Homemade Kettle Corn

June 5, 2009

Homemade Kettle Corn

Can you do me a favor?

I cringe any time someone asks me if I can do them a favor.  I always want to say… sure, yes, of course… only to be asked to do something like… I dunno… be a bridesmaid in their wedding and wear lavender and ruffles.  Ok… so that hasn’t been a favor asked of me just yet.  The thought obviously terrifies me.

I hope when I ask you to do me this favor you won’t completely cringe.

Do me a favor and make this popcorn this weekend.

I wouldn’t ask unless it was totally important, and totally delicious.

Believe me.  If you’ve never believed me before, now would be the time to start.  Make this popcorn.  It’s perfectly sweet and perfectly salty.  Make it for dinner.  Make it and sneak it into the movie theater in your giant purse.  Make it and sit out on your patio with a glass of cheap wine.  Find the time.  Find a way.  Just do me a favor and enjoy this popcorn as soon as possible.

It’s that good.

Homemade Kettle Corn

I know what you’re thinking.  Geez Joy… it’s just kettle corn.  What’s the big deal?

This popcorn will sneak up on you.  You’ll have one bite and think… meh, sweet and salty… so what!?  You’ll have another bite and think… yea, it’s pretty good.  You’ll have a third bite and realize I’ve introduced you to some sort of drug-like substance.  And then… you’ll have eaten the whole batch in a cool 15 minutes.

If it can happen to me.  It can happen to you.

Homemade Kettle Corn

Print this recipe!

1/2 cup popcorn
1/4 cup vegetable or grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons sugar
Salt to taste.  I think I used between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon.

  • Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Make sure that it’s a pan that you can easily lift and shake in the air.  Yea… you’ll also want to have two pot holders on hand.
  • Once the oil is hot, pour in the popcorn, sprinkle sugar on top and cover.
  • It will take a few minutes for the first pops, but once the popcorn starts popping, shake continuously until the popcorn is popped.  This means that, once the popcorn really starts going, you’ll want to grab the pot with your pot holders, securing the lid, and shake the pot above the flame of the stove for a few seconds, return to the heat, and repeat this process several times throughout the popping process.  This will prevent the popcorn from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
  • Transfer to a serving bowl and salt lightly.  Mix with a big spoon.  The sugar will still be hot, and the popcorn may be sticky.  Don’t burn your hands on hot sugar.  The popcorn will dry as it cools.  Makes 8-10 cups.
  • { 88 comments… read them below or add one }

    Christy June 8, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    What an easy recipe! I will make this for my kiddos on the last day of school. They will love it! Thanks!

    Reply

    Pat June 9, 2009 at 7:37 pm

    I’d been looking for a kettle corn recipe. This one’s a lot sweeter than the microwave kind, and boy, is it good! I made one batch and hardly got to eat any because my family attacked it. So I made another . . . and finally one more that I got to eat mostly by myself. Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

    shannah June 10, 2009 at 9:37 am

    made it! yummy!

    Reply

    Maureen June 10, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    Better than the stuff we buy at the Farmer’s Market. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe and all of your inspiration. Yummmm!

    Reply

    RoseAnna June 13, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    Amazing! Truly! I just made it for a sunny Saturday snack. The salty-sweet was perfect! This will become a staple snack. For real.

    Reply

    A June 13, 2009 at 2:56 pm

    I do the same thing, but instead of using sugar I use equal parts oil and real maple syrup. Yum!!

    Reply

    Esther Clarke April 25, 2010 at 11:54 am

    Great idea! Thanks!

    Reply

    Siobhán June 16, 2009 at 6:26 am

    oh this sounds lovely… I haven’t added sugar to my popcorn before, sounds like I must try.. lovely blog btw! :D

    Reply

    maya June 18, 2009 at 7:49 pm

    Can’t wait to try this. I’ve been buying kettle corn at the Farmers Market at $5.00 a big bag. It’s so good but to expensive. Can you tell me how many calories are in your kettle corn recipe? thanks

    Reply

    Marie June 20, 2009 at 8:59 am

    You just made my weekend! I’m addicted to Kettle Corn (so much so that i should start a 12 step program) and didn’t think i could pull it off at home since i’m sans popcorn maker. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    Reply

    Kate June 27, 2009 at 5:14 pm

    I just made this, and I added a little cayenne pepper—really good if you want a bit of spice in addition to your salty and sweet!

    Reply

    Lori June 28, 2009 at 7:10 am

    So after seeing/reading this I bought all of the supplies 2 weeks ago. i was so excited, but my hubby totally doubted me so I didn’t make it. Last night I decided I didn’t care what he thought I was gonna do it anyways…WHOA!! SO Yummy and even he was picking at the very last kernels in the bowl. He was thoroughly impressed with me (and you!) Thank you for a great, delicious and easy snack. I won’t be buying store bought chemicals (I mean popcorn) anymore!!!

    Reply

    kayceebeebee July 2, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    Just made it today and is it ever good. I couldn’t stop eating it! Thanks for the recipe and ever so easy!!!!

    Reply

    itsworthalook July 3, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    This is soooo good! I even cut down on the sugar and this is great. I like caramel corn but think it is too sweet, do you think it could be made with brown sugar, just to simulate the flavor of caramel corn?

