Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn
Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn is an addictive, 5-minute, snack that's perfect for any occasion, from after school to movie night!
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but popcorn is pretty magical stuff. What other food starts out as a rock-hard little kernel and then, with a short application of heat, explodes into a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth snack? On top of that, all of those crevices are just perfect for soaking up your favorite flavors!
I big puffy heart popcorn, whether it's in the form of a bag of kettle corn from the grocery store, a tin of cheesy popcorn at Christmas time, caramel corn from the fair, or hot, butter-drenched popcorn at the movies. But what I often forget is how speedy and effortless it is to make just about any variety of popcorn in my very own kitchen.
There are lots of ways to pop fresh corn kernels, whether you have an air popper, you do so in the microwave, or you go the old-fashioned stovetop route. But I have to admit that I find the microwave method to be the easiest, fastest, and least messy approach.
Simply place ¼ cup kernels in a large paper lunch sack, fold down the top, and then microwave for a couple of minutes (or until the popping slows down to about 2 seconds between pops). Shake the bag so that any unpopped kernels congregate in one corner, and then tear a tiny hole in that corner so that they all conveniently fall out. Then pour your piping hot, fluffy popcorn into a bowl and go to town with your favorite seasonings!
For today's recipe, I thought I'd give my popcorn a Snickerdoodle-esque treatment. To do the same, you'll want to start with real salted butter, not just melted, but cooked for a few extra minutes until it achieves nutty, fragrant brown butter status. Stir in a splash of vanilla and pour all over your freshly-popped popcorn, tossing until every piece is nice and coated. Then sprinkle on a generous coating of cinnamon sugar and gently stir again.
The result is light, crisp popcorn with a decadent, brown-buttery, cinnamon-sugary coating. I had a hard time taking photos of this popcorn because I found myself constantly sneaking bites, and every time I'd have to wash the butter/cinnamon/sugar off my fingers before picking my camera back up. It goes without saying that my kids absolutely loved this stuff. And I even caught my husband munching on it every time he passed through the kitchen.
Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn not only makes a yummy snack for the kiddos, but it's also a delightful treat for enjoying on movie night! And if you happen to be into sports, it's the ideal answer to those game-watching munchies.
If you've never popped your own fresh popcorn before, it's never too late to give it a go! Those store-bought bags of microwave popcorn are loaded with artificial ingredients, not to mention the fact that popping plain corn in a clean bag is just as quick and easy. Add a quick application of brown butter, cinnamon, and sugar, and you've got the perfect snack!
So the next time you need a little something to munch on, take five minutes to whip up a batch of this Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn! Snack time will never be the same. 😉
More Cinnamon Treats
More Popcorn Flavors
Brown Butter Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn
Ingredients
- ½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels, OR 12 cups freshly popped popcorn, unseasoned
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, diced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- To pop 6 cups of popcorn at a time in the microwave, pour ¼ cup popcorn kernels in a clean paper lunch sack (I use a 12 ⅜ X 6 ⅛ X 4" brown paper lunch bag). Fold over the top several times. Microwave on high until there is a 2-second pause between pops (all microwaves vary, but this will probably take around 2 minutes, give or take 30 seconds). Shake the bag so that any unpopped kernels roll to one corner. Tear a tiny hole in that corner and shake out kernels. Pour popped popcorn into a bowl. Repeat entire process for a total of 12 cups popcorn.
- Place butter in a small, heavy-bottomed pot. Set pot over medium-low heat and stir constantly as butter melts and foams. After a few minutes, butter will turn golden and brown specks will form. When the foam subsides and the butter begins to smell nutty, remove from the heat. Butter should be deep golden brown but not black or burnt.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in vanilla (be prepared for butter to foam up quite a bit). While brown butter slightly cools, mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl until well combined.
- Slowly drizzle brown butter over popcorn, allowing any black/dark brown sediment at the bottom of the pot to remain behind. Gently stir popcorn until evenly coated. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over buttered popcorn; stir, and repeat with remaining cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don't have salted butter, stir ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon (to taste) of salt into brown butter before pouring over popcorn.
- If you don't want to mess with browning the butter, regular melted butter works just fine, too. 🙂
Just a quick note to let you know that I made this last night, it was delicious!.
I'm so happy to hear it, Joy! It's one of our favorites, too. 🙂
What fun popcorn!! My kids would love it! Thanks for linking up at SNF!!
Thanks so much, Jaren! This popcorn is definitely a hit with kids (and adults, too). 😉 Thank you for hosting SNF...hope you're having a wonderful weekend!
Samantha, this popcorn looks amazing! We like to pop our kernals in brown paper bags too instead of hauling out the popper. Brown butter on anything really give such great flavor. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks so much, Heather! I totally agree that brown butter makes everything better, and popping corn in a bag in the microwave is the easiest, least messy method. 😉 Hope you have a chance to try this popcorn soon. I'm so glad you had a chance to stop by!
I absolutely LOVE everything about this recipe! Including your gorgeous photos. Pinning! Thanks a million for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck. I 'puffy heart' a simple crunchy snack like this one.
Thank you so much, sweet Marsha! I appreciate your kind words and the pin. I am totally with you on loving snacks like this...the only problem is that I love them a little too much and they're gone before I know what happened! 😉 Hope you have a wonderful week...as always, thanks for hosting Weekend Potluck and for stopping by!
Too fun. Too easy. This is a great idea. I love popcorn.
And you are too sweet, Carol. Hope you enjoy this one! I happen to love popcorn, too. 🙂 Have a fabulous week!
This looks incredible I had to pin it! I saw this post on Hit me with Your Best Shot linky party and so glad I came to visit your blog.
I'm so happy you hopped over, Hélène, and thanks so much for the pin! Off to check out your blog now... 🙂
I could eat this whole bag, Samantha! This looks unbelievably delicious!
I may have eaten this whole bag, Marcie. Luckily it's easy to make so I replaced it before my family had a chance to notice -- ha! 😉 Hope you enjoy it if you try it...have a great week!
Samantha, this is such a genius idea with the flavors and fresh popped kernels! Absolutely digging this!
Thanks so much, Gloria! I hope you have a chance to try it...it's completely addictive. 😉 I appreciate you stopping by...have a wonderful week!