How to Make Coconut Oil Popcorn

Making your own popcorn using coconut oil is extremely simple and yields the perfect base for your favorite seasonings and toppings.

We run out of popcorn kernels on the reg in our house because we make it so often. This coconut oil popcorn is the recipe we’ve been using for the past three years, and I don’t think we’ll ever switch to another oil type or popcorn-cooking method.

Before we started making popcorn on the stove, the idea really intimidated me because I assumed it would be complicated and/or I’d cause a smoke-filled kitchen. Turns out, once you do it a few times, it’s a piece of cake.

If you love popcorn and are always buying the pre-made bags of it at the store, I highly recommend you try it homemade sometime! It’s much cheaper, usually healthier (because it’s plain), and has so many possibilities for toppings (check out my savory popcorn recipe for inspiration).

Here’s a basic step-by-step look at the process for making popcorn on the stove using coconut oil:

Step 1, heat up coconut oil and add a few test kernels. Step 2, once the test kernels have popped, add the rest of the kernels and cover with the lid. Step 3, keep cooking on medium-high heat until the popping has significantly slowed (monitor it because popcorn burns fast!). Step 4, shovel it in your mouth and hope no one is watching.

Aside from this being easy and an effective way of controlling late-night munchies, I’m all about popcorn for a snack because it has that satisfying crunch and is a relatively smart, healthy option. More specifically, popcorn is 100% whole grain, contains fiber content, and is very low in calories. Compared to most snacks out there, it’s pretty legit.

For our go-to system of making it from scratch, here’s what’s up:

Do you love popcorn? What are your go-to toppings?

The original version of this post was published January 21, 2014.