The Best Stovetop Popcorn Isn't Made With Oil

When you hear the kernels start popping on the stove, you know you're in for a delicious treat. Stovetop popcorn is an easy and tasty snack whether you're curling up to watch a good movie or just want something to sate your appetite between meals. While many popcorn recipes call for olive, coconut, or another form of oil, there's another ingredient you can use instead for superior flavor.

Ghee, which is a type of clarified butter created through the process of separating the liquid and the solids found in the dairy product, is the secret to perfect stovetop popcorn. It's rich like standard butter, but also has slightly nutty notes, which makes for a more interesting flavor profile than the popcorn you might be used to. There's a reason it's called clarified; ghee tastes like a clearer, cleaner version of regular butter.

Another benefit of using ghee is its high smoke point, which it has because of the absence of milk solids. That means it won't burn as easily as stovetop popcorn cooked in unclarified butter or oil. You can also feel free to use liberal amounts of ghee if you like a very buttery taste as it will make the popcorn crispier instead of soggier, unlike regular butter.

Once you've experimented with swapping out oil for ghee, you may be looking for more ways to step up your stovetop popcorn game. Sprinkling in some sea salt will bring out the ghee's rich flavor, but there are other additions you can try as well. Nutritional yeast, which is a food seasoning with a cheesy flavor despite being vegan, is so good on popcorn that once you try it, you might never go back. If you want even more flavor, you can also try going all out with seasonings including garlic powder and paprika.

When deciding how you want to go about elevating your popcorn, you may find yourself skeptical about buying ghee or nutritional yeast because you aren't sure what else you'll use it for. However, you can make ghee at home and then use it in just about any dish that calls for butter. It's especially great for frying and sautéing due to its high smoke point, while butter is arguably better for baking due to its creamy texture. Nutritional yeast, meanwhile, can be used in place of Parmesan cheese thanks to its umami flavor and is great sprinkled over roasted veggies or stirred into soups.

If you've never thought beyond some oil and salt when making stovetop popcorn, unlock a whole new level of flavor by switching to ghee. You might just find that you become a connoisseur of stovetop popcorn and begin wondering about what else is possible.