3 holiday popcorn recipes

Let the holiday snacking begin with these 3 festive popcorn flavors – smoke & spice, truffle & Parmesan, rosemary, lemon & garlic.

As the holidays approach, I get sucked into this unending stream of activities, tasks, and events, and I hardly find the time set foot in the kitchen (you can say I’m saving my strength for the grand finale :).  It’s ironic, but true – no proper meal has been cooked for a while; instead, a bunch of cookies, snacks, and drinks made their way to the table. Oh well…’tis the season to be snacking, and indulging in all the wrong ways, so I just go with it.

Today I’m sharing three different festive popcorn recipes, perfect for the holiday season – whether you are hosting a party, or a big family gathering, or simply enjoying a quiet family movie night, popcorn is a great way to start, or end the munchies.

Smoked & Spicy Popcorn:

This one is heavy on the seasoning, but I love it. I use smoked olive oil (I got mine at Trade Joe’s), smoked paprika, chili pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder.  I also happened to have smoked salt on hand, so I dusted it lightly at the end with it.  The result is more smokey than hot, but feel free to bump up the heat to your liking if you wish.

Truffle, Black pepper & Parmesan Popcorn

This one is a favorite among all! The subtle truffle aroma from the white truffle oil is complemented by black pepper and Parmesan flavors. If you have truffle salt – add some, and if you have dry mushroom mix ( I use my homemade one) – throw that in there as well for a boost of flavors.  Add the Parmesan cheese while the popcorn is still hot, and you will end up with lovely cheesy crusty bits.

Rosemary, Lemon & Garlic Popcorn:

An enticing combination of aromas that will make you reach for more and more. A whole bunch of fresh rosemary and freshly grated lemon zest, plus garlic powder go in this one.  If you have lemon pepper on hand, sprinkle some too.

It was a tie between the rosemary lemon, and the truffle Parmesan popcorn among the kids. The adults loved the smoked version the best.

Let the holiday snacking begin! (or never end) 😉

Print

3 holiday popcorn recipes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

3 holiday popcorn recipes - let the snacking begin with these festive popcorn flavors - smoke & spice, truffle & Parmesan, rosemary, lemon & garlic.

Course: Snacks

Servings: 16 cups

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

Smoked and Spicy:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 4 Tbs oil (grapeseed, avocado or peanut)
• 4 Tbs smoked olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp chili pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste, and/or smoked salt (optional)

Truffle, Black Pepper and Parmesan:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 4 Tbs oil (grapeseed, avocado or peanut)
• 2 Tbs white truffle oil
• 6 Tbs Parmesan cheese (very finely grated)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste, and/or truffle salt (optional)
• pinch of dry mushroom mix* (optional)

Rosemary, Lemon and Garlic:

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 4 Tbs oil (grapeseed, avocado or peanut)
• 2 Tbs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp lemon pepper (optional)
• zest of 2 lemons

Instructions

To make basic (unflavored) popcorn:

1. In a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, add 4 Tbs of oil (preferably avocado, grapeseed, sunflower or peanut oil which all have a high smoke point).

2. Turn the heat on high, add 1 corn kernel to the oil, as a tester, and wait for a few minutes.

3. Once the tester kernel pops, add the rest of the kernels, cover, and shake the pot every few seconds, until all the kernels have popped.

4. Remove from heat, and add the different flavor oils, and seasonings.

   
   

   
   

Smoked & spicy popcorn:

1. Drizzle the smoked oil over the popcorn, add the rest of the spices, and mix well. Adjust the salt to your taste and serve.

   
   

   
   

Truffle, black pepper & Permesan popcorn:

1. Drizzle the truffle oil, add the salt, truffle salt (if using), dry mushroom mix (if using), the black pepper, and the Parmesan cheese, mix well and serve.  

   Tip: Try adding the cheese while the popcorn is still hot to get some crusty cheesy bits.

   
   

Rosemary, lemon and garlic popcorn:

1. Chop the rosemary very finely, and grate the zest of two lemons ahead of time. Add the rosemary, zest, and garlic powder while the popcorn is still warm to infuse it with the spices. Optionally, add some lemon pepper if you wish. Wait till it cools a bit, and the flavors and aromas have settled. Adjust the salt, and serve.

Recipe Notes

* see how to make your own dry mushroom spice mix