How to makeHomemade Kettle Corn Recipe Kettle Corn (2024)

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This homemade Kettle Corn is the BEST homemade Kettle corn recipe you are going to find! I say that as a kettle corn fanatic! This recipe tastes JUST like what you get when you go to a fair. The perfect combination of sweet and salty with this delicious popcorn recipe!

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Homemade Kettle Corn

My favorite part of fairs is the kettle corn. My husband likes to joke around saying that I’m a blood hound for kettle corn because i can smell it miles away and then I go and find it. I am not leaving the fair grounds until I get a bite (well, a lot more then one) of the awesome flavors.

I LOVE Kettle Corn! Seriously I love it and I have no shame at all with how much I love it!

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I have tried many of the microwave kettle corns that you can get at the grocery store but nothing tasted like real stuff. Seriously, don’t waste your time or money on them. They are sooo NOT worth even trying to make.

I was having a talk with a family member about kettle corn, which lead to them sharing this amazing homemade kettle corn recipe with me. Which also then lead to the dangerous point that I am at now, where I can have kettle corn in under 15 minutes from the time I start wanting it.

When I tried this recipe I felt like I was back at a fair! Seriously, no other recipe has ever compared to the sweet and salty combo that this recipe gives you!

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What is Kettle Corn?

As I am going on and on about how amazing kettle corn is, I realized some of you may have never heard of it. Kettle corn is popcorn that has both sugar and salt that combined give it the most amazing flavor. The popcorn is popped either on the stove, or in a popcorn popper with the sugar so the sugar melts all over the popcorn. Once the popcorn is cooked, then you add the salt and you have the most amazing snack ever!

When to Eat Kettle Corn

There is no right or wrong time to eat kettle corn. It is one of my favorite things to snack on!

But I highly suggest if you are making this for movie night, that you make a large bowl for everyone before you start the movie. Otherwise you are going to find yourself missing the movie while making everyone more kettle corn.

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How to Know when to Add Popcorn Kernels to oil

The easiest way to make sure your oil is hot enough is to add your oil in your pot or popcorn popper and then add a few popcorn kernels. When those kernels pop you’ll know the oil is hot enough to pop all of your popcorn kernels.

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Ways to Pop Popcorn for Kettle Corn

There are quite a few different ways that you can make the popcorn to make this homemade kettle corn. Use which ever method is easiest for you or the appliance that you have.

On The Stove Popper

When I am making kettle corn, I just use the biggest pot with a lid that I have or my Cuisinart EasyPop Popcorn maker. Whichever one I am in the mood to use. However it is MUCH easier to use a Whirley Pop. This is what my family member uses, and while I should probably get one for myself with how much kettle corn I make.

Use a Whirley Pop

You can make this homemade kettle corn using a popcorn popper, a large pan on the stove or the Whirley Pop, all of them will give you the same amazing kettle corn at the end.If you are using a Whirley Pop, then you will want to make sure once all the kernels are popped, that you give the pot a good shake.

Use a large Pot on the stove

Add the Sugar, coconut oil, and the popcorn kernels into the pot over medium heat.

If you are making this popcorn recipe on the stove with a large pot, there are a few things you must know about making this recipe. First, and MOST IMPORTANT, you MUST stir continuously until all of the kernels are popped.

You will turn your stove to medium high heat and leave it there the whole time you are cooking it. Once you have the popcorn popped you want to remove the pot from the stove and turn it off right away. Once you remove the pot from the stove you want to shake the pot before you add the salt to it.

Use a Popcorn Popper

If you are using a popcorn popper like the Cuisinart EasyPop Popcorn maker, you want to add the popcorn kernels and then add sugar on top of them while they are still unpopped.

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Kettle Corn Ingredients

Coconut oil.There are different oils you can use to make kettle corn on the stove, however I love using coconut oil because it is a healthy fat and while this is a treat I do want to keep it semi healthy too.

Sugar.Using an artificial sugar is not going to work for this recipe. You want the real deal sugar when making kettle corn at home.

Popcorn kernels.All you need is basic popcorn kernels, however you can use the organic popcorn kernels, the white or yellow popcorn kernels all the same.

Popcorn salt. Or if you don’t have any of that on hand you can use your normal table salt, it will work just fine.

How to Make Homemade Kettle Corn

Add the coconut oil to your popcorn popper, pot.

Place a few popcorn kernels into your popper and when those kernels pop you’ll know the oil is hot enough.

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Once the oil is hot enough, add the popcorn and then add the sugar on top of the popcorn.

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Cook your popcorn until all the kernels have popped, or until you have a 1 second gap in hearing kernels pop.

Pour it into your favorite popcorn bowl and sprinkle with popcorn salt and shake it around for a few minutes so it does not stick together.

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Homemade Kettle Corn Recipe

Created by Lauren

3.93 from 76 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings 4

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

This homemade Kettle Corn is the BEST homemade Kettle corn recipe you are going to find! I say that as a kettle corn fanatic!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the coconut oil to your popcorn popper.

