43 popcorn recipes, from savory to sweet

Mmmm, popcorn! It’s one of my favorite treats with just plain butter and salt, but there are so many other ways you can go with it. Sweet, salty, mixed with nuts or toffee – these popcorn recipes can turn this treat into a side dish, a dessert or a main feature.

Below are some fun and fantastic popcorn recipes spanning the flavor spectrum, but feel free to experiment and make your own recipes, too. Popcorn is so flexible – it’s easy to come up with something delicious.

Popcorn Recipes

1. Maple Bacon Popcorn. Thick cut bacon, with brown sugar and maple syrup mixed in, and also drizzled over.
2. Dark Chocolate Popcorn. A very easy recipe for coating popcorn in cocoa powder and the sweetener of your choice.
3. Chili Lime Popcorn. Chili powder, lime juice and lime zest, but with coconut oil instead of butter.
4. S’mores Popcorn. Chocolate and marshmallow give it sweetness, but graham crackers give it crunch.
5. Easy Homemade Kettle Corn. Because homemade is better than store bought, but you don’t want to suffer for it.
6. Spicy Ranch Popcorn. Made with Original Ranch Mix, and also some red pepper flakes.
7. Cookie Monster Popcorn. Because sometimes kids need blue popcorn that tastes like cookies.
8. Birthday Cake Popcorn. A sweet, marshmallow based glaze, and also candy sprinkles.
9. Hot Wasabi Popcorn. Wasabi and butter, with optional sugar.
10. Marshmallow Popcorn Balls. Watch out, because these could be addictive.
11. Salty Spicy Popcorn. With cumin and chili powder, but made with olive oil instead of butter.
12. Praline Corn Crunch. Brown sugar and vanilla make it sweet, but pecan makes it crunchy and nutty.
13. Carmel Pretzel Nut Popcorn. A salty, sweet, nutty recipe that makes a great appetizer or party finger food.
14. Bacon Cheese Pop Corn. As if bacon and cheese weren’t enough, this recipe also adds hickory smoked salt.
15. Five-Spice Popcorn. This popcorn recipe uses nuts, peanut sauce, optional chow mein noodles and also a nice balance of delicate seasonings to make a delicious Asian-inspired treat.
16. Cocoa Popcorn Crunch. Gives popcorn a milk chocolate crunchy shell.
17. Cheddar Cheese Popcorn. Cheese popcorn is everywhere, but this recipe adds mustard powder and cayenne for a kick.
18. Grasshopper Mint Popcorn. A touch of creme de menthe turns popcorn into a sweet minty treat. Excellent as a dessert, but great anytime.
19. Chili Cheese Popcorn. Chili powder and parmesan create a spicy-salty treat.
20. Cinnamon Popcorn Crunch. Mixed nuts give it crunch, but maple syrup and cinnamon make it delicious.
21. Onion-Garlic Popcorn. With onion and garlic powder, it’s so simple and so yummy.
22. Barbecue Popcorn. This barbecue popcorn recipe has a surprising flavor, because of the paprika.
23. Garlic Parmesan Popcorn. One of my favorite popcorn recipes, with cayenne pepper for an extra kick. Also, you can do this one with all butter if you want.
24. Buttered Rum and Cranberry Popcorn. Cranberries, dark rum, and butter. What more could you want?
25. Brown Butter, Rosemary, and Lemon Popcorn. Andrea Meyers’ recipe uses browned butter to make it rich, but also lemon and rosemary to give it a nice tangy flavor.
26. Pepperoni Popcorn. Yes, this recipe uses actual pepperoni, and also a surprise: pumpkin seeds!
27. Mediterranean Magic Popcorn. This recipe uses olive oil in place of butter, and also adds simple Italian seasoning blend.
28. Beach Party Popcorn. Bacon-onion dip mix, also with hot and soy sauces.
29. Key Lime Popcorn. Lime juice, zesty lime peels and graham cracker crumbs remind you of Key Lime Pie.
30. State Fair Blue Ribbon Caramel Corn. Little clusters of popcorn held together by brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Like what you get at state fairs, only so much better.
31. Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls. Peanut butter clumps this sweet treat together, and Blackburn syrup adds more sweetness.
32. Butterscotch Almond Popcorn Mix. Butterscotch morsels and slivered almonds.
33. Blue Cheese Pecan Popcorn. Real blue cheese and pecans, and also black pepper.
34. Marshmallow Popcorn Balls. Marshmallow creme, vanilla and other sweet flavorings.
35. Cappuccino Popcorn. Coffee, evaporated milk, powdered creamer and other ingredients make it taste like cappuccino.
36. Parmesan-Curry Popcorn. Salty cheese meets spicy curry powder.
37. Cinnamon Red Hot Popcorn. Tastes like Red Hots, but it’s very spicy, too.
38. Cajun Popcorn. Louisiana style hot sauce brings the spice, but garlic and thyme add lots of flavor.
39. Italian Breadstick Popcorn. Features basil, parsley and a clove of garlic are the basis for this Italian-inspired herbal popcorn recipe.
40. Popcorn Witch’s Hat and Broomsticks. With molasses, licorice strings and candy corn. No need to save this one for Halloween!
41. Sweet Chipotle Popcorn Cakes. Use ground chipotle pepper and pecans, but with sweetness from marshmallows.
42. Curry Popcorn. Blends cumin, turmeric, cracked black peppercorns and hot red pepper flakes.
43. Reggae Popcorn. Features sugar, cumin and pepper for a spicy-sweet taste.