Homemade Microwave Popcorn: 2 Plastic-Free Methods

Homemade microwave popcorn is a quick and delicious snack that you can easily make. By making it yourself, you can customize the flavors and and keep it as natural as possible – learn how here.

Microwave popcorn is an easy and convenient snack that pairs especially well with curling up and watching a movie. But storebought microwave popcorn often comes in an excessive amount of packaging and can contain chemicals such as diacetyl, which is associated with respiratory impairment, and perfluorooctanoic acid, a suspected carcinogen.

Corn is the most widely planted commercial crop in the United States, and its growth involves an immense amount of fertilizers and pesticides. Many modern corn crops are also genetically modified to make them highly resistant to diseases. It’s a good idea to skip the chemicals and genetically modified crops and make your own homemade microwave popcorn using non-GMO kernels.

Homemade Ranch Microwave Popcorn in a Paper Bag

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup popcorn kernels
• 1 tsp. olive oil

Seasoning:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. dried dill
• ½ tsp. chives
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• Generous pinch of salt & pepper

Paper Bag Instructions:

1. In a small bowl mix the popcorn kernels and oil together until they all have a light coating of oil.
2. Add the coated kernels to a brown paper bag, and fold the top down twice.
3. Microwave for between 2-4 minutes. Stop when you hear a few seconds between pops.
4. Carefully remove the hot bag from the microwave and pour your homemade microwave popcorn into a bowl.
5. Mix together the dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
6. Drizzle your popcorn with olive oil, and add your seasoning mix to the bowl. Toss to combine and enjoy your homemade ranch microwave popcorn.

Sweet Microwave Popcorn in a Glass Bowl

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup popcorn kernels
• 1 tsp. olive oil

Seasoning:

• ¼ cup vegan butter, melted
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions: 

1. In a small bowl mix the popcorn kernels and oil together until they all have a light coating of oil.
2. Add the coated kernels to a large glass bowl. Cover with a dinner plate to act as a lid.
3. Microwave for 3-5 minutes. Stop when you hear a few seconds between pops.
4. Using oven gloves, take the glass bowl out of the microwave and remove the plate.
5. Drizzle with melted vegan butter, and add cinnamon and brown sugar to the bowl. Toss to combine, and enjoy your sweet homemade microwave popcorn.

Making Homemade Microwave Popcorn in a Silicone Bag

If you’ve made the switch from plastic sandwich bags to reusable silicone ones, you can use those to make homemade microwave popcorn too. For best results, use a silicone bag that has stand-up abilities, like the ones made by Stasher (available on Amazon**)

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup popcorn kernels
• 1 tsp. olive oil

Seasoning:

• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. vegan parmesan cheese
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1½ tsp olive oil

Instructions: 

1. In a small bowl mix the popcorn kernels and oil together until they all have a light coating of oil.
2. Add the coated kernels to a reusable silicone bag, before sealing the bag.
3. Microwave for 2-4 minutes. Stop when you hear a few seconds between pops.
4. Carefully remove the hot bag from the microwave and pour your homemade microwave popcorn into a bowl.
5. In a small bowl combine red pepper flakes, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, salt, and Italian seasoning.
6. Drizzle olive oil on your homemade microwave popcorn, and add the seasoning mix. Toss to combine, and enjoy.

Additional Seasoning Options

When it comes to seasoning your homemade microwave popcorn, you can use the above recipes or come up with your own. Just remember to add a bit of oil or melted (vegan) butter to help the herbs and spices stick to the popcorn. Here are a few other seasoning ideas:

• Chocolate: Fair Trade cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon
• Taco: cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, and paprika
• Coconut Curry: organic coconut oil and coconut flakes, dried ginger, curry powder
• Tex Mex: lime zest, chili powder, cumin and salt
• Maple Pecan: maple syrup, salt, chopped pecans

Read more: 

• Vegan Corn Dog Recipes: Plant-Based Comfort Food
• Easy & Delicious Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches
• How Sustainable are Online Streaming Services Really?

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Tags: Cooking Green Living Guide Plastic