20 Strange Popcorn Flavors You Can Buy

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Classic butter popcorn is a wonderful snack, perfect just as it is, for enjoyment at home or at the movie theater. But sometimes, you gotta change it up — and, boy, do you have options when it comes to the many variations of store-bought popcorn. The amount of popcorn options that exist on the market currently could, quite frankly, form an army and take over the world – there are just so many. And, sure, choices are always nice to have, but some of these flavors are ... a bit odd.

The popcorn on this list ranges from innovative and delicious to frightening and abominable. Some are dusted to perfection with seasonings, and others are coated miserably with candy, making their existence disturbing. There is certainly popcorn for everyone on this list, whether you like sweet, savory, or both at the same time. Here are twenty strange kinds of popcorn you can buy at the store right now ... should you dare.

There are several Cheetos flavored popcorn options in grocery store aisles, and there's a little something for everyone – as long as you're a Cheetos fan, anyway. Your choices include Flamin' Hot, Cheddar, and Cheddar Jalapeño (and hopefully they are better than the Cheetos mac 'n cheese variations).

Of the three, the Flamin' Hot flavor is definitely the most satisfying and tastes the most like its Cheetos counterpart. It's just about as spicy as actual Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and the fiery Cheetos dust (which is, apparently, called "cheetle") is coated on pretty thick. This is the main difference between the Flamin' Hot and the cheddar versions, which aren't as generously coated with cheetle. They also don't seem to be coated with the regular salt that usually goes on popcorn, so the cheddar versions have a much more mild flavoring to them.

Feeling sweet and spicy at the same time? Try G.H. Cretors Hot Honey flavored popcorn, made with sweet honey. It's medium hot, so it's got a kick without burning your mouth off. The balance of heat and honey is spot on with this popcorn. The sweetness of the honey flavor complements the spiciness, toning it down but not making it obsolete. 

This popcorn is spicy upon first bite, but then you taste that sweetness. It's a match made in popcorn heaven. It also has a crispy crunch to it that is quite satisfying and fresh. It's different enough from regular buttered popcorn or kettle corn, bringing a certain necessary uniqueness to the popcorn market, while not tasting too bonkers or overwhelming (like quite a few of the other popcorn flavors on this list).

City Pop sells all kinds of gourmet popcorn — and we do mean all kinds. And while the many flavors are all fun, the strangest variation available is definitely the tangy and sweet Blueberry Popcorn (though it might be tied with the Bubblegum Popcorn, if we're being honest ... or maybe the Cheesecake Popcorn).

According to reviews, and despite its weirdness, people really love this blueberry concoction. It definitely isn't your typical popcorn experience, but if you like blueberries (and popcorn), chances are you'll be into this. It's fruity, tangy, and very sweet. Plus, it's sort of gorgeous looking. This popcorn definitely wins in the looks department and sort of seems like something that should be served to mermaids, frankly. If you're a mermaid, you'll probably love this popcorn.

Many brands sell a variation of birthday cake flavored popcorn, and they are all very strange. However if you're a fan of maybe the sweetest flavor on planet Earth joining forces with savory popcorn, this might be exactly the snack for you.

And, as we mentioned, you've got choices. There's the Coldstone Creamery Cake Batter Drizzle Popcorn by Sweet Chaos, which, of course, is inspired by the famous ice cream chain. This version has a confectionery coating with rainbow sprinkles all over it and still very much resembles popcorn. According to reviews, it's got a great balance and is well-liked, albeit extremely sweet. Pillsbury also has their own variation called Funfetti Popcorn with Funfetti Glaze that people seem to like a whole lot less due to its extreme sweetness.

It's official: Cereal and popcorn have finally teamed up. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Popcorn Snack is flavored with powdered "cinnadust" (cinnamon dust), just like the cereal. It's essentially just a candied popcorn version of the cereal –- emphasis on the "candied," as it's also heavily coated in caramel.

Reviews are definitely mixed when it comes to this caramel coating. Many find that it overpowers the cinnamon aspect of the snack and makes it way too sugary. On the other hand, many others are perfectly satisfied with the subtle, however less prominent, cinnamon sugar dust. Everyone is in agreement about one thing, though: This popcorn is very, very sweet. Then again, so is Cinnamon Toast Crunch itself, so is this really so surprising? We think not.

It comes as no surprise that World Market would sell strange variations of popcorn, and frankly we are here for it. Shirakiku Cinema Hot Chicken Spicy Popcorn is not messing around. First of all, it comes in a huge movie theater-style bucket. Second – and most importantly – it's hot chicken flavored, which is ... very strange.

Strange is good, in this case, though. This popcorn is modeled after Korean-style hot chicken, made in Korea so you know it's authentic. This popcorn is perfect for fans of chili-infused chicken, with notes of paprika, garlic, onion, and soy sauce. It's also perfect for people who like eating popcorn out of a big bucket. Next time you're at World Market, pick up a tub and enjoy a spicy treat.

