This site uses affiliate links and I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Give your usual popcorn a sweet and salty twist with this budget-friendly recipe. You only need 3 ingredients and a couple of minutes to make this sweet and salty popcorn coating, and it works with air-popped, microwave, or stovetop popcorn. It makes a fun snack for holiday movie nights, game days, and New Year’s Eve, and it’s a tasty addition to a vegan charcuterie board.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & get this sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Thank you to Honor for developing this recipe!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love The Best Homemade Sweet and Salty Popcorn Recipe!
- Ingredients Needed
- How to Make Sweet and Salty Popcorn
- Sweet and Salty Popcorn in the Microwave, Air Popper, or on the Stove
- Toni’s Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Add-ins and Variations
- Storage Instructions
- FAQs for Sweet and Salty Popcorn
- Love Snacking? Try These Vegan Snacks
- Sweet and Salty Popcorn Recipe
Why You’ll Love The Best Homemade Sweet and Salty Popcorn Recipe!
There are lots of yummy ways to flavor popcorn, from plain vegan butter to rich caramel. For the perfect middle ground, I make this sweet and salty popcorn. The buttery agave coating comes together in about 5 minutes, it works on popcorn from an air popper, a paper bag in the microwave, a bag of plain microwave popcorn, or a pot on the stove, and it uses simple pantry ingredients you probably already have at home.
So cue up a holiday movie, invite friends over for New Year’s Eve (or make it a book club or craft night instead!), and get this popcorn popping. Or maybe don’t invite the friends over, because the salted caramel flavor of this popcorn may have you keeping the bowl to yourself!
And if you need another way to switch up your popcorn, try my Chai Popcorn and the other flavor variations I share on that recipe!
Ingredients Needed
- Popcorn kernels: Make sure you are using plain, unflavored popcorn kernels. If it comes with a flavor packet, see if you can use that another way.
- Vegan butter: If you can’t find unsalted vegan butter, salted will suffice. Simply reduce or omit the salt in the ingredients if you don’t want your snack to be very salty.
- Agave syrup: This gives the popcorn that sticky sweetness! You can also use maple syrup or date syrup as alternatives.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and gives the popcorn just the right amount of saltiness.
How to Make Sweet and Salty Popcorn
Step 1: First, pop the corn kernels. If you’re using an air popper, follow the instructions that came with your machine. If you’re using a microwave, pour ¼ cup of kernels into a plain brown paper bag, fold the top closed, and microwave on high until the popping slows down. Repeat with the remaining kernels. You’ll find the stovetop and microwave popcorn bag methods below.
Step 2: Next, make the flavoring mixture. Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat (or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave). Once melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the agave syrup and salt.
Step 3: Then, coat your popcorn. Add the popcorn to a large mixing bowl, drizzle the warm mixture over the top, and toss until the popcorn is evenly coated. Serve while it’s still warm and enjoy!
Sweet and Salty Popcorn in the Microwave, Air Popper, or on the Stove
The coating is the same no matter how you pop your popcorn, so use whatever you have at home. Popcorn is a 100 percent whole grain, and the USDA suggests adding toppings right after popping so they stick, which is why I toss it while it’s still warm.
- Air popper: Pop the kernels following your machine’s instructions, then toss the popcorn with the warm coating right away.
- Microwave in a paper bag: Pour ¼ cup of kernels into a plain brown paper bag, fold the top over a couple of times, and microwave on high until the pops slow down. Repeat with the rest of the kernels.
- Microwave popcorn bag: Use plain or lightly salted microwave popcorn, then toss it with the coating. If your popcorn is already salted, taste it before adding the salt to the coating.
- Stovetop: Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot with a lid, add the kernels, cover, and shake the pot now and then until the popping slows down.
Toni’s Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Let steam escape. If you are cooking a popcorn bag in the microwave, make a small opening first to let the hot steam escape before totally opening it to be safe from burns.
- Know your microwave. It’s important to be familiar with your microwave’s settings, as they may differ from those given in the recipe. To know when the popcorn is done, I recommend listening to the pop. They should gradually die down.
- Fluffier popcorn trick. Place a cup of water in your microwave before popping in the bag for a fluffier popcorn result. Try it!
- Use butter to thin the sauce: If your sweetener is too thick, add more melted vegan butter to thin it out.
