Toolbox
- stovetop hand-crank popcorn popper (like a Whirley-Pop)
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
I remember the first time I tasted kettle corn. It was at a local art fair in the park and I saw the booth where they were using the giant copper kettle to make popcorn and I thought they were crazy… that is, until I tasted a free sample. I was instantly hooked and bought the largest bag they had. Since then, I simply can not pass a kettle corn booth without buying some. Fairs don’t happen every day, though, and sometimes I need some perfectly sweet and salty popcorn at home, so I learned how to make my own, and for mere pennies a batch!
You’ll start with a simple hand-cranked stovetop popcorn popper, such as a Whirley-Pop
What’s great about these (and key to making kettle corn) is the fact that there’s a little stirring blade inside that you can turn with the crank on the handle. This lets you keep the popcorn moving and evenly coat it with sugar as it cooks (and you don’t have to shake the pan at all while it’s popping).
The next thing you’ll need is some ordinary popcorn. Forget those bags of microwave stuff that cost a fortune and contain more calories than you should probably eat in a day. Just buy a jar or bag of regular popcorn kernels. Jo happens to prefer the Orville Redenbacher White Popping Corn
Now you need to get everything prepped and ready. When the popcorn starts popping, you’ll have to move fast, so get it all together now:
- Measure out 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels and dump it into the popper (don’t put it on the burner yet!)
- Add 3 tbsp of vegetable oil to the kernels.
- Measure out 1/4 cup of sugar and have it ready next to the stove.
- Have a large bowl ready nearby.
- Get the salt shaker and have it ready.
All set and ready? Let’s make some kettle corn:
- Put the popper on the burner on medium-high heat.
- Start turning the crank on the popper somewhat slowly (take about 1-2 seconds per rotation) and wait while the oil and popcorn heat up.
- As soon as you hear one or two kernels pop, QUICKLY open the lid, dump in the sugar, and close the lid back up. Do this fast so you don’t end up with popcorn all over your kitchen!
- Continue to turn the crank on the popper, at the same rate. You’ll notice that the popping slows down, because the sugar has cooled the oil slightly. Keep turning the crank and soon you’ll hear the popping start up again.
- As soon as the popping starts again, increase your speed on the crank to about 3 turns per second. You’ve got to keep it all moving so that the sugar doesn’t burn and the popcorn is evenly coated.
- When the popping reaches its peak, remove the popper from the burner but KEEP turning the crank! Do not stop until the popping has almost stopped.
- Dump the popcorn into a bowl.
- Immediately sprinkle the popcorn with salt.
- You’ll see that the popcorn is sticking together and may be one giant clump. Turn it over and over in your hands and add more salt, as desired. You don’t want to put too much salt on, but you want to get it on all the kernels.
- As the popcorn cools, the clump will break apart easily with a quick stir.
Now you’ve got yourself a yummy, sweet and salty snack to enjoy, and it’s low-calorie and inexpensive to boot. And it was so easy!
Right about now is when you’ll look at the popper and wonder how you’ll ever get it clean. It’s easy — just put it in the sink and fill it with hot water. Come back an hour later and all the sugar will have dissolved and it will rinse clean.
Some final tips:
- If you want to make more popcorn in a single batch, you can try increasing your quantities of kernels and sugar to 1/2 cup of each, but be careful not to do too much at once, or it won’t fit in the popper! I prefer smaller batches, which gives me control over the sugar and prevents burning.
- If you want to make a second batch after the first one, you can do so without cleaning the popper in between uses. Anything more than twice, though, and you’ll have too much sugar build-up in the popper and it’ll burn.
- Kettle corn will stay fresh and crispy in an air-tight container for several days. If you set it out for a party or outdoor event, keep in mind that humidity will cause the popcorn to lose its crunch and stick together (I learned that lesson the hard way!)
41 comments so far:
I have tried this recipe before and lately toward the end of the day or several hours later, it gets really soft. I wonder if its the brand of popcorn. So, once you make the kettle corn, don’t y9u have to let it cool before putting it in an airtight container? Just asking because I want to give these as gifts and so am hoping for ways to make them stay crunchy a little longer… Thanks for any tips…
Hi Mikayla! I often take kettle corn to parties, so whenever I need to package it right after making it, I usually only wait about 5-10 minutes for it to cool. I then dump it right into gallon-sized zip-lock bags and seal them up tight. On the rare occasion that I have any leftovers, I find that it stays crunchy for a couple days in the bag.
