Learn how to make homemade popcorn with coconut oil, organic popcorn, and sea salt.
We are absolute popcorn lovers in our home. When we are craving a snack (or a Friday movie night at home), its off to the kitchen to make a batch of our homemade popcorn. It’s such an easy to make snack and very healthy for both adults and children.
My husband and I have finally perfected our coconut oil popcorn recipe and wanted to share with our readers. After it’s all popped you’ll have a non-greasy, fluffy bowl of coconut goodness! As you can see in the photos the popcorn keeps its white look.
If you’re looking for that theater style look, just add 1/2 tablespoon of red palm oil (sustainably sourced) to the recipe and you’ll get that orange tint to the popcorn, not to mention a good amount of vitamin E!
How To Make Coconut Oil Popcorn
To make stove top popcorn, you will need organic popcorn kernels, heavy bottom pot, coconut oil (either buy good-quality coconut oil or just make your own) and salt.
From there, the steps are pretty simple:
- Heat a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the coconut oil and let it melt.
- Add a few kernels to the oil and wait for them to pop.
- Once the kernels pop, it’s time to add the rest of the popcorn kernels. Add the rest of the kernels and cover the pot with a lid.
- Once the kernels begin to pop, carefully lift the pot and shake it every 10-20 seconds.
- Once the kernels haven’t popped for more than 10-30 seconds, it’s time to remove the pot from the burner and pour the coconut oil popcorn into a bowl.
- Sprinkle with your favorite seasonings and serve. I like to add nutritional yeast to give the popcorn a cheese flavor!
Coconut Oil Popcorn FAQs
Absolutely yes. Coconut oil imparts a mild coconut flavor to the popcorn which balances nicely with the salt. You get a little sweet and salty. Plus, coconut oil has tons of health benefits and a good smoke point for popping popcorn.
Frequently yes. AMC and Regal both use coconut oil for their popcorn. So you’re getting a similar experience for a LOT less money! (Plus, you can customize the popcorn to your own preferences…)
Yes – coconut oil is DEFINITELY better than butter on popcorn. Coconut oil is loaded with health benefits and also gives you a rich and buttery flavor.
Looking for more coconut oil recipes? Check out these links:
Print
Coconut Oil Popcorn
Learn how to make homemade popcorn with coconut oil, organic popcorn, and sea salt.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic popcorn
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (or switch out the 1/2 TBS with red palm oil)
- sea salt
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Be careful not to go over medium heat, or you may experience a very unpleasant chewy texture where the kernels were heated too fast and did not completely pop.
- Add the coconut oil and let it completely melt. Once the oil is completely melted put a few kernels into the pan and wait for them to pop. This helps determine when the oil is heated enough to popping.
- Once the test kernels have popped, place the rest of the popcorn seeds into the pan and cover.
- After the kernels begin popping, begin to shake every 10 seconds or so until you hear the popping slow down. When the popping slows down to a pop every 2-3 seconds remove the pan from heat and continuously shake for another 10-20 seconds. This helps the popcorn at the bottom from burning.
- After the 10-20 seconds, or you feel the popping is finished pour into a bowl, salt to taste and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 3 cups
- Calories: 155
- Fat: 6.25g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 3g
I made the mistake of using virgin coconut oil instead of refined and the popcorn had way too strong of a coconut taste that overpowered any seasoning. I wish people sharing recipes would give the type of coconut oil as I understand that movie theatres only use the refined variety.
This is the only way I can eat stovetop popcorn now! I found this a couple of years ago and I can never go back. I even have a friend who begs me to bring this to every get-together we have.
So glad to here you like this recipe, Emilee! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Can I use coconut manna instead of oil?
No, coconut manna is creamed coconut meat and will not melt like coconut oil does. Here are some ways I use coconut manna (aka coconut butter): https://thecoconutmama.com/25-ways-to-use-coconut-butter/
Sarah…pleeeeease! Not use palm oil because it will harm monkeys. Making palm oil does not mean destroying palm trees. Should we
protect grass because cows eat it? Enjoy your popcorn in an air popper, darlin’.
is it really possible to get non gmo popping corn.
knowing that certification regulation for certified organic can be deceptive in some situations..
i was told by a company that sells popcorn (when i asked if they carry organic organic popcorn)that you truly can’t get organic non gmo popcorn, it doesn’t exist.
I work for a Kettle Korn company & a company that sells popcorn told me that there is no such thing as GMO popcorn, that
only the regular corn can be GMO
This sounds so fun and healthy! Is there a way to make Kettle Corn? Add sugar?
Will this last more than one day or does it have to be eaten in one sitting?
This is a great recipe for making popcorn. I followed it exactly and my popcorn is done perfect. Thank you. I gave up making popcorn because it always turned out half cooked and hard but this is fluffy and I must go eat it before it disappears, Thanks, Linda
Please stop using all varieties of palm oil. Harvesting palm oil is the number one factor and the overwhelming contributor to the extremely rapid decline of the orangutan populations by the decimation of their habitat.
The orangutans are approaching extinction at an exponentially faster and faster rate.
They will be gone from the wild very soon if we do not stop using PALM OIL.
Thank you for considering their plight.
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Stay up the good work! You recognize, a lot of persons are hunting around for this information, you can aid them greatly.
I have been popping corn with coconut oil for years, and we love the taste. I do use the Presto stirring electric popcorn popper, and the popcorn comes out perfect every time.
Love this!
Can you do this in the microwave?
