This is the best vegan popcorn! It's cheesy and buttery while still being dairy free. Made with vegan butter, nutritional yeast and salt, this homemade popcorn has the best flavour. It makes the perfect snack and you will love how easy it is to make on the stovetop or in a popcorn maker.
Snacks like chocolate covered pecans, curry cashews and almonds, and chocolate espresso beans are some of my favourite foods to have on hand, and when I think of snacking, popcorn is one of those classics that everyone loves. That is why I am so excited for you to try the dairy free popcorn recipe I am sharing with you today!
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Why you will love this popcorn:
- The flavour! This homemade vegan popcorn is the perfect balance of salty, buttery, and cheesy, while still being dairy-free.
- It's so easy to make and is ready in just a few minutes. It makes the perfect healthy snack.
- You can make this vegan popcorn recipe on the stovetop or in a popcorn maker or air popper.
If you love vegan snacks you will also love my healthy vegan protein cookies.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.
- Popcorn kernels - You can use any brand of popcorn kernels that you like. I recommend using non-GMO popcorn kernels if you can.
- Vegan butter - this is used to give this popcorn a delicious buttery flavour, just with no dairy, no lactose, and no animal products. If you aren't vegan you can use real butter instead. You could also swap the butter for coconut oil.
- Coconut oil - this is used if you are making the popcorn on the stovetop to prevent the kernels from sticking to the pot. You could swap this for another oil such as avocado oil or olive oil. If you make the popcorn in an air popper you won't need to use this.
- Nutritional yeast - this is what gives this vegan popcorn that cheese like taste.
- Salt - you can add as much or as little salt as you like.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- You can add other seasonings such as garlic powder, dill, bbq seasoning, black pepper or onion powder to give this vegan popcorn a different flavour.
- If you are avoiding salt, omit it from the recipe.
- You can omit the nutritional yeast from the recipe if you don't have it or don't want cheesy popcorn.
- To change up the flavour on this vegan popcorn feel free to use other types of salt such as seasoning salt, garlic salt, truffle salt, onion salt etc.
How to make vegan popcorn:
- Step 1: First, add the coconut oil to a large pot on the stovetop on medium heat.
- Step 2: Once the oil is melted, add 4-5 popcorn kernels to the pot and cover it with the lid. Once the kernels pop, remove them from the pot and add the remaining popcorn kernels.
- Step 3: Cover the pot with the lid and continue to cook the remaining popcorn, shaking the pot frequently to allow the kernels to pop evenly. The popcorn only takes 1-2 minutes to pop so watch it closely.
- Step 4: When the popping dies down, remove the pot from the heat and transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl, and toss the popcorn well to coat it evenly. Then enjoy!
To make vegan popcorn in a popcorn maker:
Add the popcorn kernels to your popcorn maker or air popper and run the popcorn maker until the kernels are popped. Then transfer the popcorn to a large bowl and add the melted vegan butter, salt and nutritional yeast. Toss everything well until the popcorn is evenly coated. Then enjoy!
Top tips:
- Make sure you use a large pot if you make this vegan popcorn on the stovetop. This recipe makes a big batch of popcorn, so if you use a pot that is too small it will overflow and make a mess of your stovetop.
- While the popcorn is cooking on the stovetop shake the pot frequently so that the kernels don't settle on the bottom of the pot. If you don't shake it you could end up with burnt popcorn. The kernels will only take a couple minutes to fully pop so watch the pot closely.
Vegan popcorn FAQs:
Popcorn is made from corn kernels, which are plant based and safe for vegans to eat. However, where vegans need to be careful is with the toppings that are often added to popcorn. Many popcorn recipes are made with butter, which is not vegan. However, as long as you stick with dairy-free toppings such as vegan butter, popcorn is a great option for vegans to eat.
Popcorn is a healthy snack that is low in calories, low in sugar, high in fiber and easy to make. How healthy a popcorn recipe is will depend on the toppings that are added and the serving size, but the great thing about popcorn is that you get to choose your own toppings to make it as healthy as you like.
No it is not.
Yes it is.
Usually not because it is made with butter which is a dairy product or animal product which vegans can't eat.
Store any leftover vegan popcorn in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Just give it a good shake before serving as the seasonings tend to settle at the bottom of the container.
Other vegan recipes you will love:
Recipe
Vegan Popcorn
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil (or other cooking oil of choice)
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
- 4-6 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Add the coconut oil to a large pot on medium high heat.
- Once the oil is melted, add 4-5 popcorn kernels to the pot and cover it with the lid. Once the kernels pop, remove them from the pot and add in the remaining popcorn kernels.
- Cover the pot with the lid and continue to cook the remaining popcorn, shaking the pot frequently to allow the kernels to pop evenly.
- When the popping dies down, remove the pot from the heat and transfer the popcorn to a large bowl.
- Add all the remaining ingredients, and toss the popcorn well to coat the popcorn evenly. Then enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used and the serving size.
- Feel free to add other spices to the popcorn such as seasoning salt, onion powder, truffle salt, garlic powder etc.
- The popcorn kernels will only take 1-2 minutes to fully pop when you are cooking them so be sure to watch the pot closely so you don't overcook or burn the popcorn.
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