I’m not sure how long you are keeping yours out before packaging, but it sounds to me like humidity is getting to it. If you leave it out in a bowl on a humid day, it will go soft in a matter of hours. I assume its nice and crunchy as soon as you make it, so if it’s getting soft on you there’s got to be moisture coming from somewhere. I don’t think the brand will make much difference because I use the super-cheap stuff and Jo uses the fancy stuff, and we both get along fine.
Please let me know how it goes!
Hi,
I use clarified butter instead of oil. Same measurements. Much less grease on the hands. Also, we season the finished popcorn with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt or grated parmesean cheese.
Have fun!
Had a craving for kettle corn and the local grocery store’s brand is not very good…in fact it plain awful. This recipe is amazing! First time I ever tried it and it was superb. So simple! Thank you!!!
To Dave, once you add anything like seasoned salt or grated cheese…it’s not kettle corn anymore!!!
Bob, you sound just like me when I first came up with this recipe. I was craving “the real thing” so bad and stuff in the store isn’t even close! I’m so glad this worked for you and you were able to enjoy a bowl of kettle corn
you can store the kettle corn in the freezer and it stays crunchy…
Have you tried this with Splenda substituted for sugar?
You write instructions very well – not easy to do.
Hi Lynn. I’ve never worked with Splenda before. If you try it out, let us know how it goes. And thanks for the compliment
Hi, this recipe sounds great, but I dont have a whirly popper. Will i get the same results on the stove top if I do alot of pot shaking?
Hi Laura. Your question intrigued me (and I was hungry for a snack), so I just tried to make kettle corn using a regular pan on the stove, and I’m afraid it didn’t work out very well.
I put the sugar in right after the popcorn had started to pop, and I shook that pan as hard as I could the entire time. I took it off the heat as soon as the pops started dying down.
Unfortunately, the sugar syrup that forms is so thick that it sticks to the bottom of the pan and shaking doesn’t help. It really needs to be stirred instead, and that’s why you need the Whirley-Pop. My sugar turned into a brown caramel and when I poured the popcorn into a bowl, the caramel was all on the bottom, and had an almost burned taste to it. I tried stirring it with a spoon, which helped to distribute it, but it just didn’t taste right.
This might be a good way to make caramel corn, but it didn’t have the lightly sweet taste of traditional kettle corn, so I’d have to say it was not a successful experiment. Sorry :/
Hey, thanx for testing that and for the quick reply. I have alot of kids, so making a snack thats gonna turn out right the first time is a plus! Trader Joe’s has a great bagged kettle corn I can buy until I can get a Whirley Pop. Thanx again! Bye
How do you think this would work in a commercial pop corn popper? Like they use at ball games & movie theaters. I work in a library & we have a commercial popper and would like to try it for cheap snacks for an up coming program. Thanks for any information you can give me.
Sharon, we have a small commercial popper here at home so I will try it out this evening and let you know how it goes!
Sharon, making it in one of the small at-home-theater poppers didn’t work! My husband cursed me as he was trying to chip popcorn and hardened sugar out of the kettle. So, if your kettle is rather small, I wouldn’t suggest it. The turning mechanism got stuck once a lot of the kernels started popping. However, if you have a really large kettle you could try it. What we managed to get out did taste good. I know this wasn’t a definitive answer but I hope it helps some!
I dont usually comment, but after reading through so much info I had to say thanks
Ernon, you are quite welcome! Please come back to visit us soon, we have lots more to share!
I tried twice before with other recipes and made quite a burnt mess. Your recipe, however, worked out great! The difference was waiting until the popping started before adding the sugar. Also, removing from the heat once the popping was full swing really helped. I made this in a regular old large pot, but I made sure I stirred the sugar with a wooden spoon really well, then recovered and shook like crazy, and kept removing from the flame so as not to burn the sugar. It was just a tad overdone (my fault), but still really great. I think I’ll invest in a Whirley-Pop and make it perfect next time. Thanks for a great recipe.
This recipe was soooo good. I made first batch this afternoon and loved it so much,made another one with double amount. After that made 3rd finally 4th after dinner. And you know what? It’s almost all gone and everybody loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you love it! It is quite addicting, isn’t it?
