5 Best Popcorn Toppings

Here are 5 top recipes for popcorn toppings your guests will not be able to resist.

FROM THE VAULT | Although I wasn’t able to get everything organized in time for the Emmy Awards this year, I will be hosting a popcorn party for friends and family when the Oscars roll around on Sunday. Movies and popcorn are a winning combo, and in the past few weeks I’ve been scouring the Internet for recipes, whipping up toppings and popping up a storm on my stovetop.

One of the best things about popcorn—after its warm, satisfying crunch—is the way it absorbs whatever you toss it with. Here are the recipes for the five sweet and savoury toppings most likely to settle on top and pool inside the recesses of my puffy butterfly flakes (popcorn pieces are called flakes and come two ways: mushroom or butterfly; butterfly flakes are the ones you get at the movies).

Chili Lime Popcorn

Comments about the chili lime popcorn recipe on Martha Stewart’s website reveal why her topping is a failure: squeezing lime juice on top of pops makes them soggy. The blogger at Kitchen Heals Soul solved the sog problem by using citric acid rather than juice. Her chili lime popcorn is super fresh and tasty—the best of the many I demoed.
CLICK HERE for the recipe.

Spicy Parmesan and Truffle Oil Popcorn

Food52’s spicy parmesan and truffle oil popcorn inspired me, but including butter feels like overkill. Truffle oil is a strong and particular taste—if you love it, dribble it alone on top of popped corn and then shake the mixture in a plastic food storage container for maximum coverage. Food52’s recipe calls for a sprinkle of paprika (optional) and plenty of parmesan (grate with a rasp for ultra fine). Add the cheese in batches, shaking the mixture after each addition.
CLICK HERE for the recipe.

Rosemary Olive Oil Popcorn

Rosemary-infused popcorn is a subtle and acquired taste. By popping your corn in rosemary-infused olive oil the way Giada De Laurentiis does rather than just adding it afterward, you’ll maximize the rosemary experience. (Use fresh rosemary sprigs only if you plan to consume all of your homemade infusion within a week; otherwise substitute dried rosemary to avoid the possibility of contaminating the olive oil.)
CLICK HERE for the recipe.

Maple Bacon Popcorn

I made Saveur’s version first, but it was so gooey, you’d need to eat it with a spoon. Much better is Gourmet’s maple pecan popcorn, substituting crumbled bacon bits for pecans and heating the syrup and butter mixture to 240 rather than the suggested 300 degrees, which delivers rock hard caramel that could possibly dislodge loose fillings.
CLICK HERE for the recipe.

Caramel Corn

I’ve tried a few recipes for caramel corn including the one from Orangette, which blogger Molly Wizenberg proclaims the best caramel corn ever. But I think Emma Christensen, recipe editor for thekitchn.com, does a better caramel topping. Not only is it easier to make than Orangette’s, it delivers better popcorn coverage —and in the world of caramel corn, heavy saturation is the desirable thing.
CLICK HERE for the recipe. —Carolann Rule