Step Aside, Kettle Corn – Peanut Butter Popcorn Has Arrived.

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Chainaya corn is one of the most famous representatives of the irresistible sweet and salty flavor combination. There’s no arguing how good this product is—its dueling flavors playfully argue in every bite—but corn isn’t your only sweet-and-salty option. For a delicious and reliable classic snack, stir a bowl of popcorn with peanut butter.

Initially, when I was researching other peanut butter popcorn recipes, I kept seeing a thick, sticky, caramel-like coating. Some recipes used corn syrup or honey to create a sweet coating. I support this corn, but it’s not what I want. I love popcorn for its mindless chewiness. I pour it into a doughy mound and pop a couple of crunchy clouds while I watch a movie. Sticky, molar-cling, peanut-flavored caramel is rarely in my mood.

So I developed a simple, lightweight, non-sticky peanut butter coating. In the end, everything turned out to be so simple that it’s hard to believe that no more steps will be required. Making the coating requires no special skills, no thermometers, no need to mix the foaming invert sugar mass, and preparation takes only a few seconds. If you like peanut butter at all, this is the popcorn for you.

Air poppers worth considering:

How to Make Peanut Butter Popcorn

1. Prepare popcorn the way you like it.

This works with air popped, microwave, or stovetop popcorn. I’m a big fan of microwave popcorn, so I took one bag and dumped it into a large bowl. Set that aside for a moment.

2. Make a peanut butter coating.

In a large saucepan, melt a small amount of butter, about a tablespoon or two, over low heat. (The recipe below gives more accurate measurements, but you can adjust it to taste.) Add a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of powdered sugar, and peanut butter. You can use regular peanut butter or peanut powder. Stir the mixture with a spoon until smooth and turn off the heat.

Stir peanut powder into melted butter. Photo: Ellie Chanthorn Reinmann.

The melted butter will help loosen the coating so it will stick to more kernels, and you will need to adjust the amount depending on what type of peanut ingredient you are using. Powdered peanuts require about a tablespoon more oil than regular peanut butter. And while peanut butter is naturally oily, it doesn’t have enough of it to turn into a sauce on its own. If you find the sauce is still too thick, add a little more oil and see if that helps thin it out.

3. Add popcorn.

Now add the popcorn. This is why a large pot is best. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and corners of the pan. After about 10 to 15 complete flips and tosses, the popcorn should be evenly coated and you won’t see much peanut butter residue on the bottom. Return it to the bowl and serve.

This popcorn has a nutty, crunchy, salty flavor and has the balanced sweetness of powdered sugar. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the coating is not sticky. I fully expected the peanut butter to stick to my fingers, but saturated fat only takes a few minutes to cool to room temperature and harden. Just keeping your fingers clean is enough.

Below are the measurements for peanut powder (I used PB2 ) and regular natural peanut butter. I used smooth peanut butter, but why not try chunky peanut butter for more texture? If I had whole peanuts, I would add a handful.

Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe

Ingredients:

For peanut butter powder

  • 1 bag microwave popcorn

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter powder

  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For smooth peanut butter

  • 1 bag microwave popcorn

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For either option: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the peanut butter ingredient along with the powdered sugar and salt. Once it is smooth, turn off the heat. Add popcorn and stir, scraping up sauce from bottom, until popcorn is evenly coated. Pour into a bowl and serve. Popcorn will remain crisp even after a couple of hours at room temperature.

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