- Taste test the sauce: Taste your flavoring mixture with a piece of popcorn before tossing all of them together. Sometimes I think that it may be too sweet or salty, but remember that the type of popcorn chosen will affect the intensity of flavors.
Add-ins and Variations
Feel free to be creative and experiment with your favorite additions or substitutions.
- Vegan Dark Chocolate syrup: Instead of agave, try swapping it with vegan chocolate syrup to make a (vegan) chocolatey popcorn!
- Nuts: Mix in chopped roasted peanuts, pecans, almonds, or cashews for more flavor and texture.
- Spice: If you are not yet satisfied with just sweet and salty, sprinkle a pinch of cayenne powder to give the popcorn a nice kick!
- Holiday mix-ins: For a festive New Year’s Eve bowl, stir in vegan chocolate chips or dried cranberries once the popcorn has cooled for a few minutes. I haven’t tested these, so start with a small handful.
Storage Instructions
This homemade popcorn is best served right after popping, while it’s still warm and crunchy. The flavoring only takes a few minutes, so it’s best to make just enough for one sitting. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container or a Stasher bag at room temperature for 3 to 5 days, and see the FAQ below for how to crisp them back up. For a holiday snack gift, pack the cooled popcorn into small bags and tie them with ribbon.
FAQs for Sweet and Salty Popcorn
Yes. Pop a bag of plain or lightly salted microwave popcorn, pour it into a large bowl, and toss it with the warm vegan butter and agave mixture. If the popcorn is already salted, taste it before you add the salt to the coating.
Toss the popcorn with the coating while both are still warm, and drizzle the mixture over the popcorn in a few additions, tossing after each one. A large bowl gives you room to toss without crushing the popcorn.
Popcorn is a whole grain, and this homemade version uses just 2 Tablespoons of vegan butter and 2 Tablespoons of agave syrup for the whole batch, so you’re in charge of how sweet and salty it gets. You’ll find the nutrition per serving in the recipe card.
Because you are cooking the kernels at a high temperature, moisture is created inside the kernels, which eventually transforms into steam. If the bag or popper isn’t sufficiently ventilated, the moisture will build up inside, making the popcorn soggy.
Warm it in the oven so the moisture dries out. Spread the popcorn in a single layer on a baking sheet and heat it at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it’s as crunchy as you like.
Love Snacking? Try These Vegan Snacks
Vegan Breakfasts
Baked Apple Chips
Vegan Appetizers
Crispy Baked Kale Chips [+ Air Fryer Method]
Vegan Appetizers
Rosemary Candied Walnuts
Vegan Appetizers
Vegan Cheesy Zucchini Chips
If you tried this sweet and salty popcorn recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Sweet and Salty Popcorn
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & get this sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 g) popcorn kernels plain, unflavored
- 2 Tablespoons (28 g) vegan butter
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) agave syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn kernels in an air popper following the machine’s instructions, or use one of the methods in the notes.
- Pour the popped popcorn into a large mixing bowl.
- Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.
- Remove the butter from the heat and stir in the agave syrup and salt.
- Drizzle the warm mixture over the popcorn and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve right away while the popcorn is still warm.
Notes
- Microwave in a paper bag: Pour ¼ cup of kernels into a plain brown paper bag, fold the top closed, and microwave on high until the popping slows down. Repeat with the remaining ¼ cup.
- Microwave popcorn bag: Use plain or lightly salted microwave popcorn. If it’s already salted, taste it before adding the salt to the coating.
- Stovetop: Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot with a lid, add the kernels, cover, and shake the pot now and then until the popping slows down.
- Open popcorn bags carefully and let the steam escape first so you don’t get burned.
- If the coating is too thick, stir in a little more melted vegan butter to thin it out.
- Taste the coating on a piece of popcorn before tossing everything together, since salted vegan butter or salted popcorn will change the flavor.
- Nutrition is for air-popped or paper-bag popcorn and does not include oil from the stovetop method.
- Thank you to Honor for developing this recipe!
![completed EASY Chocolate Depression Cake [Wacky Cake] sliced against a white surface](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/36-Crazy-Cake-Plant-Based-on-a-Budget-1-2-378x378.jpg)
Amazing! So simple delicious and much healthier than shop bought! Thank you for this:-)
So much better than store-bought! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Easy, simple, & delish!😁
Agreed! Such a fun snack too!