"S'mores popcorn" is strange, but it also makes sense. This delicious combination of chocolate, graham cracker, marshmallow, and caramel popcorn is seamless. The savory saltiness of the popcorn is exactly what's needed to calm down the ultra sweetness of s'mores ingredients.

South Bend S'mores Crunch Popcorn in particular isn't your regular drizzle popcorn, but more of a whole experience. First of all, it's made by a chocolate company, so it's more of a dessert than a snack. According to reviews, it's well-loved and rich in flavor. However, several people note that the popcorn does get stale quickly once it's opened. That said, this popcorn is so good that you probably won't have it in your pantry too long. You can find this delectable creation at (you guessed it) World Market.

There are a few different kinds of strawberry flavored popcorn on the market and these two kinds in particular couldn't be more different in both appearance and taste. It's Delish Pink Popcorn is a severely candy-coated strawberry popcorn, first air popped (as opposed to oil or kettle cooked) and then caramelized. It's Delish makes their gourmet popcorn using seeds that produce a fluffy popcorn that is bigger in size compared to other popcorn. Unfortunately, however, reviews are extremely polarized — people either love this popcorn or absolutely hate it.

A lighter, and much more well-liked, option is the Safe + Fair Strawberry Shortcake Drizzled Popcorn. This strawberry popcorn is kettle cooked and sprinkled in dairy-free strawberry cream in a much less overwhelming way. Plus, it doesn't look like somebody painted popcorn pink and then laminated it like our first strawberry option.

The Christmas Pudding Popcorn from Popcorn Shed is quite possibly one of the strangest popcorn flavors on this list. Popcorn Shed is another gourmet popcorn company that sells a vast variety of strange (but tasty looking) flavors, including year-round holiday flavors you might not be used to seeing during months other than December.

The Christmas Pudding Popcorn is described as a festively spiced caramel popcorn, and it's available year-round. According to Popcorn Shed, this popcorn tastes like the feeling of Christmas — and it's a fan favorite. The holiday flavors don't stop there, either. They also sell year-round gingerbread and pecan pie flavors. And as a cute bonus, all of their popcorn is packaged in boxes that look like little sheds.

The Spontaneous Combustion Ghost Pepper Microwave Popcorn is straight up frightening to look at. Seriously, look at this packaging: It's not only strange but honestly intimidating and looks like it's trying to pick a fight with your mouth ... because it is. Ghost peppers are notoriously hot as heck and eating this strange popcorn will certainly injure you – but maybe you like that, and who are we to judge?

It's made with real ground ghost pepper powder and "try if you dare" is right there in the description. People love this microwave popcorn not despite its heat but because of it. Everyone pretty much agrees that this is the hottest popcorn they've ever had, but even so, it's got a great flavor to it. If you love really spicy foods, this could be for you, but if not, you might want to look elsewhere when it comes to strange popcorn.

Here we have another combination of two great things: Reese's chocolate and salty popcorn. One might assume that this would be one of the more sickeningly sweet types of popcorn on this list, but they would be mistaken, for inside this extremely orange bag of popcorn is a non-overwhelming butter popcorn, pleasantly drizzled with chocolate and peanut butter creme. It's Reese's, it's popcorn, it's Reese's Popcorn.

And great news: It's actually good. People love the sweetness and say that the chocolate and peanut butter perfectly pair with the saltiness of popcorn. It's got a balanced flavor and isn't sickeningly sweet — probably because it's not candied like so many other dessert themed popcorns on this list. You can find this popcorn at most grocery stores.

Here we have another marriage of chip snack and popcorn, this time from Doritos, in one of their classic and popular flavors: Nacho Cheese. Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored Popcorn is air-popped and generously dusted with tangy nacho cheese powder, making for a great two-in-one snack.

This popcorn tastes just like Nacho Cheese Doritos and is deliciously addictive. Some people note that it's spicier than the Doritos version, so if you're sensitive to a little heat, this snack may not be for you. However, most reviews of this product are glowing and involve people begging stores to never stop carrying it, so despite a little spice, it still gets a lot of love. There used to be a Cool Ranch flavor as well, but, sadly, it was discontinued.

Skinnypop has done the impossible and created a Harry Potter themed popcorn in the form of this Butterbeer Flavored Kettle Corn. Butterbeer flavoring has been taking over the grocery store aisles lately, from Hershey's Kisses to Goldfish Grahams, and now it's popcorn's turn.

Since it's SkinnyPop, it's not going to be too bonkers as far as sweetness goes, since part of their brand image is being a low calorie, better-for-you popcorn. That said, it's still kettle corn, so it's got a subtle sweetness with added butterscotch, brown butter, and caramel flavorings. Reviews are mostly positive, with many saying that it's not too sweet but still very tasty, the most prominent flavor being the butterscotch. Overall, it's mild in a good way – a little sweet, a little salty, and generally pretty healthy.

