This Kettle Corn Recipe is easy, vegan and calls only for 3 ingredients.
Sitting somewhere between plain popcorn and caramelized popcorn.
Check also how to make spicy popcorn at home.
This crispy, crunchy variant of the popular comfort food is sure to become your favourite ready-to-go snack for movie nights and road trips.
The fact that it is not very sweet like caramelized popcorn makes it ideal for binge eating when you feel like it.
Kettle Corn is something that will undoubtedly appeal to you if you were the kind of person whose nose automatically drew them to the popcorn stall at the local fair.
Let’s jump right into the recipe so that you have a snack ready at hand to pack in the kids’ tiffin boxes the next time they are running late for school!
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Why Does This Recipe Work?
- The recipe is extremely quick to make. Thus, you are all set for a spontaneous movie night with friends or family.
- This dish is very cheap to throw together. No worries if you are expecting to host and feed a huge crowd at your place.
- The fact that the recipe is so easy to make leaves very little room for error.
- You do not need special equipment to make this recipe. Just a pot or a large skillet will suffice.
What Is In This Homemade Kettle Corn Recipe?
Vegetable Oil. It is best to use a variety of Vegetable Oil with a neutral flavour for this recipe. This keeps the taste of the popcorn intact. You can also go for lightly flavoured oils like refined coconut oil.
Popcorn Kernels. Popcorn Kernels are the base of this recipe. You can get ready to microwave bags of loose popcorn at any supermarket near you.
White Sugar. White Sugar is the crux of this recipe. This will give Kettle Corn the sweet flavour that it is known for.
How To Make Kettle Corn?
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in sugar and popcorn kernels.
- Put the lid on and shake the pot frequently once hearing the popping. This will prevent the sugar from burning.
- After 2-3 seconds, when the popping slows down, remove the pot from the heat.
- Transfer the popcorn into a large bowl and serve.
Top Tips!
- Keep a large bowl ready next to your stove. The bottom layer of the popcorn kernels will burn quickly, even off the heat. Thus, it is best to get them off the pan as soon as possible.
- Make sure that you use a pot that is significantly sizeable. This will give everything room to move and will reduce the risk of burning.
- Make sure that you sift through the Kettle Corn before you serve it to pick out any unpopped kernels that may have slipped in. Unlike regular popcorn, they will clump to the popped kernels instead of settling down. Thus, you may bite into it if not careful.
- When making multiple batches of popcorn, make sure that you are washing the pot and letting the pot cool slightly between the batches. Otherwise, leftover sugar from the previous batch may end up burning immediately.
- Avoid eating the popcorn straight out of the pot. Letting it cool for a couple of minutes before eating it will make sure that you do not burn your tongue (sugar tends to get very hot while making this recipe).
- Take the popcorn off the heat as soon as the popping slows down. Do not wait for it to completely stop. You will just end up burning the entire batch in the process if you keep waiting.
- Avoid making the dish in a microwave for the best flavour and aroma.
- Make sure that the Popcorn Kernels you are using have not been sitting in your cupboard for too long.
- It is of utmost importance that your pot has a tight-fitting lid.
Some Variations
- If you want more of the caramel flavour, you can switch out white sugar with brown sugar.
- For a salty-sweet delight, sprinkle some salt before the popcorn is ready and shake it well to ensure that it coats every kernel evenly.
- You can try out other sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, etc. Instead of the sugar for slightly different flavours.
- For adding spice into the mix, add curry powder, cayenne pepper, and pumpkin pie spice.
Serving Suggestions
- Kettle Corn can be served hot or at room temperature.
- The dish is best-served solo. Like any other kind of popcorn, you can serve it as a snack.
- The sweet flavour of the dish also makes it ideal for dessert.
Storage
To Store: Kettle Corn can stay fresh and crunchy for up to a week! Just allow them to cool down completely and store them at room temperature in an airtight container, and you are good to go. Make sure they are stored away from sunlight, though.
So, the next time it’s pouring outside, just pull the container of popcorn off the shelf, roll yourself up into a cozy blanket burrito, and put on your favourite movie or show for the best night-in you can have.
To Freeze: Surprisingly enough, you CAN actually freeze popcorn! Seal them in an airtight freezer bag, and voila! You have just learned a hack to prolong their freshness by several weeks at least!
Reheating Instructions: You do not need to reheat popcorn. It tastes perfect at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
Your pot probably has a tightly fitting lid which causes too much steam to get trapped in when the kernels are popping. Keep the lid open a crack next time. Use a hand towel to crack open the lid to let the steam escape. Keep the crack facing away from you to avoid injuries.
Kettle Corn is a healthy-ish, dairy-free and gluten-free recipe. The amount of sugar used in the recipe is not a lot. Moreover, corn has tons of fibre which keep you full for longer, effectively preventing you from snacking on far unhealthier processed snacks.
The easiest and safest way to check if the oil is hot enough is to put two to three kernels of popcorn in the oil. As soon as you hear all of the pop, consider it your cue to put the rest of your popcorn in!
Yes, kettle corn is a bit sweet because the sugar melts from the heat and coats all the popping kernels giving them a caramelized flavour.
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Recipe
Easy Kettle Corn Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup White sugar
- ½ cup Popcorn kernels
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in sugar and popcorn kernels.¼ cup White sugar, ¼ cup Vegetable oil, ½ cup Popcorn kernels
- Put the lid on and shake the pot frequently once hearing the poping (to prevent sugar from burning).
- After 2-3 seconds (the popping will slow), remove the pot from the heat.
- Transfer the popcorn into a large bowl and serve.
Notes
- Keep a large bowl ready next to your stove. The bottom layer of the popcorn kernels will burn quickly, even off the heat. Thus, it is best to get them off the pan as soon as possible.
- Make sure that you use a pot that is significantly sizeable. This will give everything room to move and will reduce the risk of burning.
- Make sure that you sift through the Kettle Corn before you serve it to pick out any unpopped kernels that may have slipped in. Unlike regular popcorn, they will clump to the popped kernels instead of settling down. Thus, you may bite into it if not careful.
- When making multiple batches of Kettle Corn, make sure that you are washing the pot and letting the pot cool slightly between the batches. Otherwise, leftover sugar from the previous batch may end up burning immediately.
- Avoid eating the Kettle Corn straight out of the pot. Letting it cool for a couple of minutes before eating it will make sure that you do not burn your tongue (sugar tends to get very hot while making this recipe).
- Take the popcorn off the heat as soon as the popping slows down. Do not wait for it to completely stop. You will just end up burning the entire batch in the process if you keep waiting.
- Avoid making the dish in a microwave for the best flavour and aroma.
- Make sure that the Popcorn Kernels you are using have not been sitting in your cupboard for too long.
- It is of utmost importance that your pot has a tight-fitting lid.
Some Variations
- If you want more of the caramel flavour, you can switch out white sugar with brown sugar.
- For a salty-sweet delight, sprinkle some salt before the popcorn is ready and shake it well to ensure that it coats every kernel evenly.
- You can try out other sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, etc. Instead of the sugar for slightly different flavours.
- For adding spice into the mix, add curry powder, cayenne pepper, and pumpkin pie spice.
Nutrition
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Erin
Sweet and salty, I love it. Thanks for sharing this excellent recipe.
Olivia
Healthy snacks for children. Thanks!
Cath
Replaced withe with brown sugar. Good recipe, you only have to keep stirring, or the sugar will burn quickly.