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Our middle daughter loves Kettle Corn and always wants us to get some when we’re at a fair or festival. Here’s a recipe to try at home that is pretty tasty and very easy to make. A sweet and salty snack perfect for afternoons or evenings!

When I was a girl, my mom always made sweet popcorn on her Whirley-Pop. This was a popcorn made with shortening and sugar. It was my dad’s favorite snack, so that’s the way she always made it. She still does today.

My folks bought us a Whirley-Pop for Christmas one year when we were newly married. I like to make plain popcorn in it (using coconut oil and popcorn salt) as well as this Kettle Corn recipe. They are both equally delicious and make a great evening snack when you’re watching television or playing games or cards with family at the table.

I use a Whirley-Pop popcorn maker for this recipe, but you can use a large kettle with a lid as well, shaking often.

Recommended Supplies

After much trial and error, I have landed on a few popcorn supplies that I simply cannot live without. They are and will always be in my pantry. At least until I don’t have any more teeth and cannot eat popcorn anymore. They are:

Papa Baldy’s Popcorn – Grown right here in Kansas. It’s jumbo-sized and quite tasty. If used in this recipe, you will probably need 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon of kernels. I think a half-cup would blow the lid off of the Whirley-Pop.
Amish Popcorn – We love the colorful, small kernels that you get when you buy this popcorn. The kernels pop up light and delicious.
Flavacol Popcorn Salt – This butter-flavored popcorn salt is simply wonderful. But be warned–a little goes a very long way. So, start off sparingly, and add more if needed.
Coconut Popping Oil – Use this butter-flavored coconut oil instead of butter, cooking oil, or shortening. You will be amazed at the difference it makes to your popcorn. Theatre-quality. Better than theatre. I’m serious.
And last-but-not-least – a Whirley-Pop Popcorn Maker – Sure, you can make popcorn the old-fashioned way with a cast iron kettle, but one of these pans makes preparing popcorn so very easy.

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Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker

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Flavacol Seasoning Popcorn Salt

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Popcorn Coconut Oil

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Ingredients for Homemade Kettle Corn

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

Coconut Popping Oil (butter flavored)
brown sugar
granulated sugar
Flavacol Popcorn Salt
Amish Popcorn (blue or purple)

Instructions for this Recipe

Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter. Have ready a large bowl to place popcorn in when it is done cooking.

When using a Whirly pop popcorn maker, you’ll want to dump the popcorn as soon as possible from the kettle so that the popcorn doesn’t burn on the bottom. This is especially important when making Kettle Corn due to the sugars involved.

Mix Together the Sugars, Salt, and Popcorn Kernals

In small bowl, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, popcorn salt, and popcorn kernels.

Add Butter-Flavored Coconut Oil and 3 Popcorn Kernals to the Kettle

Add oil to kettle. (This coconut oil is solid and will melt over heat.) Heat the Whirly Pop kettle on a medium-high flame and add 3 kernels to test for the right temperature. When the kernels pop, quickly add the sugar and popcorn mixture to the pan.

I always like to test my kettle to make sure it’s hot enough. To do this, simply add 3 kernels and when they pop, the kettle is ready!

Close the lid and start turning the handle until the popcorn kernels are nearly done popping. (I like to let it go for 5-8 seconds without hearing any popping.) This cooking process may take 2-3 minutes.

Quickly, but carefully, transfer the popcorn to a large serving bowl. Taste first, and sprinkle with more salt if desired.

When I was a girl my mom always gave me and my brothers our own bowls of popcorn. In fact, I think she and dad had their own, too. I always did this for our girls, too. Everyone should have their own bowl of popcorn, don’t you think?

This recipe will serve 2-4 people. If you happen to have any leftover, simple place the extra into a plastic freezer bag. It will keep for several days for snacking on later!

I hope you will enjoy making and eating this Kettle Corn a much as we do!

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Kettle Corn

Our middle daughter loves Kettle Corn and always wants us to get some when we're at a fair or festival. Here's a recipe to try at home that is pretty yummy and very easy. We use a Whirley Pop Cooker, but you may use a large kettle with a lid as well, shaking often.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Serving Size 4

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Equipment

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Coconut Popping Oil (butter flavored)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon Flavacol Popcorn Salt (more or less, to taste)
1/2 cup Amish Popcorn (blue or purple)

Instructions

Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter.
Have ready a large serving bowl to place popcorn in when it is done cooking.
In a small bowl, combine the brown and granulated sugars, popcorn salt, and popcorn kernels.
Add butter-flavored coconut oil to kettle. (This coconut oil is solid and will melt over heat.)
Heat Whirly Pop on medium-high flame and add 3 kernels to test for the right temperature. When the kernels pop, quickly add the sugar and popcorn mixture to the pan.
Close the lid and start turning the handle until kernels are nearly done popping.
(I like to let it go for 5-8 seconds without hearing any popping. This cooking process may take up to 3 minutes.)
Transfer popcorn to a large serving bowl. Taste first, and sprinkle with more salt if desired. Serves 2-4.