17 Salty And Sweet Popcorn Recipes To Satisfy Every Snack Craving

There is nothing quite like settling into a cozy seat with a big bowl of freshly made popcorn. It’s whimsical, it’s fun, and when perfectly executed, it’s beyond delicious. To make it is a whole other sensory experience: Popcorn’s transformation from pebble-like kernels to lightly crisp bites of airy bliss is practically magic; its intoxicating aroma and explosive crescendo build unparalleled anticipation. It’s a compelling case to pop up a batch at home. While you can’t go wrong doctoring it up with just butter and salt, this collection of popcorn recipes offers lots of ideas to take the snack over the top. Whether you keep it savory with Buffalo and Blue Cheese Popcorn, steer it sweet with Black and Tan Chocolate Popcorn, or straddle the line between the two with Maple Bacon Popcorn, we’re guessing you won’t have much in the way of leftovers.

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Black and Tan Chocolate Popcorn

Half of the popcorn is tossed in caramelized white chocolate, and the rest in dark chocolate, creating a spectrum of bittersweet to milky sweet flavors and also a beautifully contrasting deep brown and golden tan color on the popped kernels.

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Buffalo and Blue Cheese Popcorn

Get the spicy, buttery, cheesy flavor of buffalo wings in this quick and easy popcorn recipe perfect for all your game-day parties.

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Tequila-Spiked Caramel Corn

More suited to a cocktail party than a baseball game, this riff on Cracker Jack by Atlanta pastry chef Taria Camerino is sweetened with agave nectar and spiked with tequila. Slow-baking turns the popcorn-nut mix fabulously crunchy.

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Popcorn with Sesame-Glazed Pistachios

Mixing popcorn with glazed pistachios creates a sweet-salty snack that’s fantastic with cocktails.

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Smoky Popcorn

This smoky mix of popcorn and Japanese rice crackers from chef Peter Rudolph is a favorite bar snack. You’ll need half a cup of furikake, a seasoning mix that includes seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and dried bonito.

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Dill Pickle Popcorn

This delicious, tangy popcorn is coated in an ingenious mix of pickling spices, like coriander seeds and dill weed.

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Miso Caramel Corn

We use microwaved popcorn for our miso-flavored (surprise!) caramel corn but nine cups of air-popped or old-school stovetop-popped kernels would work nicely, too.

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Curry Popcorn

Adding a little curry powder to oil-popped popcorn gives it a great, crave-worthy flavor.

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Rosemary and Sea Salt Popcorn

A little fresh rosemary and sea salt make freshly popped popcorn the ultimate snack.

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Maple-Bacon Popcorn

Adding a little maple syrup and a lot of bacon to fresh popcorn transforms it into a decadent, irresistible snack.

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Nutritional Yeast Popcorn

Nutritional yeast is a great addition to popcorn whether you’re vegan or not; it imparts a fabulous cheesy, nutty flavor.

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Sea Salt and Black Pepper Popcorn

This simple, delicious snack calls for popping your kernels in canola oil before tossing with a little butter, salt, and black pepper.

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Parmesan Cheese Popcorn

Cheesy popcorn gets an upgrade with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper.

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Spicy Popcorn Balls

A smart update for popcorn balls: chipotle-spiked caramel. Make them up to four days in advance.

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Mascarpone-Swirled Brownies with Nutty Caramel Corn

Here, pastry chef Kate Jennings’ homespun style translates into fudgy brownies laced with mascarpone and served with sweet-salty clusters of peanuts and popcorn.

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Truffled Popcorn

Use a touch of fresh black truffle along with white truffle oil to turn popcorn into an extra-special snack.

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Popcorn Pudding

Chef Jonathon Sawyer and his family love chocolate-covered pretzels. That gave Sawyer the idea to create this luscious dessert that brilliantly combines the flavor of salted popcorn with a sweet, creamy pudding.