The most common popcorn seasonings are butter and salt; however, popcorn also goes well with many other seasons. But what else goes good with popcorn?
Popcorn can be seasoned and eaten on its own or served as a part of a dish. Some unique popcorn seasonings include honey, hot cocoa, garlic, and parmesan. Recipes that use popcorn as an ingredient include cookies, brownies, granola bars, oatmeal, tres leches, and soup.
You do not have to eat popcorn with the traditional seasonings. With a few tweaks, your popcorn snack can become a delicacy. In this article, you will learn about different popcorn seasonings and recipes to make with popcorn.
Popcorn Seasonings and Creations
Popcorn comes in several different flavors: plain, buttered, kettle corn, and caramel corn. While these flavors are perfect to snack on occasion, they can lose their appeal over time. With some unique seasonings, popcorn can once again become your favorite snack!
Buttery popcorn is delicious, but some sweet flavors can create a party in your mouth. The following seasoning mixes and popcorn creations will be sweet treats. The savory popcorn creations will follow after.
Sweet Treats
1. Honey and popcorn already sound like a delicious treat, but adding peanut butter to the mix is a stroke of genius.
Mix some honey and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the mixture until melted (about 20 seconds). Toss the popcorn in the bowl and let it cool before eating. You can even classify this popcorn creation as a healthy snack!
2. Growing up, I remember the movie theater serving popcorn with a chocolate topping. While in college, I was craving my childhood snack but was unsure how to make it. I eventually found out that hot cocoa powder was a perfect replica!
Pour a package of hot cocoa powder over your buttered popcorn (the butter is essential to make sure the powder sticks). Toss the popcorn to spread the seasoning evenly.
You can also make this seasoning with cocoa powder and sugar. Make it a Mexican hot chocolate by adding a dash of cinnamon.
3. Cookies and cream are already a delicious treat. Add another dimension to this classic dessert by adding popcorn!
Break up several oreo cookies into a bowl. Add the popped popcorn to the bowl. Melt some white chocolate in a double boiler and pour it over the popcorn. Toss the popcorn and cookies together until thoroughly coated in the chocolate.
Not sure what a double boiler is? Watch this video to see how to melt your chocolate for this popcorn creation! Eat this popcorn creation with a spoon.
3. Popcorn and alcohol are often enjoyed separately; however, combining the two creates a tasty treat just for the adults.
You can find the perfect Tipsy Popcorn Recipes on our website.
Savory Creations
If you do not have a sweet tooth, maybe savory popcorn seasoning will be a better option.
1. Garlic is a seasoning used in most meals. Add it to your popcorn, and it creates a whole new culinary experience.
Want some extra flavoring? Add goat cheese crumbles to the mix! It is a perfect complement to the garlicky flavor.
2. Like garlic, parmesan is a popular seasoning. However, people rarely use it on popcorn. Add some parmesan to your popcorn for a cheesy snack!
You can even add garlic to the mix for a burst of flavor in every bite.
3. You might think that truffle oil is just an ingredient for classy meals. However, truffle oil brings a touch of class to everyday popcorn.
Cook some plain popcorn. Pour the truffle oil over the popcorn. Season with salt as needed.
4. This next popcorn creation is a mix of both savory and sweet. To make this recipe even better, it has bacon!
Start by popping the popcorn using your preferred method. Season the popcorn with butter and salt. Pour maple syrup over the popcorn and top with crispy bacon pieces. This popcorn creation is sure to be everyone’s favorite!
5. Zesty popcorn flavors are hard to come by; however, each one adds a whole other level to popcorn eating.
Add some chili powder to your popcorn and shake to coat it evenly. Drizzle some lime juice over the mixture for a dynamic flavor combination.
6. Buttered and salted popcorn does not have to be a bore. By browning the butter first, it gives the popcorn a caramelized flavor.
Watch the following video to learn how to brown butter for your popcorn. Finish the popcorn off with some salt to taste.
Popcorn Recipes
Popcorn is not just a stand-alone snack. Many recipes use it as an ingredient. Recipes using popcorn as an ingredient can be either sweet or savory. No matter what the recipe, chefs and bakers use popcorn for an extra crunch.
Below you will find some of the most popular recipes containing popcorn and how to prepare them. At the end, you will learn some easy ways to repurpose popcorn too.
Popcorn Trail Mix
Traditional trail mix can get boring in a hurry. Add some popcorn to the popular hiking snack for an added crunch.
To make popcorn trail mix, you will need some nuts, popcorn, and chocolate chips. You can also add dried fruit, pretzels, or cereal to the popcorn trail mix. The more ingredients, the more flavor!
Mix all the ingredients and store them in an airtight container. For long-term storage, freeze the trail mix in an airtight storage bag.
Do you have empty popcorn tins stored away? Read the article 17 Awesome Things to do With Empty Popcorn Tins
Popcorn Cookies
You may not expect it, but popcorn is an excellent addition to classic chocolate chip cookies.
