We finally cracked the code on homemade kettle corn, and it tastes just like fall at the fair without setting off the fire alarm (this time).
- We lived microwave-free for three years—and yes, that meant no popcorn
- Stove-popped kettle corn became our go-to after one glorious discovery
- After several failed attempts, we found the perfect sugar-to-popcorn ratio
- It’s sweet, crunchy, and gives major fall fair vibes
- Now we’re testing out fun add-ins like chocolate—because why not?
We somehow managed to survive without a microwave for three years. When we moved into our old apartment, it wasn’t until two weeks later that we discovered we didn’t have a microwave. We’ve never been big microwave people, so it wasn’t a huge issue. However, it meant no microwavable popcorn. In our last month at that place, we finally made popcorn on the stove. It was glorious. Since then, we’ve been experimenting with different seasonings, butter, and all sorts of goodies. After a few burnt batches and setting off the fire alarm, we found the perfect way to make kettle corn.
Kettle Corn brings me back to the fair. In and around the Lakes Region in New Hampshire, there are fairs almost every weekend. Craft fairs, food fairs, antique fairs, all the fairs. I love walking around to all the food vendors to peruse the dips, seasonings, baked goods, and kettle corn. It’s a mandate that when you leave the fair, you must buy a bag of popcorn!
Kettle Corn = Fall
My favorite time to eat kettle corn is on a cool fall day. It has to be cloudy and I’m walking through the fair. Maybe I’m just describing a typical fall day in New Hampshire, haha!
When we were experimenting with popcorn flavors, I wanted to successfully make a batch of kettle corn. The first time, I added too much sugar and it burned. The next time, again, too much sugar, but a little better. On the third attempt, not enough. Then, perfection. I found a perfect ratio of popcorn to sugar that lightly coated the popcorn for a sweet crunch. Now, we’re going to experiment with add-ins like chocolate! Stay tuned.
Homemade Kettle Corn
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Bring your local fair to movie night with this batch of kettle corn.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp popcorn kernels
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil in a large pan, add one corn kernel to the pan, cover, and place over medium-high heat.
- When the corn kernel pops, it’s ready.
- Uncover, remove the one popped corn, add the kernels and sugar.
- Cover and shake the pan to evenly disperse the kernels and the sugar.
- Shake the pan frequently to avoid burning the sugar.
- Within 5 minutes, the kernels should start popping.
- When 2-3 seconds of silence occurs between pops, the popcorn is done.
- Immediately remove from the heat and into a bowl. If you leave the popcorn in the pan, it will burn.