    Reply

    Abra July 4, 2009 at 12:36 pm

    I have seen my mom make popcorn on the stove before, but was always afraid to try it myself. Your explanation made it seem so it easy, so I tried it…and it was! Both batches turned out perfect and my friends & I have a new favorite snack to enjoy. I looove the sweet & salty taste. Thanks, Joy!

    Reply

    Minnesotamom July 8, 2009 at 9:21 pm

    You’re right…can’t. stop. eating. Even though my popping corn was a little old, so it didn’t pop up right away or get very big, this is going to be a new favorite snack around here!

    Reply

    Corrie July 14, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    WOW! This recipe is amazing. My parents and I love kettle corn…and now we don’t have to wait until carnivals, fairs, etc. to eat it! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

    Kelly July 17, 2009 at 7:58 am

    Ahh! I’m so excited for this! I love kettle corn too but it costs something like $5 at the grocery store to buy a junk-food bag of it.

    Also I don’t own a microwave and for some reason it never occured to me to make it on the stove. I always figured I needed some fancy gadget.

    Oh being a child of the 80’s. Look at what it has done to me.

    Reply

    Anna G July 19, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    This sounds so good. Like most of the other people who have commented I didn’t think I could make this myself. I can’t wait to try it. One question though…I don’t have a gas stovetop, can I still make it on an electric stovetop? I sure hope so :) Love your blog btw!!!

    Reply

    LaMer December 5, 2009 at 7:07 pm

    The answer is yes. I have used an electric stove for several years, and popcorn always comes out fine. Just follow the directions as given. :-)

    Reply

    Kelly July 22, 2009 at 11:27 am

    My girl friend and I made this last night on my electric stove and it was so easy!

    Then we ate it all and decided to try it again, only with brown sugar.

    Brown sugar did not work. At all.

    We just ended up with bitter soggy corn and a badly scorched pan. Blech.

    Reply

    LaMer December 5, 2009 at 7:07 pm

    Good to know! I was about to try that!

    Reply

    Laurel August 29, 2009 at 12:33 pm

    All I had was turbinado (did I spell that right?) sugar and it added a delicious little somethin-somethin to the kettle korn…YUM! (And, I…uh…may have also added half a stick of melted butter after cooking and before salting!)

    Reply

    penny August 30, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    Gorgeous I think, as I eat it. Beside me there’s a sprinkler with cinnamon. Thanks!

    Reply

    kayceebeebee October 24, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    I’ve made this kettle corn about 4 or 5 times since July and we really love it. I just bought more popcorn kernels today at the grocery store. I was checking out a bunch of your recipes and saw this one again and just wanted to comment about how good it is!

    I printed your honey roasted acorn squash and sweet and spicy cabbage salad recipes. I can’t wait to try them.

    Reply

    FairGoer October 27, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    Spot on! No more $8 bags at the fair for me!!!!!

    Reply

    Samantha Joy October 29, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    This is a fantastic recipe! I will share this for years to come.

    Reply

    Clare November 23, 2009 at 8:32 pm

    I made this on the weekend and my boyfriend and I loved it! Easily the best popcorn I’ve ever had. I will make this again and again and again….

    Reply

    Julie November 29, 2009 at 11:56 am

    This recipe is amazing. I mixed the sugar in with the corn before popping, and stirred it into the hot oil until the popping started. My first batch turned out perfectly – and the pot was easy to clean. Thanks for posting!

    Reply

    Angelica Bays December 14, 2009 at 10:33 pm

    Whoop! Whoop! Oh, I can’t wait to try this!
    ::biting nails:: It’s 9:30 at night and the kids are in bed…guess I have to wait till tomorrow?? Self control, self control- where did I put that self control??

    Reply

    Libby February 23, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    OMG….<3 this recipe…so simple and quick..faster than microwave popcorn, better for you and taste 1 million times better! Thanks so much! I will never buy street vendor kettle corn or microwave popcorn again!!

    Reply

    Esther Clarke April 25, 2010 at 11:39 am

    Yeah no doubt, right?

    Reply

    ~gloria February 27, 2010 at 7:33 pm

    Tastes great, kills the arm.

    Reply

    Esther Clarke April 25, 2010 at 11:38 am

    Unbelievably addictive, and so surprisingly crunchy. Heaven.

    Reply

    Lisa @Lisa is Hungry June 5, 2010 at 2:07 am

    just tried it. so yummy! far better (and cheaper!) than the microwave stuff + it has no preservatives and that freaky cheeto-orange “butter” flavor either. i was a little suprised at the amount of oil that i had to use, but hey, no one said kettle corn is a health food (unless to use no oil, resulting in cardboard corn)

    Reply

    Amy June 20, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    This is a great recipe that works even better if you use a Whirly Pop popcorn pot. It keeps the kernels moving! I am not a rep for them or anything…we just love our Whirly Pop and use it all the time for both kettle and regular popped corn.

    Reply

    Dee August 8, 2010 at 5:24 pm

    This is sooooo good, I need help to stop me from making this kettle corn

    I am Kettle Corn wasted.

    Reply

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