The Homemade Cheddar Popcorn I Make Every Week
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White cheddar popcorn is one of my favorite snacks of all time, and this homemade version is way better than store-bought! This is one of my favorite recipes to make for movie or game nights with my friends, but it’s also amazing for gifting, casual parties, or just snacking on throughout the week. All you need is a few ingredients and 10 minutes. Sound good? Let’s make it!
As much as I love having people over for the holidays, there’s always an overstimulating moment where everyone is standing right where I need to be. It’s usually in the kitchen in front of the drawer with all the wooden spoons.
Snacks in the living room are my polite way of telling people to get the hell out of my kitchen, please and thank youuu. The thing is, it has to be a room temperature snack that you can refill on repeat like spicy ranch snack mix or a batch of everything bagel popcorn. Make sure everyone has a drink, set down a bowl of snacks, and get as much done as you can before someone needs a refill.
Cheesy popcorn is by far one of my favorite snacks for this occasion, not just because it’s my favorite, but because who doesn’t love things covered in cheese? And yeah, you can buy it, but this popcorn is so easy (and much more affordable) to make at home.
Luckily, this recipe is pretty simple thanks to some store-bought cheese powder. I’ve been using cheese powder since I was in culinary school, but now it’s more readily available to the public. Just keep a jar on hand, and skip the bagged stuff at the store!
Cheese powder + a hack!
The real star of this recipe is white cheddar cheese powder! It gives the popcorn its signature flavor. I like to use King Arthur’s Better Cheddar. You can get it online, and the container lasts forever.
But if you want to make this recipe with grocery store staples, I have a little hack! You can also use a packet of cheese powder from boxed mac and cheese. Feel free to use either white or yellow cheddar cheese powder, and save the pasta for another time. 🙂
Three simple steps
Different brands of cheese powder have different salt levels. Make sure to taste the popcorn before adding more salt!
Bake the popcorn
If you’re eating the popcorn right away, you can totally skip this step. But if you want to store it for later, I like to bake the popcorn over low heat to dry it out a little. It just keeps it from getting soggy!
To dry out the popcorn, bake it in a 200°F (93°C) oven for 30 minutes, tossing it every 10 minutes. Keep a close eye so the cheese powder doesn’t burn!
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The Best Homemade Cheddar Popcorn
Ingredients
- 10 cups air-popped popcorn (70 grams)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (60 grams)
- 1/3 cup white cheddar cheese powder, more to taste – see notes (40 grams)
- Kosher salt, to taste if needed
Equipment
- Air popper optional
- large mixing bowl
Instructions
- Add the popcorn to a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted butter over the popcorn while tossing it constantly to make sure it gets evenly-coated.
- Keep tossing the popcorn, and sprinkle the white cheddar cheese powder on top. Stir well to make sure the popcorn gets completely coated in cheese powder. Taste and add more cheddar powder or salt if needed.
- Bake the popcorn – optional: If you plan on storing the popcorn for later, I recommend baking the popcorn to dry it out a little. This helps keep it from getting soggy once you store it. Spread the popcorn evenly on a large sheet pan. Bake it at 200°F (93°C) for 30 minutes, tossing the popcorn every 10 minutes, until it's completely dry. Keep a close eye to make sure the cheese powder doesn't burn! Let it cool completely before storing it in an airtight container or zipper bag.
