Homemade Kettle Corn

Kettle Corn is fresh popcorn, popped over the stove, cooked in hot oil, with a little sugar and a pinch of salt to give the popcorn that sweet and salty crunch! It is the best snack that can be made in less than 10 minutes. 

What is Kettle Corn?

If you have ever had Pop’s Kettle Corn (aka the OG kettle corn), you will know that kettle corn is regular popcorn, but made with a little bit of sugar when cooking the fresh popcorn. With the perfect mix of salty and sweetness, you can’t have a more perfect snack or quick appetizer for game days!

Key Ingredients:

Popcorn kernels are essential when making this snack for movie nights. The type of popcorn is based on personal preference, but we like to use white popcorn kernels in this homemade kettle corn recipe.

Oil and granulated sugar will make the original kettle corn flavor and texture.

How to Make Kettle Corn:

1. In a large saucepan or cast iron kettle, heat the oil over medium-high heat with the lid on to prevent the oil from popping out of the pan. 
2. Add the corn kernels to the hot oil along with the sugar, stirring it all together to combine and make sure all the kernels are covered.
3. Place the lid on the pan to keep the corn kernels in when they start to pop. 
4. When the popcorn kernels begin shaking your saucepan, doing this will make sure the sugar will not burn, and every corn kernel will pop. 
5. Shake the saucepan carefully and then return it to the flames on the stove over medium heat. Once you hear popping again, it is time to shake the saucepan again. 
6. When the popping sound slows down, remove the popcorn from the stove and shake it well once again in the pot. 

Variations and Flavor Ideas

Use brown sugar instead of white sugar to add even more flavor to the regular popcorn. Adding some cinnamon sugar is another one of our favorite flavors to pair with this salty mix. 

Once the popcorn is made, feel free to spinkle in some M&M’s or spinkles for more flavor and color.

Expert Tips

1. Remove any unpopped kernels as they become very hard and can ruin or break teeth.
2. A heavy-bottom pan or cast-iron pan will make for the best popcorn as it will cook the whole thing of kernels evenly. 
3. Keep shaking the kernels once they begin popping to avoid having the corn burn on the bottom of the pan.
4. Turn this into the perfect gift or office treats by adding the popcorn into small bags from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.

Storage Instructions

Place the leftover popcorn into an airtight container or large ziplock bag for up to 3-4 days for the best and freshest flavor!

FAQ’s for Kettle Corn

What to Serve With This Recipe

For more delicious snack and appetizer recipes, try Homemade Caramel Popcorn for another fresh sweet and salty popcorn recipe. Our Slow Cooker Savory Chex Mix and  White Chocolate Chex Party Mix are always a hit at the holiday parties too!

Kettle Corn Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Fresh Kettle Corn, popped over the stove, cooked in hot oil, with a little sugar and a pinch of salt to give it that sweet and salty crunch!

ServingServing: 5 Cups

Prep Time 1 minute minute

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 6 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ ¼ cup popcorn kernels
• ▢ 2 Tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 1 pinch of salt

Equipment

• Saucepan (Large)
• Skillet Lid

Instructions

Prepare the corn kernels:

1. Heat the oil; heat the oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat.
2. Add the corn kernels and sugar. Stir to combine.

Cook the corn kernels:

1. Close the saucepan with the lid. When the corn kernels start to pop, it is time to start shaking your saucepan. This way, the sugar will not burn, and every corn kernel will pop. So, shake the saucepan, then set it over the stove. When you hear popping, it is time to shake the saucepan again.
2. Once the popping sound slows down, remove the popcorn from the stove and shake it well once again in the pot.

Serve:

1. Allow the popcorn to cool down before serving. Sprinkle them with salt to balance out the flavor.

Notes

Make sure you start shaking as soon as the corn starts to pop, and do not stop until it is done.

Nutrition

Calories: 49 kcal · Carbohydrates: 11 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 0.4 g · Saturated Fat: 0.1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1 g · Sodium: 1 mg · Potassium: 23 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 5 g · Calcium: 0.5 mg · Iron: 0.3 mg

Cuisine: American

Cost: $5

Author: Steph Loaiza

Course: Snack

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.