This Cheddar Popcorn is the perfect cheesy treat. This cheesy popcorn is perfect for your next movie night or just as a standalone snack. This homemade cheddar cheese popcorn comes together quickly and easily on the stovetop.
If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with popcorn. I eat it at least 2 to 3 times a week! I even have a popcorn maker! I’ve previously shared my easy “nooch” popcorn aka nutritional yeast popcorn recipe and black pepper and parmesan popcorn recipe and today, I’m sharing my cheddar cheese popcorn. It’s cheesy, salty, and crunchy, making for the most delightful snack any time of the day.
For those without a popcorn maker, you can easily DIY this cheddar cheese popcorn at home by making it in a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid. This post will walk you through how simple it is to make stovetop popcorn with cheddar cheese powder!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- olive oil — you’ll need oil to pop the popcorn kernels.
- popcorn kernels — I always get a giant tub from Costco.
- melted butter — I love the classic taste of butter in movie theatre popcorn, so let’s live a little and indulge in a buttery topping.
- cheese powder — you can get cheese powder from amazon (I use the kernel’s brand), but you can also use the cheese packet from a box of mac and cheese.
- salt — just a pinch for that extra salty flavor.
How to Make Cheddar Popcorn Recipe
- In a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 to 3 kernels of popcorn and close the lid. (Add 3 tablespoons if your pan is large to cover the whole bottom.)
- Wait for the kernels to pop, it’ll take a few minutes.
- Once popped, add the rest of the kernels into the pan and quickly close the lid. Lower the heat to medium-low heat.
- Shake the pot to coat the new kernels with oil. Wait for the popcorn to start popping and shake the pot again as all the unpopped kernels will sink to the bottom of the pot while the popped kernels rise to the top.
- Continue cooking until the popping sound slows to about one pop per every few seconds.
- To the freshly popped popcorn, add the melted butter and toss until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle the powdered cheese over the buttered popcorn in a few batches and toss until completely covered.
- Add salt to taste.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- A glass lid is ideal, as you can see the popcorn popping.
- Feel free to add more or less of the melted butter or the cheesy topping. The measurements are merely a suggestion!
- Keeping the heat on medium to medium-low heat keeps the popcorn from burning on the bottom of the pot. If you’ve burnt your popcorn, you can easily clean the pot by simmering baking soda and water. It’ll loosen the burnt bits from the pot.
- Shaking the pot will help the popcorn pop evenly.
- Don’t wait to season the popcorn. The warmth and melted butter will help the toppings stick better.
Variations
- Make this cheddar cheese popcorn into a chili cheese popcorn by adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of chili powder to the cheese powder.
- Make this into a cheesy garlic popcorn by adding 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the cheese powder.
- Make it spicy with half to 1 tsp of cayenne powder to the cheese powder.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the stovetop popcorn in an airtight container or mason jar for up to 3 days. The longer you wait to eat the popcorn, the less crisp it will become.
A large pot, Dutch oven, or stovetop popper is great for popping popcorn. I recommend using a large pot so the popped corn doesn’t overflow. A bit of kernel can fill up a pot quickly. I also love using my popcorn maker as it is a hands-off method.
Half of a cup of unpopped kernels should yield around 8 cups once popped. This is why it’s important to use a large pot!
Your stovetop popcorn will be chewy if there’s moisture in the pot. The lid I use for my popcorn has a hole for steam to escape to help prevent that. If yours does not, prop the lid slightly open during the cooking process.
Cheddar Popcorn
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- 2-3 tbsp melted butter, unsalted
- 3-4 tbsp cheese powder
- ½ tsp salt
Equipment
- large pot
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 to 3 kernels of popcorn and close the lid. (Add 3 tablespoons if your pan is large to cover the whole bottom.)
- Wait for the kernels to pop, it’ll take a few minutes.
- Once popped, add the rest of the kernels into the pan and quickly close the lid. Lower the heat to medium-low heat.
- Shake the pot to coat the new kernels with oil. Wait for the popcorn to start popping and shake the pot again as all the unpopped kernels will sink to the bottom of the pot while the popped kernels rise to the top.
- Continue cooking until the popping sound slows to about one pop per every few seconds.
- To the freshly popped popcorn, add the melted butter and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle the powdered cheese over the buttered popcorn in a few batches and toss until completely covered. Add salt to taste.
Nutrition Per Serving
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