Popcorn and jalapeño have been joining forces a lot lately in the grocery aisles, and here we have two very different options. First up, there's the Jolly Time Jalapeno Butter Popcorn, which promises "just the right heat," right there on the bag. This jalapeño cheddar popcorn is extremely flavorful and has an excellent balance of heat and butter. Reviews are generally very positive — people love the big, bold taste.

On the other side of the fence is the SkinnyPop Cheddar Jalapeno Popcorn, which is, of course, much lighter in taste (and calories). Many reviewers note that it's not very cheesy and the jalapeño is what stands out. That said, if you want a light snack with a touch of heat, this is your guy right here.

Here we have another extremely odd popcorn flavor entitled Purple Candy-Coated Popcorn from Oh! Nuts. And by "purple candy-coated," they mean this popcorn tastes like grapes and looks pretty wacky. Seriously, though: This popcorn looks like it's from space (and not in a good way).

Based on the description, it also seems like the main point of this popcorn is to match other purple foods for color coordination purposes. It also apparently changes colors in the sun (it turns blue). Technically you can eat it, though, and it seems like at least several people have, according to the few reviews on the website. If you're looking for popcorn that doesn't look like food, or better yet, if you're looking for a cool purple decoration that looks like popcorn, this is the product for you.

The chip-flavored popcorn types just keep on coming, and, this time, Popcornopolis and Takis have joined forces to create this gourmet concoction. The Popcornopolis Fuego Takis Hot Chili Pepper & Lime Popcorn packs the heat, as it's absolutely covered in that red Takis hot chili blend seasoning. Seriously, this popcorn promises spiciness and it delivers.

The popcorn itself is soft and fluffy, and melts in your mouth, according to reviews. It's a quite intense flavor that's heavy on the lime and very tart. That lime flavor hits you hard in a good way, creating an acidic taste, followed by an intense heat. If you're a fan of Takis, chances are you'll be into this.

Soda flavored popcorn might just be the last thing we ever thought could exist, and although it clearly does thanks to Millers Gourmet, we almost still can't believe it. Miller's Gourmet is a Kansas City based gourmet popcorn company, and they've got all the classic cola hits, like cherry cola, "mountain soda" (Mountain Dew), "Dr. Soda" (Dr. Pepper), "lemon lime soda" (Sprite), and many more.

The most bonkers thing about these popcorn flavors is that their ingredient lists really do include actual Coke, Mountain Dew, and Sprite. The popcorn is heavily candy-coated, which is where the soda part lives. There are literally zero reviews of them, as there is no review section as of this publication. Interesting. But, hey, that probably doesn't mean anything and is just a coincidence.

Swad Masala Popcorn is a product of India that packs a hot and spicy masala taste. The buttered popcorn is dusted with Indian spices. According to reviews, it has a good amount of heat and is very tasty. If you're a fan of masala, this subtly seasoned — yet quite spicy — popcorn might be for you.

From the looks of it, it resembles regular popcorn. This checks out, because, unlike many of these strange popcorn snacks we've covered, this one has a very short ingredient list. It's just popping corn, palm oil, salt, and spices — those spices being just cayenne pepper and turmeric. Clearly less is more in this situation, however, because it's hard to find a negative review of this popcorn online.

SkinnyPop comes through with another odd — and, apparently, pretty healthy — popcorn flavor: Avocado Lime Popcorn. It's flavored with avocado oil and lime juice, giving it a zesty, fun flavoring. For a low-calorie popcorn, this is a great choice with just enough salt to satisfy.

Fans of this popcorn report that the avocado is pretty light, to the point where many people can't even taste it. A few people compare the taste to more of a light ranch flavor than anything resembling avocado. However, that doesn't deter them from loving the product — and the very prominent, yet pleasant, lime aftertaste. The lime gives the popcorn a bit of a surprising sweet kick that people are really into.

Cajun Pop has brought the essence of two of New Orleans' most wonderful sweet treats and turned them into a couple flavors of popcorn. First we have King Cake Popcorn, modeled after the Mardi Gras king cake, a sweet cinnamon dough covered in icing and sprinkles. This popcorn version of king cake has a crunchy caramel coating, a birthday cake flavor, and is covered in icing and cinnamon. This is a well-loved popcorn dessert that actually tastes like king cake, according to reviews.

Up next, we have a popcorn themed after another Louisiana treat: the beignet. Cajun Pop New Orleans Beignet is coated in caramel and dusted with powdered sugar to resemble the official doughnut of Louisiana. It succeeds in its imitation of the fried dough treat, if we're to believe the reviews. In short, people love this popcorn.