Sweet & Spicy Popcorn

By Cloud Dela / October 1, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

Sweet & Spicy Popcorn

Easy 6-ingredient homemade Sweet & Spicy Popcorn is a great holiday gift! Vegan, gluten-free & healthier than classic kettle corn, but just as good.

vegan / gluten free / snacks & dips

Hello everyone, Jack here, pinch-hitting for Jeanine. She’s been busy making this very popcorn, so she asked me to write about it.

Popcorn this time of year makes me think of something that has become a bit of an American tradition – gigantic multi-gallon tins of flavored popcorn. You know the kind – they’re the size of an oil drum, separated into three sections on the inside with a literal ton of popcorn inside. It seems like a good idea – popcorn is cheap, so why not preserve it in a sticky, sugary shell to enjoy over the entire month of December? Well, the reality is that I usually eat nearly half of it the first day, feel terrible, and then eventually throw out what’s left in February.

So naturally, Jeanine made her version a little bit healthier, but I can promise you that it’s every bit as addictive. It goes the sweet and spicy route, because why not? It’s sweetened with maple syrup and spiced with cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. It makes a great gift – that is, if you can keep from eating handfuls of it before packing up. (Sorry, Jeanine).

5.0 from 4 reviews

Sweet & Spicy Popcorn

PrintAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioIngredients

8 to 10 cups plain popped popcorn
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sunflower oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
Place the popped popcorn into a 9×13-inch baking pan and pour the spiced mixture over the popcorn. Sprinkle with salt and stir to combine. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers.

See also Chickpea Salad Sandwich

3.2.2925

Did you make the recipe? I want to see!
Tag @loveandlemons on Instagram.

Free Bonus:5 Tips for Fast & Easy Dinners

You may like these too…

Beet Hummus

Sweet Potato Appetizer Bites

BEST Hummus

French Onion Dip

35 Best Vegan Appetizers

Best Guacamole

24 comments

Leave a comment: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe (after making it) Rate this recipe (after making it)

Comment

Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail

Rate this recipe (after making it):

Current ye@r *

Leave this field empty

Δdocument.getElementById( “ak_js_1” ).setAttribute( “value”, ( new Date() ).getTime() );

bL
12.25.2022
So good I wanted to immediately make more!
Reply ↓
Lupe
04.25.2022
Hi, this sounds very good, but can I substitute sunflower oil with avocado oil?
Reply ↓
- Jeanine Donofrio
  04.27.2022
  Hi Lupe, yes, you can.
  Reply ↓
Tracey
11.24.2021
This is sooooo good! Shamefully, I ended up eating it all in one sitting…yes people its that good! I can’t wait to try out some variations…I’m thinking adding a little cocoa powder? One can never go wrong with chocolate…lol!
Reply ↓
Cynthia
04.06.2021
Do you grease the baking dish?
Reply ↓
- Tracey
  11.24.2021
  I used a cookie sheet lined with parchment, worked out perfectly. Easy clean up too.
  Reply ↓
Annette
05.18.2020
I made this for my boyfriend and he flipped over it. I didn’t have sunflower oil so I used sesame oil but it worked. This will be a staple in my house. Easy and delicious!
Reply ↓
Laurie
12.15.2019
Just made a batch of this, and my spouse is chomping it down while I type. Delicious! Light, with just enough coating to make it special without being heavy or greasy.
I used avocado oil. which is basically tasteless. Searched all the microwaveable popcorn to find the least objectionable, which was Jolly Time “Simply Popped” with sea salt. No other flavoring. One 3.3oz bag was the perfect amount for this recipe (9 cups). Thanks so much for sharing, this is perfect for holiday gifting/sharing..
Reply ↓
- Jeanine Donofrio
  12.17.2019
  Hi Laurie, I’m so glad you loved it!
  Reply ↓
Eden Passante from sugarandcharm.com
10.24.2016
Such a charming way to give holiday gifts this year! This looks so great!
Reply ↓
Shoshana
12.14.2015
Hi, I definitely want to try this for gifts this year…Could I sub the sunflower oil for coconut? Thanks
Reply ↓
- jeanine
  12.14.2015
  Yep – it’ll have a bit of a coconut flavor (which I think would be just fine – assuming you like coconut!)
  Reply ↓
  - Shoshana
    12.15.2015
    Thanks 🙂
    Reply ↓
Allyson from consideringtheradish.wordpress.com
12.14.2015
This looks like it would make a fantastic gift, and I love the packaging. I’m not usually a caramel corn type of person, but the spice might sell it for me.
Reply ↓
- jeanine
  12.14.2015
  Me either – this is pretty lightly sweetened…
  Reply ↓
Alex from acapitolcontessa.com
12.14.2015
This looks so great – I don’t have sunflower oil and probably wont be able to get some in time to gift this. Would grapeseed or hazelnut work just as well?
Reply ↓
- jeanine
  12.14.2015
  Yep, you could use grapeseed oil 🙂
  Reply ↓
Kari from sweetteasweetie.com
12.13.2015
I’m definitely making this for a gift idea this year!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Reply ↓
kellie@foodtoglow from kelliesfoodtoglow.com
12.13.2015
A slightly granola-esque approach to popcorn. Might sub the cayenne with crushed Sichuan peppercorns for an electric edge.
Reply ↓
brigette
12.13.2015
Hi, looks so yummy, how long will it keep for gifts?
Reply ↓
- jeanine
  12.13.2015
  up to about 2 weeks in an airtight container…
  Reply ↓
- Ginger
  07.03.2020
  Could you add more cayenne to add more heat.? Would it mess it up too much?
  Reply ↓
Carmen from carmitive.com
12.12.2015
This looks so yummy! It’s not even that difficult 🙂 Great idea. Much love, Carmen from http://www.carmitive.com
Reply ↓
- jeanine
  12.12.2015
  yep, it’s super easy!
  Reply ↓

See also Creamy Leek & Almond Pasta

About The Author

Cloud Dela

I am Cloudela, known as a food and travel blogger.You know that, food is an essential part of travel – what’s a better way to experience a culture than through its cuisine?Failure and success, and I am here, to share with you all my best recipes, that will impress you with its taste.