Air Popped Popcorn

If you are a complete fan of buttery, crispy, hot air popped popcorn to go along with one of your favorite movies then you would like to know how to make air popped popcorn. Air popped popcorn is made from a type of corn kernel that burst open when heated and give the popcorn a puffy look and crispy taste. It can be a good snack for your kids or the whole family. Popcorn is also the easiest snack to make as it can be popped in a microwave, oven, pressure cooker or an air popped popcorn maker which you can get in the market for a fairly low price.

Air Popped Popcorn Recipes

Air popped popcorn can be made in your own unique style and the flavor of your choice. Everyone loves butter popcorn but it can also be had in different flavors like caramel, cheese and tomato or even honey glazed. You can use your creativity to add a dash of variety to your regular popcorn recipe and create some new flavors. Let's take a look at some great air popped popcorn recipes.

Butter Popcorn
Ingredients

• Popcorn kernels
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Air popped popcorn maker
• Salt and butter

Directions
Switch on your popcorn maker and set it up as instructed, add a tablespoon of oil to it. Let it heat for sometime and then add popcorn kernels to the maker. Let the kernels pop, you will hear the popping sound in the maker, then switch off the maker. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and once it starts melting pour it on the popcorn. Add salt if you want.

Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients

• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Air popped popcorn

Directions
In a large sauce pan, add sugar, corn syrup, butter and boil it over medium flame. Cook it for five minutes and then remove it from the heat. Add vanilla, baking soda and salt, stir it nicely. Now pour this sugar mixture over a large bowl of popcorn and mix it well so that all the popcorn gets coated uniformly. Bake this mixture at about 250 degrees for an hour and let it cool. Break the large lumps and serve it hot and crispy.

Honey Popcorn
Ingredients

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Air popped popcorn

Directions
Add honey, sugar and cinnamon to a bowl and keep it in a microwave at 250 degrees for about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture on to the popcorn bowl and ensure that the popcorn is well coated with the syrup. Mix it well and serve it with some extra honey if you want.

Chili Popcorn
Ingredients

• ½ cup of butter
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Garlic powder
• Air popped popcorn

Directions
Mix the hot popcorn with butter in a bowl. In another bowl, mix garlic powder and cumin, sprinkle over the popcorn. Mix it well so that it gets coated on all the popcorn and serve it hot.

Now you know how to make air popped popcorn recipes more delicious and tasty. These recipes are easy to cook and healthy to eat. Popping popcorn in a microwave increases the total calories present in the popcorn kernels by 60%, whereas an air popped popcorn maker increases it by only 45%, hence, try heating those popcorn kernels in an air popped popcorn maker without oil and butter.

Popcorn calories differ when they are air popped and unpopped. Air popped popcorn include 382 kcals per 100 g. The cheese and caramel popcorn include about 8-9 calories/ gm of kernels. Unpopped popcorn, that is the corn kernels which are not heated have almost 10 times more calories than air popped popcorn. The sugar and honey popcorn contain less calories as honey is good for digestion and low in fat. If you are extremely health conscience, avoid excess use of butter and oil while making popcorn. The plane simple microwave popcorn is also a great choice for a snack.