I have made this for years. I usually put 1/4 cup oil in the Whirley-Pop,add 1/4 cup of sugar right to the oil, heat to medium while stirring it, and then add 1/3 cup of popcorn.Keep stirring and when it almost stops popping, I lift it and hold it above the heat so that it doesn’t burn and let it pop the rest of the way..empty into a pan and let cool a few minutes. Break up large clumps with hands and add a little salt..I made five batches of this kettle corn for a 4th of July party. What a hit it was!! Just put little paper cups in the container with the popcorn for serving!
Sue, your proportions are a little different than mine, but I bet the result is just as yummy! Now that I’m thinking about it, I think I might go make some kettle corn right now
This may be a dumb question but is white sugar the same as granulated sugar??
Hi christina. Yes, white sugar is the same as granulated sugar. Enjoy your kettle corn!
I am so happy to have found a recipe for Kettle corn. I just had a batch for the first time up in New Hampshire, and the kids and I fell in love with it! I can’t wait to try it at home, and I will be making the pink kind for a Valentine’s Day treat for the fam. I LOVE the Chica and Jo page for fun creative ideas. Keep it coming! Oh-and with 3 kids I appreciate frugal ideas!!!
Rachael, I was just as hooked after my first taste of kettle corn. So nice to be able to make it at home for pennies now
Thanks for the kind words about our site. We’re glad to have you as a loyal reader!
I made a batch this afternoon, and the kids ate it all! We love it and I’m making more for myself and hubby once they are in bed. Thanks again for all the great ideas.
Haha, I love the way you think!
AMAZING!! I am a popcorn lover so I am going to have to seek out a whirley pop so I can make kettle corn. Very very excited!
Hi Heather. The Whirley-Pop is definitely needed for this technique. As you may have read in my comments above, I tried with a regular pan and it just didn’t work! Good luck and I hope you enjoy the snack
Just have to tell you that I made my first batch of kettle corn per your recipe.. ( notice I said FIRST batch ) and it is sooo good. My granddaughter (who is 5) is over for an overnighter and she did the measuring out of stuff and most of the crank turning-until it got too hard to turn when grandpa took over the job. There is a little left over which she said she wants for breakfast tomorrow!
Just a little story to this: I didn’t have a whirly popcorn popper. But when I read your recipe I made it a quest to find one. So I posted my request for a whirly popcorn popper on freecycle and wouldn’t you know! Within hours someone emailed me to say she had one that was brand new, with instructions and all sitting in her garage that she’d give me. So off I went to pick it up. I also love freecycle.
Thanks again Chica.
joanne-California
joanne, that is such a great story! Sounds like your granddaughter really loved the special treat. And way to go, Freecycle!
Chica, this is Joanne from Calif. again. Just thought you’d like to know (for your diabetic readers) that tonight I tried making your kettle corn with 1/8 c (more or less) granulated sugar and 1/8 c. sugar substitue (I use Diabetasweet but probably any sugar subs. that you can cook with would work) and it came out almost the same. Naturally it didn’t taste quite the same but it was still very good. Nothing tastes quite like the ‘real thing.’ But being a diabetic, this cuts down on the carbohydrate content.
Many thanks again.
joanne
joanne, thanks for the update! I know Jo has been wanting to try a sugar substitute for a while now, and she will be so happy to hear that it works. Thanks for looking out for our diabetic readers and sharing your results!
I’m assuming if I do not have a whirley-pop that I can still follow these instructions while using a standard deep pot (but will have to shake to prevent burning, since I wouldn’t have the crank handle).
Hi Brian! A while ago, I tried to make this in a regular pan, but it didn’t work out for me. Look up at comment #10 to see the details about my results. Please let us know if you have better luck!
Someone once shared a secret with us about this Kettle Corn…they said it’s made with COCONUT oil. I am going to try this recipe but sub. with the coconut oil.
kat, we’d love to hear how it comes out!
I just made kettle corn about one minute ago. It tastes really good. I was tired of running to the store trying to find good kettle corn every week, just to find that it’s all gone if I got their to late. My son loves it also. Thanks for the recipe, it’s also easy to adjust the suger for more sweetness. I used seasson salyt on the first batch, and regular table salt on the second. YUMMMM!!!!!
That’s great to hear, Toi. Thanks for letting us know how it went!
I had a craving so I just did a random search on Google. Saw this, tried it, and it worked amazingly well! Thank you very much!
AJ, so glad you found us and it worked so well for you!