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Kettle Corn Recipe for Gifting or Snacking

Updated: June 2, 2025 / By: Cassie Johnston / This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy

Top view of a black bowl piled high with sweet and salty popcorn.

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This kettle corn recipe is one of my favorite homemade snacks and gifts. Every year, I make a huge batch, package it up in cute bags and containers, and make a lot of friends and family very happy! Just a few minutes and a few cents worth of ingredients are all you need. Promise me you won't shell out the cash for the pre-popped bags or the microwave stuff anymore. This recipe is easy-peasy and doesn't require any special equipment. Let's get popping!

In this post:

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Cassie Johnston (a light skinned brunette woman with glasses and a red streak in her hair) smiles toward the camera with a wall of photo frames behind her

Get ready for the easiest, tastiest, homemade snack that just so happens to make a perfect gift!

You know I love a consumable gift and this one never ceases to impress at the holidays! Lucky for us, it's also super inexpensive and easy to whip up. So you can make big batches for gifts and still have plenty left on hand for snacking.

Here's why you'll love this recipe:

  • It's only four ingredients. You only need unpopped popcorn kernels, granulated sugar, salt, and coconut oil. Seriously, that's it!
  • Homemade is cheaper and tastier. I know the pre-bagged stuff is more convenient, but the flavor of this kettle corn recipe is out-of-this-world good AND it will save you tons of cash.
  • It makes a delicious homemade gift. Pop it and package it up in your favorite airtight containers. Your imagination is the only limit for how fancy this gift can be. And trust me-it's always well received!

Overhead of homemade kettle corn in a big black bowl.

Let's make this kettle corn recipe at home

You're not going to believe how easy this recipe is! You only need four ingredients to make a big, tasty batch of kettle corn for snacking or gifting.

Step 1: Heat the oil.

Grab a large stockpot with a tight-fitting lid, and place it over medium-high heat on the stove. Add unrefined coconut oil and heat until completely melted. We highly recommend coconut oil, but if you can't use it or don't have it, another high-smoke point oil (like avocado oil) will work in a pinch!

Not a fan of coconut...

...No worries! We're using coconut oil for its high smoke point and unmistakable richness, not for flavor. Your kettle corn won't taste like coconut-promise!

Step 2: Start popping!

After the oil is good and melty, add in the sugar and popcorn kernels. Give the pot a good shake until all the kernels are coated in sugar and oil. Put the lid on the pot and continue to cook and shake every so often until the first kernel pops.

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Once you hear that first pop, things will really pick up! Continuously shake the pot as the kernels pop pop pop, and listen for a break in the noise. When you can count 2 seconds between popcorn pops, remove the pot from the heat and take off the lid.

Step 3: Season, cool, & enjoy.

Quickly and carefully, pour the popcorn onto a large baking sheet or into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, and stir or toss to coat. Let cool for a few minutes to allow the sugar to harden, then enjoy!

Close up of a handful of kettle corn held over a full bowl.

kettle corn recipe protips

  • Once kettle corn is cool, store it in an airtight container (like a zip-top bag or food storage container) at room temperature to keep it crisp. Make sure you let it cool completely before you do this though!
  • Important safety note: because of the stickiness of the sugar, unpopped kernels tend to stick to popped pieces instead of falling to the bottom. To protect your chompers, you can pick out unpopped kernels or just keep an eye out for them while you snack.

📖 Recipe

Top view of a black bowl piled high with sweet and salty popcorn.

Kettle Corn Recipe

Looking for a sweet treat that's great for gifting or snacking? This Kettle Corn Recipe is the sweet and salty snack you're looking for!
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 -5 servings
Calories: 238kcal
Author: Cassie Johnston

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
  • ¼-½ teaspoon fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a large stock pot, heat the ¼ cup coconut oil over medium-high heat until completely melted.
  • Add in ¼ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels, shaking or stirring until all the kernels are coated.
  • Cover the pot and continue to cook until the first kernel pops.
  • Once the kernels start popping, continuously shake the pot while listening for a break in popping. When you count 2 seconds between popcorn pops, remove the pot from the heat and take off the lid.
  • Pour the popcorn onto a large baking sheet or into a large bowl, sprinkle with ¼-½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and toss to coat.
  • Let cool for a few minutes to allow the sugar to harden, then enjoy.