I love coconut oil popped corn but I go a step further. I heat my coconut oil and then the test piece pops I put in the rest and wait 30 seconds, I sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of sugar and let it pop. Its the BEST ever.
Use stevia instead of sugr. Tastes the same and no calories. Its reasonable and Ships free on EBAY.
OMG. I just tried it. It is simple to make. I had mine plain, while my fiancé added butter. YUM!!!!
Once you find that sweet spot of how much heat to apply, shaking the kernels isn’t necessary. I have always been obsessed with popcorn. As a kid I would go through multiple bags every time we got a new microwave just to find the sweet spot of how much time it took to pop the most kernels without burning. Since I switched to coconut stove top popcorn a number of years ago, I found the sweet spot with a great pot that results in 98.7635% (or pretty close 😉 of kernels popped.
Wow! Can’t believe how good this came out. Just like movie popcorn. Actually, better. I did the mix of coconut and red palm oil. Amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much!! This tastes just like movie theatre popcorn. Not coconutty at all. My boyfriend hates the taste of coconut and he loved this!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This was a huge help. I’ve started using coconut oil recently but have struggled with my popcorn being chewy. The temperature really helped me a lot.
And the coconut oil leaves the pan really clean. Other oils were always a big scrub fest to clean up. With Coconut oil I can just wipe clean.
Followed the recipe and enjoyed some delicious popcorn. I did not add salt but I did use a butter flavored popcorn spray and popcorn seasoning. Thank you!
Just FYI… you don’t need to buy expensive popcorn because none of it is GMO.
At the Seeds of Doubt conference recently, Jeffery Smith, executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and GMO expert, assured us that even though almost 90% of the corn grown and eaten in this country is GMO corn, popcorn comes from a different seed and has not been genetically modified. So, while you should assume that your Doritos brand corn chips and those sweet corn cobs on sale at the grocery store are Genetically Modified even though they are not labeled as such, you’ll
…. More
never have to worry about your popcorn being GMO. Makes you feel a little bit better about ordering that large tub at the movie theater!
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/non-gmo-popcorn
Thanks for the info, Deanna. I’ll read up on that! As for the big tub at the movie theater, I would be more worried about the oil the popcorn is popped in! 😉
Most movie theaters use coconut oil. It’s the oil they use for the “butter” that should be avoided.
would love to watch a movie with you cocomama while eating your coco popcorns
So glad I found your recipe! I’m on a serious popcorn kick!!!! Is it bad I coult eat the entire bowl lol???? 🙂
Top it with melted ghee!!!! Best popcorn and good for you. I love Bob’s Red Mill non GMO popcorn
Been using CO in my Whirley pop popper for years. I only use about a teaspoon of CO per 1/2 cup of corn. Use the other 2 ts melted with about a ts of butter for that “buttery” taste.
Will the coconut oil work OK in a electric popper ?
Does the popcorn have a “coconutty” flavor? Looking to pop in a healthy oil, but neutral in flavor.
If you use expeller pressed coconut oil it won’t have a coconut flavor.
Please do not use palm oil!!! In your popcorn recipe, you suggest adding palm oil to see more color in the popcorn. Palm oil is sourced from the forests which serve as the habitat for orangutans and other threatened animals. The demand for palm oil and other products is causing the destruction of critical habitat for these animals. Please BOYCOTT PALM OIL.
Hi Sarah, Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I completely agree that you should know your source of food. We only use sustainably sourced palm products. Wilderness Family Naturals and Nutiva source their palm products from sustainable farms.
Again, thanks for your comment. 🙂
You have to try adding some cinnamon! Absolutely the best with coconut oil and sea salt! It makes me want to lick the bowl at the end, lol. Enjoy!! 🙂
We love it that way too. Then we top it off with more melted coconut oil instead of butter. No greasy mess afterwords!
we air pop our pocorn and use coconut oil as butter! the only way we eat popcorn!
Perfectly timed post! I stopped using coconut oil for popcorn because I kept getting chewy or burned results. Gonna try your lower heated, tested with a few kernels approach for movie watching tonight!
Let us know how it turns out!
I make this all the time, but using a Hot Air Popper. I melt the Coconut Oil separately and drizzle over the Popcorn once it is done. This also allows the salt, if used, to cling onto the kernels. Love it, and find it as good as Buttered.
We did this for the 1st time last night and it was definitely tasty!
I LOVE to add some flavored stevia in the oil when it is ready to pop and then add shredded non-sweetened coconut on top….yummmm!!
add nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” tasting popcorn…
nutritional yeast is vile. the only people who think it tastes like cheese are vegans who’ve forgotten what good foot actually tastes like.
No
I’ve never been vegan and I ADORE the taste of nutritional yeast on popcorn. My husband on the other hand, not so much. It’s all about personal preference.
And the best way to do the nutritional yeast (horrible name; great flavor) is to put the popcorn in a cloth produce bag and add a tablespoon or so of the NY and shake. The best! (I do the 1/2C popcorn to a tablespoon or more of coconut oil in Whirley Pop. Just love it.)
I used Lewis Labs Brewers nutritional yeast and the taste was good on popcorn, you cannot buy that same nutritional yeast anymore and the new Brewers yeast is nasty tasting. What happened Lewis Labs??
You can buy NY at bulkfoods.com.
This is our FAVORITE way to eat popcorn….SO YUMMY!
Isn’t it!? We’ll be making a batch tonight 🙂 Now, to find a good movie to watch!