  • Place a few popcorn kernels into your popper and when those kernels pop you’ll know the oil is hot enough.

  • Once the oil is hot enough, Add the popcorn and then add the sugar on top of the popcorn.

  • Cook your kettle corn until all the kernels have popped, or until you have a 1 second gap in hearing kernels pop.

  • Pour it into your favorite popcorn bowl and sprinkle with popcorn salt and shake it around for a few minutes so it does not stick together.

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Iron: 0.6mg

homemade kettle corn, kettle corn

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How to makeHomemade Kettle Corn Recipe Kettle Corn (2024)

FAQs

What makes kettle corn better? ›

The neutral taste of popcorn is always there, modified slightly by choice of seasoning. Kettlecorn has a dominantly sweet flavor, with just a hint of salt noticeable to the palate. Adding sugar to your mix during the cooking process is essential to crafting that perfect blend of sweet and savory taste.

What is the best oil for kettle corn? ›

So, if you're looking to switch things up, peanut oil may be the answer. Corn oil: If you're looking for more of a kettle corn flavor, corn oil is a great option for you. Corn oil also boasts a good smoke point and is one of the healthier options on the market.

What gives kettle corn its flavor? ›

Kettle corn is a variety of corn that was initially made in the kettle – people would oil a large iron kettle and cook the corn. Once the popcorn has popped, it is tossed with a sugar and salt mixture to give it a savory taste and distinct texture.

How do you keep sugar from burning in kettle corn? ›

Keep shaking the pan.

This is to avoid burning the sugar and ensure every piece of popcorn is coated with it.

What is special about kettle corn? ›

Unlike traditional popcorn, which is typically seasoned with salt or butter, kettle corn is coated with a sweet glaze made from sugar, oil, and salt. The glaze caramelizes during the cooking process, resulting in a golden-brown color and a tantalizing combination of sweet and salty taste. 3.

Is kettle corn healthier than regular popcorn? ›

While both varieties of popcorn have similar nutritious benefits, sugar added to kettle popcorn is more likely to cause you to gain weight (due to its higher calorie count and addictive nature). However, there is no reason to worry if you consume kettle popcorn every now and then.

Why does my kettle corn always burn? ›

Due to the high heat of the pot, if you don't transfer the popcorn it will caramelize and perhaps burn.

How to make corn oil? ›

The corn germ is dried in a kiln, and the oil is extracted by either a hydraulic or a screw press; the pressed cake is further treated by washing it with a solvent, ordinarily hexane, and the dissolved oil is recovered by evaporating the solvent.

What type of popcorn is used for kettle corn? ›

Regular popcorn comes from butterfly flakes or snowflakes, which are irregular in shape with many popping “wings” that stick out, hence the name. Butterfly flakes are much more tender and have a better mouthfeel. Mushroom flakes, used to make kettle corn, are mostly spherical in shape and can be either round or oblong.

What is the black stuff on kettle corn? ›

The black specks are simply naturally dark pieces of the pericarp (skin) of the corn, where the tip of the kernel attaches to the cob. The color of the specks will vary by crop and year. They are the same as those commonly seen in hard taco shells, corn or tortilla chips, cornmeal, and natural whole corn products.

Why is my kettle corn chewy? ›

A top reason popcorn turns out chewy is because steam gets trapped in your pot when the popcorn kernels are popping. Fix this by using a well-vented lid or leave the pan slightly open to make a light and crispy popcorn.

Why are there black specks on my popcorn? ›

If you spot any mold growth, unusual discoloration, or dark spots, it's a definite sign that the popcorn is no longer safe to eat.

Is kettle corn good for you? ›

A diet that consists solely or predominantly of kettle corn is not healthy. A diet that is generally balanced can handle kettle corn just fine, assuming to allergies to the ingredients. If one is consuming too much sugar in one's diet to begin with, then kettle corn is not a useful addition as it adds even more sugar.

Why not to boil sugar? ›

If a sugar solution is boiled in a beaker, the water in the solution will evaporate and the sugar will be left behind. But the sugar thus obtained will be charred. This is because the sugar's carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms evaporate as various organic components, leaving behind a dark, bitter form of sugar.

What makes kettle corn different from popcorn? ›

What Is the Difference Between Kettle Corn and Popcorn? Kettle corn is cooked more with sugar and salt, than traditional popcorn is.

What's the difference between kettle corn and regular corn? ›

Kettle corn is also made from regular popping corn. The difference is how it's popped. Kettle corn is traditionally made in a large, iron kettle that has been oiled. The popcorn is popped before it is tossed with a little salt, and of course some sugar, to give it that addictive flavor.

Why does kettle corn pop differently? ›

Regular popcorn and kettle corn are made from different types of corn. As a result, they differ in the flake shapes of the popped kernels. Regular popcorn comes from butterfly flakes or snowflakes, which are irregular in shape with many popping “wings” that stick out, hence the name.

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