Notes

Important safety note: because of the stickiness of the sugar, unpopped kernels tend to stick to popped pieces instead of falling to the bottom. To protect your chompers, you can pick out unpopped kernels or just keep an eye out for them while you enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 4cups popcorn | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
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Frequently Asked Questions about homemade kettle corn

You can use any unpopped popcorn kernels to make this kettle corn recipe. If you're a bit of a popcorn aficionado, the best popcorn kernels will be white popcorn that is hulless and winged. But honestly, any unpopped popcorn kernels will work for homemade kettle corn!

Coconut oil is really the gold standard for popping popcorn-it gives popcorn a classic rich flavor that you are used to (it's what we use in our movie theatre popcorn recipe, too).

If you can't use coconut oil, make sure that whatever oil you substitute for it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. We recommend avocado oil in a pinch.

There are a few things that could cause your kettle corn to burn on the stove:

  • The first thing you want to check is how frequently you're shaking the pan. Once those kernels start to pop, you need to constantly move the pan around; otherwise, your kernels will stick and burn.
  • Another thing you might want to check on is the type of pan you're using. A shallow, wide pan works best for this kettle corn recipe because it allows more kernels to pop at once, cutting down the popping time. This means that you won't have popped kernels sitting in the hot oil burning while you're waiting for new kernels to pop.
  • Make sure to wash out your pan in between kettle corn batches. If the sugar is still stuck to the bottom of your pan when you start a new batch, it's going to burn and transfer that flavor to your next batch of kettle corn.

Two things could cause tons of unpopped kernels in the bottom of your pan:

  • The first is heat. You might not have had your stove set to a high enough temperature.
  • The second is the age of your kernels. The older your kernels are, the less water they contain, and the harder it is to get them to pop. If your stove is up high and you're still getting lots of unpopped kernels, you might want to get a newer bag of popcorn.

Kettle corn is shelf-stable, so you can make it weeks in advance and still have tasty, crunchy kettle corn as long as you keep it in an airtight container.

Yes! This kettle corn recipe is just the beginning. Mix this kettle corn with peanuts, raisins, or M&Ms for a fun snack mix!

And if you're looking for additional flavor options, I recommend trying my sweet and crunchy caramel corn. If you prefer a little savory with your sweet, you can use your caramel corn to make Chicago popcorn. Chicago popcorn mixes caramel corn with cheesy popcorn for a delicious munchable snack!

In terms of packaging, anything airtight will do. However, if you want to jazz it up a little, you can try one of the following options:

  • Popcorn bag: These can easily be found online. They're little bags that come in a variety of themes, colors, and patterns. If you don't feel like DIYing your gift bag, this is a great option. Just like with the plain paper bags below, either gift your popcorn on the day you make it, or put it in a plastic bag inside the popcorn bag to keep it fresh.
  • Mason jars: This can be as simple or decorative as you'd like. Tie a festive ribbon around the top with a cute little tag, and you have an easy, delicious present.
  • Paper bags: Brown paper bags-you know, the kind you used to pack your lunch in-make great gift packaging for your popcorn. You can decorate them by doodling right on the bag, or you can print a decorative tag and attach it to the bag. If you choose this option, be sure that you're gifting your popcorn on the day you make it or place it in a plastic bag inside your paper one to ensure freshness.
  • Cellophane treat bags: you can grab these in the cake decorating section of your local craft store. They look adorable when stuck inside a popcorn box!
  • Metal tins: Stores often sell decorative metal tins around the holidays, and they're the perfect airtight option for gifting kettle corn.
A red and white striped popcorn tub filled with a cellophane package of homemade kettle corn.
Cassie Johnston

Cassie is a holistic nutritionist, cookbook author, and all-around food lover. She grew up cooking dinner with her parents every evening, and her passion for home cooking has been strong ever since. Cassie is the author of two published cookbooks (Cooking with Greek Yogurt and Chia, Quinoa, Kale, Oh My!) and dozens of recipes published in major magazines and newspapers. Cassie has been sharing her award-winning recipes on Wholefully since 2010. She loves dark chocolate, homegrown tomatoes, motorsports, and anything that sparkles. She lives in Indiana with her family on a small homestead.

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