Kettle Corn - A Healthier Way

The sweet and salty flavor that kettle corn provides has made this treat one of my favorites! You can keep your movie theater popcorn swimming in fake butter - I sneak this stuff into the movies instead. Why else carry a large purse if not to put healthy treats in?

This one took tons of trial and error, not to mention batteries in my smoke detector. It was all worth it though - I finally have a recipe and technique that make the best kettle corn I've ever tasted!

The key is to heat the oil and sugar on medium heat, crank it up to high when you add the kernels, then take it back down. Another trick is to let the pot sit on the hot burner for just a few seconds in between shakes so that it doesn't burn. It's tricky and it requires you to stand right by your stove through the whole process, but the end result is sweet and salty goodness that beats any store-bought brand.

Kettle Corn

2 T coconut oil

1 1/2 T sugar*

1/2 C popping corn

dash of salt

Directions:  Heat large saucepan on medium-high heat. Melt coconut oil until watery-looking. Add sugar and stir by tilting the pot around to get it all mixed. Crank the burner to high heat (have kernels measured out prior so they are ready to add right away) and add popping corn, put on tight-fitting lid and shake the pan to get oil on all the kernels. Listen for the oil to start popping the corn. Once you hear a few pops, shake the pan over the heat. Turn the heat back down a little to medium-high. Alternate between letting the pan sit on the burner for a few seconds, and shaking the pot over the stove. Once the popping has slowed, remove from the heat and continue to shake until the popping stops. Let the popcorn cool completely, add salt to taste, and store in an airtight container or zipper bag.

*I have also tried this recipe with stevia to taste and it was quite good!