Popcorn seasoning recipes are so easy to make at home. You can skip all the unwanted salt and preservatives that store-bought versions have, plus save money by making your own!
This post will walk you through six easy, healthy seasoning recipes made with spices from your pantry.
Popcorn Seasoning Recipes
If you’re bored with plain popcorn, try mixing things up with these six easy popcorn seasoning recipes.
- These recipes use simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- These ingredients are inexpensive, healthier and taste better than any store-bought seasoned popcorn.
- These recipes can easily be whipped up for healthy snacks, movie night, game night, or after school snacks.
- Butter or oil is used to help the spices and seasonings stick to the popcorn.
- This is a very inexpensive snack! Four cups of popcorn plus seasonings cost about $1.50 each! (prices will vary slightly depending on where you live).
All of these recipes use healthier ingredients than the store-bought versions that contain a lot of preservatives and excess salt. Instead, these recipes use fresh healthy spices to flavor your popcorn.
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these flavors:
- POPCORN: You can use store-bought popped popcorn or pop it yourself at home with a popcorn popper, which is the most affordable option.
- BUTTER: Each recipe below uses 2-3 Tbsp of melted salted butter with 4 cups of popcorn.
- OIL: If you’d prefer not to use butter, you can also use cooking oil. My personal favorites are coconut oil or avocado oil.
- SUGAR: A few recipes use sugar to sweeten the popcorn. You can use coconut sugar, brown sugar or monk fruit sweetener (it’s sugar-free).
- CHEESE: Grated cheese tastes great on popcorn! The recipes below use cheddar cheese and freshly grated parmesan.
- SPICES: Spices are one of the easiest and healthiest ways to create popcorn seasonings. Chili powder, garlic powder, dried herbs, cumin, cayenne powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and paprika all taste great in a variety of combinations.
How To Make Popcorn Seasonings
Here’s an overview of how to make the popcorn seasonings with the full recipe instructions at the bottom of this blog post.
- BUTTER: Add the popcorn and melted butter to a large bowl. Toss together so popcorn is evenly coated.
- SPICES: Sprinkle all other ingredient flavors and toss together. Feel free to add more seasonings if needed. Serve and enjoy!
Make a big batch of the spice mix and store the leftovers! You can store the popcorn seasonings in an airtight container in a cupboard. Exclude the perishable ingredients such as butter, oil and cheese and add those right before serving.
Variations
Popcorn Without Butter – You’ll need butter or oil to help seasonings stick to the popcorn. If you don’t want to use butter, you can use any cooking oil. For example, melted coconut oil, avocado oil, canola oil etc.
Popcorn Without Sugar – Some of these recipes use sugar to add sweetness. You can use a sugar-free lakanto monkfruit sweetener in replacement.
More Easy Healthy Snack Ideas
Here are some more healthy energy snacks to try:
- Six Energy Ball Flavors – You can make six flavors from one base recipe.
- Superfood Granola – Avoid the extra sugar from store-bought versions and make your own instead!
- Healthy Banana Splits – Create a breakfast bar of different toppings in separate bowls for every family member to assemble their own. So yummy.
- Sheet Pan Nachos With Ground Beef – Everything is baked together for an easy and fun dinner idea.
Did you love this popcorn seasoning recipe? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Ingredients
Cheesy Spicy Popcorn:
- 2 Tbsp salted butter - melted
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 4-5 cups popcorn
Oregano Basil Herb Popcorn:
- 3 Tbsp salted butter - melted
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4-5 cups popcorn
Italian Parmesan Popcorn:
- 4-5 cups popcorn
- 3 Tbsp salted butter - melted
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Spicy Popcorn:
- 4-5 cups popcorn
- 2 Tbsp salted butter - melted
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne powder
Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn:
- 4-5 cups popcorn
- 3 Tbsp salted butter - melted
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Dill Pickle Popcorn
- 4-5 cups popcorn
- 2 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Gingerbread Spice Popcorn:
- 4-5 cups popcorn
- 3 Tbsp salted butter - melted
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
Instructions
- Add the popcorn to a large bowl. First, drizzle melted butter overtop and toss with the popcorn to evenly coat. Next, sprinkle the rest of the flavor ingredients overtop and toss them all together. Taste and add more seasonings if needed for desired flavor. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Test the flavors to see if you want to add more seasonings. Feel free to add as much as you’d like!
- Cheesy popcorn can be microwaved for a few seconds to help melt cheese (optional).
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.