When it comes to couch cuddles and watching our favorite flicks, there’s no snack more appropriate than my Brown Butter Popcorn recipe. This simple method takes stovetop popcorn to a whole new nutty-delicious level. In fact, we’ve dubbed it our “better than movie theater popcorn!”
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About This Recipe
I don’t know about you, but butter popcorn has long been one of my favorite snacks. I don’t know why it has taken me this long to figure it out, but I’ve cracked the code on how to make it even better! My friends, brown butter popcorn is perhaps one of the best treats to enjoy.
Made with just four (4!!!) ingredients, this tantalizing treat is seriously so much better than the overpriced barrels you’d get at the movie theater. Even better, it’s much cheaper, too!
In this post, I’ll cover how to make popcorn on the stovetop (which is the best method, if you ask me), plus show you how simple it is to flavor with easy-to-make browned butter and a little sea salt. Once you try it, I have a feeling you’ll never go back to microwave popcorn ever again.
Ready to make your at-home movie nights even better? Let’s get to the kitchen!
Ingredients & Substitutions
You don’t need much to make brown butter popcorn, meaning this next-level snack is within everyone’s reach. Here’s your grocery list:
- Browned Butter - You can make as big of a batch of browned butter as you like to make sure you always have some on hand. All you need to make it is… Butter!
- Popcorn Kernels - Any grocery store should carry them. You can use any color you’d like; they’ll all turn out the same in the end!
- Refined Coconut Oil - Any high-smoke point oil will work well here. Unrefined coconut oil has too low of a smoke point, so make sure you’re getting the right kind. If refined coconut oil isn’t an option, try vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, or avocado oil instead.
- Sea Salt - Simple flaky sea salt is perfectly acceptable, but you can get fancy with finishing salt if you prefer!
How To Make Brown Butter
- Start by melting your butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Use a pan with a light-colored bottom so you can keep track of the color.
- First, the butter will melt and look opaque.
- Next, it will begin to bubble. The bubbles will be small and vigorous, and it’ll be hard to see the bottom of the pan. Keep the faith.
- After the foaming subsides, you’ll start to hear a splutter. This is an indication that the butter has separated into solids and liquids. Now you’ll need to pay closer attention.
- Swirl the pan occasionally to make sure that the butter is cooking evenly. The coloring will darken, but your most reliable cue that your butter is done browning is how it smells and sounds!
- Once the butter has developed a deep golden brown coca-cola color, the noise/sputtering subsides and smells deliciously nutty, your browned butter is done!
- Then, pour directly into a heatproof glass jar to cool. This will prevent the butter from cooking further and burning.
- You'll find that there are little brown specks at the bottom of the pan as seen pictured below - those are literally and figuratively golden. Make sure to not leave those little guys behind as they are packed with nutty, rich flavor.
I've created an in-depth how-to guide for making brown butter in a separate post - click on the link to learn more!
How to Make Brown Butter Popcorn On The Stovetop
Making gourmet-level popcorn on the stove is simpler than you might think. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Heat Oil. Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat and add the coconut oil
Step 2: Test A Kernel. Once the oil is hot, add one test kernel to the pot and cover. As soon as the test kernel has popped, place the rest of the popcorn seeds into the oil and cover
Step 3: Shake. Once the kernels begin popping, shake every 10 seconds or so until you hear the popping slow down then remove from heat
Step 4: Add Liquid Gold (ahem, I mean Browned Butter). Add your melted browned butter and salt to your popcorn and fold with a spatula to make sure every kernel is covered with that liquid gold, then top with salt as needed. Portion into cups so there’s no fighting (trust me), then dig in!
Optional Variations
- Make it dairy-free. So long as you reach for high-quality vegan butter (NOT margarine), you should be able to make dairy-free brown butter. Vegan browned butter popcorn? Check!
- Add more flavor. Brown butter popcorn is a delight on its own, but there are plenty of ways to add even more tastiness.
