Homemade popcorn has always been one of my favorite snacks and brown butter just takes it to a different level! This brown butter popcorn with flaky sea salt has a delicious savory toasty flavor and tastes extra buttery!
The easiest way to make good popcorn at home is with an air popper! It's quick, requires almost no cleanup and doesn't require extra oil to make popcorn. If you don't have an air popper, you can also easily pop it on the stove in a large pot!
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Ingredient Notes
You just need 3 ingredients to make brown butter popcorn!
Popcorn - Regular popcorn kernels are all you need!
Brown Butter - My favorite ingredient of all time is brown butter!! Brown butter is just unsalted butter that has been melted and gently cooked to bring out a toasty, nutty flavor. If you've never made brown butter before, you can check out this post with all my tips for how to make brown butter! You can also make it ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to a week; just melt in the microwave to drizzle over the popcorn.
Flaky Sea Salt - I love using Maldon Flaky Sea Salt because it has the best flavor and texture.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Optional Flavorings
I love this brown butter popcorn on its own, but you can dress it up in a variety of ways!
Honey - Melt 1 tablespoon of honey with the butter for a sweet and salty kettle corn vibe.
Parmesan and Herbs - Add a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped herbs like rosemary or parsley.
Nutritional Yeast - One of my favorite popcorn toppings is nutritional yeast! It has a savory, slightly nutty flavor that is just so good. Add 1-2 tablespoons after drizzling with brown butter.
Ranch Seasoning - Another favorite is powdered ranch seasoning (I'm partial to the Trader Joe's brand)! Toss about 1 tablespoon with the brown butter popcorn for a zesty ranch flavor.
Cinnamon Sugar - Mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the brown butter popcorn for a slightly sweet fall treat.
Add-ins - Toss the popcorn with other add-ins like chocolate chips, m&m's, toasted nuts, etc!
How to Make Brown Butter for Popcorn
For more tips, check out my in-depth guide to making brown butter!
- Add the butter to a light colored pan and melt over medium heat. Once melted stir frequently and watch closely for the formation of brown specs on the bottom of the pan.
- First the butter will get thick and foamy. Then it will start to bubble rapidly. Don't stop stirring the butter. After a few minutes, the butter will start to turn a golden brown color and you'll start to see those brown specs on the bottom of the pan. It will smell intensely buttery, nutty, and rich.
- Once you see the brown specs, remove from the heat and immediately pour into a separate heat-proof bowl to stop the cooking process. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before tossing with the popcorn.
Air Popper Popcorn
Making brown butter popcorn in an air popper is incredibly easy! Each machine is a little different, so be sure to consult the manufacturer instructions for your specific air popper.
Using an air popper, pop the popcorn according to manufacturer instructions, then dump into a large serving bowl.
Toss the popcorn with brown butter until it's evenly coated and season with flaky sea salt to taste.
How to Make Stovetop Popcorn
To make this brown butter popcorn on the stove, I highly recommend using a classic stovetop popcorn maker! However, you can also use any large pot with a tight fitting lid.
You'll also need some kind of high smoke point oil to pop the popcorn in! Options I like are:
- Coconut oil
- Peanut oil
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
- Ghee
- In your stovetop popcorn maker, heat ¼ cup of oil and 3-4 popcorn kernels over medium heat (don't forget to put the lid on). Once those kernels pop (about 2-3 minutes) add in ½ cup of popcorn kernels and give the pot a shake to evenly coat the kernels in oil.
- Cover the pot with the lid and continue to cook the popcorn, turning the handle constantly (if using a large pot instead of a popcorn maker with a crank, be sure to give the pot an occasional shake to ensure it doesn't burn). Once the kernels start to pop, watch closely until the popping sounds slow down to one pop every 2-3 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and let sit for a minute or two until the popping completely stops.
- Remove the lid and dump the popcorn into a large serving bowl. Then toss with brown butter or your desired toppings!
Recipe FAQ's
Popcorn is always best eaten the same day. Air-popped popcorn (before adding butter) will stay fresh for 2-3 days in an airtight container, but once popcorn has been buttered it just doesn't keep very well.
While browned butter is delicious, burnt butter is not! So I recommend always using some type of high smoke point oil to pop the popcorn (or an air popper) and waiting to add the brown butter until after popping for perfect popcorn!
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Brown Butter Popcorn
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Brown Butter
- For more process shots and tips, check out my in-depth guide to making brown butter!
- Add the butter to a light colored pan and melt over medium heat.
- Once melted stir frequently and watch closely for the formation of brown specs on the bottom of the pan. First the butter will get thick and foamy. Then it will start to bubble rapidly. Don't stop stirring the butter. After a few minutes, the butter will start to turn a golden brown color and you'll start to see those brown specs on the bottom of the pan. It will smell intensely buttery, nutty, and rich.
- Once you see the brown specs, remove from the heat and immediately pour into a separate heat-proof bowl to stop the cooking process. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before tossing with the popcorn.
Air Popped Popcorn
- Using an air popper, pop the popcorn according to manufacturer instructions, then dump into a large serving bowl.
- Toss the popcorn with brown butter until it's evenly coated and season with flaky sea salt to taste.
Stovetop Popcorn
- If using a stovetop popcorn maker, you'll also need ¼ cup of some kind of high smoke point oil to pop the popcorn in! Options I like are: coconut oil, peanut oil, canola oil, or ghee.
- In your stovetop popcorn maker, heat ¼ cup of oil and 3-4 popcorn kernels over medium heat (don't forget to put the lid on).
- Once those kernels pop (about 2-3 minutes) add in ½ cup of popcorn kernels and give the pot a shake to evenly coat the kernels in oil. Cover the pot with the lid and continue to cook the popcorn, turning the handle constantly (if using a large pot instead of a popcorn maker with a crank, be sure to give the pot an occasional shake to ensure it doesn't burn).
- Once the kernels start to pop, watch closely until the popping sounds slow down to one pop every 2-3 seconds. Remove from the heat and let sit for a minute or two until the popping completely stops.
- Remove the lid and dump the popcorn into a large serving bowl. Then toss with brown butter or your desired toppings!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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