Whether sweet or savory, popcorn is the most popular snack during a movie night. But how do you make good popcorn at home that tastes just like in the cinema? One thing is certain: it’s not that difficult! We show you what you need to watch out for, whether you’re making popcorn in a pan or in the microwave.

How To Make The SAME Movie Theatre Popcorn At Home: How does it work?

To make popcorn, you absolutely must use special popcorn or popcorn. Since the husk of this corn variety is thinner and the corn itself is soft and slightly moist inside, the kernels can pop better. Under the effect of heat, the water inside the kernels turns into steam and the corn bursts under the pressure. Traditional corn can’t do this. You can find popcorn in almost every supermarket.

Homemade popcorn: healthy and inexpensive

Popcorn itself is quite low in calories and makes a healthy snack. Plus, popcorn is inexpensive. Only by adding salt or sugar does popcorn become an unhealthy calorie bomb. If you forgo additives when making popcorn and appreciate the natural taste, homemade popcorn is the ideal snack for a pleasant evening of TV.

Popcorn like at the movies

In principle, popcorn can be prepared at home in three ways: in a frying pan or saucepan, in the microwave or with a special popcorn maker. For the basic recipe, you only need oil, popcorn and salt or sugar.

Popcorn recipe

For this, you need:

  • 2 tablespoons of neutral-tasting oil
  • 1.5 ounces (50 g) popcorn
  • 2-3 tablespoons of sugar or salt

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Pour oil into a frying pan or saucepan so that the bottom is lightly covered, and add sugar or salt. Then turn on the hob.
  2. Tip: For salty popcorn, use a little less salt at first and then adjust the amount to your taste.
  3. Now put in the popcorn. Be careful not to put too many grains and that they are not on top of each other, but next to each other.
  4. Then be sure to cover the pot or pan with a lid and watch the corn kernels slowly pop. From the first burst, lower the temperature slightly.
  5. Turn the pot or pan occasionally to prevent the grains from burning and to make sure the salt or sugar is evenly distributed.
  6. If the pops stop, you can remove the pot or pan from the heat. But let the popcorn sit for a few more moments, in case a kernel pops again.
  7. Then pour the popcorn into a bowl.

Microwave popcorn:

Preparing popcorn in the microwave is very quick and easy. Mix the water and sugar or salt in a special popcorn container or microwave-safe bowl and add the corn. Mix everything and place a lid. Depending on the power, it takes 4 to 7 minutes for the popcorn to be ready. At 800 watts it’s 4 minutes, at 600 watts a few minutes longer. As soon as the popcorn stops popping, it is ready.

Don’t touch the microwave-ready popcorn. It’s full of unhealthy hydrogenated fats, sugar and calories and often contains artificial colors, sweeteners and flavor enhancers. Diacetyl is particularly dangerous. This flavor enhancer is harmful to humans when heated and can cause lung disease through inhalation when the package is opened.

  • Caramel popcorn

Classic popcorn variations are super delicious, but you can improve the taste even more with caramelized popcorn.

To do this, first prepare the caramel by heating and melting 150 g of sugar, 60 g of honey and 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the mass begins to foam and let it cool a little. Then pour it over the already prepared popcorn and mix everything well. It’s simply divine!

  • Chocolate popcorn

For the chocolate popcorn, first prepare the caramel popcorn as described above, then spread it on a baking sheet with parchment paper. The sugar coating prevents the chocolate from being absorbed by the popcorn and everything becoming muddy.

After cooling, melt the chocolate in a saucepan, stirring constantly, and then pour the liquid mass over the popcorn. To prevent the popcorn from sticking, stir it well at the end. Once the chocolate has cooled, you can start snacking.