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A bowl of garlic parmesan popcorn
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Buttery Garlic Parmesan Popcorn

This buttery garlic parmesan popcorn is so easy and so delicious to enjoy at home while watching a movie!
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot with a lid for popping the popcorn
  • 1 Large Bowl for mixing the popcorn seasonings and butter
  • 1 small saucepan for melting the garlic butter
  • 1 small bowl to cool the butter down in

Ingredients

Garlic Butter

  • 1 clove garlic finely minced, or ¼ tsp garlic powder (see recipe instructions for this step)
  • 4 TBSP butter unsalted

What you need to pop the Popcorn

  • 2 TBSP neutral oil like canola, avocado, or grapeseed oil
  • ½ cup plain corn kernels

Seasonings for the popcorn

  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika optional
  • ¼-½ cup parmesan add to taste

Instructions

  • Shred the ¼-½ cup parmesan. Set aside.

For the Garlic Butter

  • Finely mince the garlic clove with a microplane, a garlic press, or a knife.
  • Heat a small saucepan over medium heat so as not to burn the butter or garlic.
  • Add the 4 TBSP butter to sauce pan and melt.
  • Once the butter is melted, add the garlic clove and gently simmer in butter until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat immediately and pour in a small bowl to stop the cooking process.
    If you are using garlic powder in place of of fresh garlic, add the garlic powder to the seasoning mix instead of adding it with the butter.

Popping the popcorn

  • In a large deep pot, add 2 TSBP oil and the ½ cup of corn kernels over medium-high heat. Cover with a lid and shake the pot occasionally to evenly disperse the kernels in the heat and oil. This should take only a few minutes so don't walk away.
    Once most of the kernels are popped, remove from heat and add to a large bowl to prevent popcorn from burning.

Seasoning the popcorn

  • Pour the garlic butter over the popcorn and toss to coat immediately.
  • Season with ¼ tsp salt (or salt to taste), ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional), and add the ¼-½ cup shredded parmesan and toss to coat evenly.
    If using garlic powder in place of fresh garlic, add it to the bowl at this point.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Optional Seasonings for the Popcorn

  • Nutritional Yeast can be used as a vegan replacement for parmesan.  Sprinkle it in to taste.
  • Red pepper flakes can be added for a little extra heat.

Different types of butter for the popcorn

Some people prefer to use ghee or clarified butter instead of regular butter.