Start by gathering your ingredients. Popcorn Cookies require the following:
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-large egg
- 1-teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups lightly crushed popped popcorn (about 1 Tablespoon of popcorn kernels)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- dash of salt
Once you have all your ingredients ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven heats up, cream the butter and sugar for five to seven minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and dash of salt. Slowly combine this dry mix with the creamed butter mixture. Once the mix is smooth, add the popcorn bits and chocolate chips.
Roll the batter into small balls and place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Let the cookies bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until they are golden brown. When the cookies are golden brown, remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool. Serve when cooled!
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home.
The popcorn in the cookies will add some crunch to the gooey goodness of the chocolate chips. If desired, add pecans or raisins. You can also add popcorn to peanut butter, oatmeal, and no-bake cookie recipes. So, grab your favorite cookie recipe and add popcorn to it! You can also add popcorn to brownies for a chocolatey crunch!
Parmesan Popcorn Crisps
A healthy alternative to potato chips is parmesan crisps. Baked cheese can become a delicious snack to fill every junk food craving. Add some popcorn to your parmesan crisps, and this snack replacer becomes even better.
To make Parmesan Popcorn Crisps, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 cup popped popcorn (about 1/2 Tablespoon popcorn kernel)
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
- various spices (garlic powder or dill)
Blend the popcorn with a cup of parmesan cheese in a food processor. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan and the spices to the food processor, and mix well. Place the mixture onto a baking sheet with a non-stick baking liner. While you could use parchment paper, a non-stick baking liner will not stick to the crisps.
Form the mixture into the shape of crackers and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. After about three minutes, the parmesan should turn a golden brown color. Remove the crackers from the heat and allow them to cool. Once the parmesan crisps are entirely cooled down, remove them from the baking sheet and store them in an airtight container.
If you make a large batch at the beginning of the week, you can snack on the crisps as desired throughout the week.
Recipe courtesy of The Kitchn.
Have you ever thought about opening a popcorn business? Read the article How To Start A Gourmet Popcorn Business
Tres Leches “Pop” Corn Bread
Tres leches is an authentic Mexican dessert made from sponge cake. However, this delicious dessert can also be made with cornbread and topped with some delicious popcorn. Tres leches has a smooth, creamy texture. Adding popcorn to the famous dish brings a nice crunch to each bite.
This dessert will take several steps to complete. Let’s start by making cornbread.
To make your cornbread cake, you will need the following ingredients:
- 28 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 3/4 cup Evaporated Milk
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 4-eggs
- 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- Dash of cinnamon
Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a nine by 13-inch baking dish and set it to the side.
Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. After the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add oil, melted butter, honey, eggs, and whole milk. Mix until smooth. Pour the mix into the baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.
While the cornbread bakes, mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and cinnamon. These are the three kinds of milk that give the dish its name. Set one and a half cups in the fridge for later. When the cornbread finishes baking, poke holes throughout the cake. Pour half of the three kinds of milk mixture over the cake. Let the cornbread soak up all the milk before pouring the rest of it over the cake.
The cake should rest for at least four hours before serving; however, most prefer to let the tres leches sit overnight. Before serving the tres leches cake, you need to make the whipped topping and popcorn crunch. Follow the video below to learn how to make the whipped topping from scratch!
Now that you have your cornbread and whipped topping, it is time to make the popcorn topping! Making the popcorn topping for this recipe will require the following ingredients:
- 5 cups popped popcorn (about three Tablespoons popcorn kernels)
- 1/2 cup white chocolate
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 2 Tablespoon maraschino cherry syrup
Pop the popcorn with your preferred method. Place the cooked popcorn into a mixing bowl. Use the double boiler method shown above to melt the white chocolate. Pour the chocolate over the popcorn.
In another bowl, mix the other four ingredients. Pour this mixture over the popcorn too. Toss the popcorn until it is well coated. Allow the chocolate to harden completely before serving. Pull the cornbread from the fridge, pour the remaining milk mixture over the cake. Top the tres leches with whipped cream and the popcorn.
Recipe courtesy of Honest Cooking.
This unique popcorn recipe is sure to catch the attention of all your dinner guests.
Popcorn Garnish
Popcorn does not have to be dipped in chocolate or baked into the dish to benefit the meal. You can use popcorn as a garnish for most meals. You can also use popcorn as a replacement for other commonly used food items.
Use popcorn as a replacement for soup or salad croutons. Season with Italian seasoning and butter before adding to the salad or soup. Need to coat something in bread crumbs? Blend up some popcorn and use that instead of the bread crumbs!
Popcorn also pairs well with fruit dishes. Add some popcorn to a fruit parfait to replace the granola. Popcorn can also be crushed and used as the topping for a fruit crumble. Break the popcorn down and season with cinnamon sugar.
Need some extra crunch at breakfast? Mix some popcorn in with your morning bowl of oatmeal.
Throw some salted popcorn in your ice cream sundae for a sweet and savory dessert! No matter what you are cooking, work popcorn into the dish. Do not be afraid to use popcorn in creative ways. New culinary creations can exist without someone’s experiment first.
