7 Easy Homemade Popcorn Seasonings
Ingredients
Pick a Seasoning
- Ranch: ½ tsp dried dill, ½ tsp dried chives, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper
- Cinnamon Sugar: 2 Tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt
- Gingerbread: 1 ½ Tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves
- Coconut Curry: ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ½ tsp curry powder, ¼ tsp salt
- Dorito: 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
- Mexican Chocolate: 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder,1 Tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt, pinch of cayenne pepper
- Taco: 1 Tbsp taco seasoning, 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Base
- 4 cups popped popcorn
- 1 tsp oil, 5 mL
Instructions
- Mix: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for your seasoning of choice.
- Pop: Prepare popcorn in either the microwave or traditionally on the stove. Spray or drizzle oil onto popcorn, tossing to evenly coat.
- Serve: Sprinkle seasoning over popcorn and toss to coat once more. Serve warm.
Notes
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
I did a 1/2 cup of popcorn in enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Butter doesn’t work … it burns everything.
Then drizzled/mixed butter over it & folded in a dash (alternating the folding w/ the dashing) of actual Ranch Salad Dressing seasoning (not the dip version). I thought it came out pretty good … some were a little stronger than others … but all-in-all, I’d definitely do it again.
1/2 cup lifted the lid & overflowed the pan. If you’re a movie & popcorn aficionado, then a 1/2 cup of popcorn makes a huge bowl that will last 1 person pretty much the entire movie. I’ll do a 1/4 cup next time.
I’m surprised that there isn’t a “Kettle Corn” recipe. IDK what’s involved w/ that … just butter & sugar? I might give that a try next time … I’m thinking that I’ll have to sprinkle, fold (is that the right word?), & repeat like I did w/ the Ranch packet.
Just add three tablespoons of granulated sugar to the pot after the kernels start bubbling. I have a popcorn popper that has a handle to mix the kernels, oil and sugar together. It is awesome and as close to the real thing from the fair as you can make at home.
Amazing popcorn
Can these seasonings be produced in bulk for gifting? Would they be shelf stable?
Yes these are all shelf-stable 🙂
I was wondering about bulk recipe too:)
Here’s how I would scale this to make as gift bags 🙂
Ranch Seasoning
¼ cup dried dill
¼ cup dried chives
¼ cup garlic powder
¼ cup onion powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
Cinnamon Sugar Seasoning
¾ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
Gingerbread Seasoning
¾ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
Coconut Curry Seasoning
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon salt
Dorito Seasoning
½ cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
Mexican Chocolate Seasoning
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Taco Seasoning
½ cup taco seasoning
½ cup nutritional yeast
I made the cinnamon sugar popcorn and loved it. Then i took a little creative license and made cayenne pepper and powdered sugar with a little salt. IT WAS AWESOME!! 😃😃😃
I love that!! It’s always fun to make a recipe your own 🙂 Enjoy!
Thank you much. We love them all
So happy to hear it! Enjoy! 😀
Thank you for easy popcorn flavor recipes! I’m on low budget, so I’m going to make some for gifts! Much appreciated!
Lisa
These make such great gifts! Enjoy!! 🙂
After sprinkling with seasoning you can place the popcorn in an oven tray and put in the oven at 160 deg C for 20 to 25 minutes for a crisper texture.
Hey! Just a question. What taco seasoning would you recommend? Thanks very much.
I like McCormick’s brand 🙂
Can you store the popped seasoned popcorn?
Yes! It will just get a bit less crispy over time 🙂
What brand of nutritional yeast do you use?
I like Bragg’s or Bob’s Red Mill!
What is the nutrient list?
I didn’t include it for this one because there are so many different options. Which one were you wanting nutrition info for?
All these sound wonderful and will try some of them. We love popcorn in the pm and have been using a lot of nutritional yeast for a seasoning mix. However, we just discovered how much Vit B is in it and realized that’s what is interrupting our sleep!! So, if you’re sensitive that way you’ll want to avoid it at night!! Thanks for these recipes!!