Sweet Crunchy Honey Popcorn Recipe

You only need 4 ingredients to make this honey popcorn recipe. It’s a perfect sweet, salty, and crunchy snack that is similar to caramel corn, but much easier to make!

Popcorn is a family favorite at my house. We have an air popper, a kettle corn maker, and even a big popper like you see in movie theaters.

When I want a relatively healthy snack, I’ll cook up some stovetop popcorn in a little bit of coconut oil and add some seasoning salt. So easy, but so good. (Of course I also love a great caramel corn when I’m in the mood for something sweet.)

A friend brought me a bag of this honey popcorn several years ago, and I was hooked after one bite. I don’t think I even managed to save any for my family. Oops.

Since I love trying new recipes, I immediately asked her for her recipe. I was surprised how easy it is to whip up, and I’ve been making it ever since!

How to make crunchy honey popcorn:

1. PREP – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with silicone liner, or use cooking spray.
2. POPCORN – Pop your popcorn either in an air popper or on the stovetop in a large pot. Remove the unpopped kernels using my amazingly easy trick. Place the popcorn in a big bowl.
3. HONEY MIXTURE – In a saucepan, heat the butter, honey, and salt over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Boil for one minute.
4. BAKE – Drizzle the hot honey over the popcorn, and stir vigorously with a silicone spatula until all the popcorn is coated. Spread on the baking sheet and bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Try not to eat the entire bowl of popcorn, it’s good stuff!

PRO TIPS:

• Make sure to use a silicone spatula to scrape up every drop of the honey butter mixture. You don’t want to miss out on all that yummy flavor!
• The longer you bake the popcorn, the more crunchy it gets. If you like stickier popcorn, you can just bake it for a few minutes.
• If you use unsalted butter, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the melted butter mixture.
• My oven bakes pretty evenly, but if yours doesn’t, you may need to stir the popcorn halfway through baking.

Honey Popcorn Recipe Variations:

• For a nutty flavor, you can use brown butter. Simply cook the butter in the saucepan until it foams, turns golden brown, and gives off a nutty aroma. Then add the butter and salt and proceed with the recipe as directed.
• For a spicy twist, you can add some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or sriracha sauce to the honey butter mixture.
• Adding 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice is a tasty fall twist.

Looking for another easy popcorn recipe? Try these:

• Popcorn Balls with Marshmallows
• White Chocolate Popcorn
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Popcorn
• Cinnamon Popcorn

Love this homemade popcorn recipe? Please come back and leave a 5-star rating or comment!

Honey Popcorn Recipe

Sweet, salty, and crunchy, this honey popcorn is the perfect snack any day!

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Total Time 24 minutes mins

Course Appetizers and Snacks

Cuisine American

Servings 7 1 cup servings

Calories 117 kcal

Equipment

• Farberware Classic Stainless Steel Sauce Pan with Lid, 1 Quart
• ChefAide 5 Piece Silicone Spatula Set, Heat Resistant Up to 600°F
• Rimmed Cookie Sheets (Half sheet pans)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ¼ cup popcorn kernels (8 cups popped popcorn)
• ¼ cup salted butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Instructions

 

• Pop your popcorn in an air popper. Remove any remaining popcorn kernels from the popcorn by shaking it over a cooling rack. Place it in a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.
• Melt the butter, honey, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.
• Slowly drizzle the hot honey mixture over the popcorn, stirring vigorously until evenly coated.
• Spread on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 12- 15 minutes.

Notes

• I pop my own popcorn with an air popper or in a large pot, but you can use bagged or microwave popcorn, just make sure it’s plain.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, but it never lasts that long at my house!
• If you like a more gooey popcorn, you can skip the baking step and just enjoy a bowl of sticky honey butter popcorn!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 136mgPotassium: 24mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 203IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.2mg

Keyword honey, popcorn

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Transform regular popcorn into a treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth without too much guilt. Or use it to make movie night extra special!