- If you are in a savory mood, try adding some freshly grated parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast, if you’re dairy-free), garlic, bagel seasoning, Italian seasoning, and/or freshly cracked black pepper.
- For something on the sweeter end, try shaking on some cinnamon sugar, toasted coconut, pumpkin spice, or hot chocolate mix.
- Toss with add-ins. Make yourself a movie-worthy snack pack by mixing in toasted nuts, chocolate chips, cheesy crackers, and/or candy.
Expert Tips
Making homemade brown butter popcorn is pretty simple, but you know I can’t help myself! Here are some of my favorite tips for this simple recipe:
- Use the same pot twice. Want to cut back on dishes? Me too, always! Brown your butter first, then wipe out your pan with a paper towel, pop it back on the stovetop, and proceed with making your popcorn. Genius!
- Make brown butter ahead of time. This is an ingredient I like to make sure is in my fridge at all times. It’s great for making baked goods, pasta sauces, and this popcorn, of course. Once browned, it will keep in a mason jar for up to a month.
- Leftovers make great popcorn balls. Call me old-fashioned, but I hate wasting food. These popcorn balls are a great way to use up your leftovers!
- Test kernels take the guesswork out of making popcorn on the stove. Add a single kernel to the pot to see when your oil is hot enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Despite being labeled as “buttered,” movie theater popcorn actually uses a butter-flavored oil. That’s yet another reason why my brown butter popcorn is better than the kind you get at the movies — mine is all-natural!
Most things that you’d want to flavor your popcorn with will burn at the heat necessary to pop the kernels, unless you are adding spices to your oil base. I’d suggest waiting until after they’ve popped to add whatever tasty goodness you want!
While browned butter is delicious, burnt butter is decidedly not. Wait to add the butter until after popping for perfect popcorn!
More Movie Night Recipes
- Loaded Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies With Toffee
- Quick and Simple Oatmeal Date Cookies
- Coconut Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try this recipe for Better Than Movie Theater Brown Butter Popcorn, please share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Brown Butter Salted Popcorn
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Heatproof Glass Container
- Heavy Bottomed Dutch Oven or Saucepan
Ingredients
Brown Butter
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter
Homemade Brown Butter Popcorn
- 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
- ½ cup Popcorn Kernels
- ¼ cup Brown Butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, Season to your liking
Instructions
Brown Butter
- Start by melting your butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Use a pan with a light-colored bottom so you can keep track of the color while the butter starts to brown.1 Cup Unsalted Butter
- Swirl the pan occasionally to make sure that the butter is cooking evenly
- As the butter melts, it will begin to foam, sputter and the coloring will get darker
- Once the butter has developed a deep golden brown color, pour into a heatproof glass container and set aside
Popcorn
- Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat and add the coconut oil2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add one test kernel to the pot and cover. As soon as the test kernel has popped, place the rest of the popcorn seeds into the oil and cover½ cup Popcorn Kernels
- Once the kernels begin popping, shake every 10 seconds or so until you hear the popping slow down then remove from heat
- Add your browned butter and salt to your popcorn and fold with a spatula to make sure every kernel is covered with that beautiful butter and top with salt¼ cup Brown Butter, 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Notes
- Use the same pot twice. Want to cut back on dishes? Me too, always! Brown your butter first, then wipe out your pan with a paper towel, pop it back on the stovetop, and proceed with making your popcorn. Genius!
-
- Make brown butter ahead of time. This is an ingredient I like to make sure is in my fridge at all times. It’s great for making baked goods, pasta sauces, and this popcorn, of course. Once browned, it will keep in a mason jar for up to a month.
- Leftovers make great popcorn balls. Call me old-fashioned, but I hate wasting food. These popcorn balls are a great way to use up your leftovers!
- Test kernels take the guesswork out of making popcorn on the stove. Add a single kernel to the pot to see when your oil is hot enough.
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