Gourmet Popcorn for Year Around Holiday Entertaining

Celebrate all the great ways to home-pop, and then spice-up your popcorn to fit every holiday and special occasion. Because October is known as National Popcorn Poppin' month, we better start popping! Learn the basics, and then begin making your own easy-gourmet popcorn flavors for every holiday.

For many delightfully different popcorn ball recipes, visit the Popcorn.org website, and view their slideshow for decadent Popcorn S'mores and more. For fool-proof stovetop, popping tips and gourmet popcorn flavorings read on.

Popcorn & Oil Basics

You will need a large frying pan (with lid), popcorn kernels, and olive oil or coconut oil. Coconut oil is the best choice because it won't burn at high temperatures, as will butter or margarine. It is also the choice of movie theaters, because it makes popcorn smell and taste sweeter than it actually is.

Both olive oil and coconut oil are nutritious (from real plant sources) and healthier for your family. Organic popcorn kernels are hard to find, and are a little more expensive, but are worth it for your family's health, as they are not genetically modified.

Holiday Popcorn Varieties

Basic Recipe & Instructions

¼ cup oil

½ cup popcorn kernels

Add oil to a large fry pan, moving back and forth over a medium-heat burner until all kernels are popped. Allow popcorn to cool slightly, and then add the additional "holiday-making" ingredients, listed below.

New Year's Day Popcorn

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup shelled peanuts

¼ cup goldfish crackers

Valentine's Day Popcorn

¼ cup Sweet-Tart candy hearts

¼ cup white chocolate chips

¼ cup cinnamon candied Red-Hots

Easter Bunny Popcorn

¼ cashew-nut pieces

¼ cup chocolate-malted pastel Robin's eggs

¼ cup Easter-color M&M chocolate candies

Fourth of July Popcorn

¼ cup beer nuts

¼ cup raisins, or dried blueberries

¼ cup Craisins (dried cranberries) or dried cherries

Popcorn for Halloween-Haunts

¼ cup candy corn

¼ cup pistachio nuts

1 to 2 handfuls of small chocolate malt balls

Thanksgiving Popcorn

A light sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice

¼ to ½ cup mixed nuts (salted or glazed)

¼ cup caramel baking chips (similar to chocolate chips)

Christmas Holiday Popcorn

A light sprinkling of cinnamon

¼ cup of Christmas-color M&M chocolate candies, or

¼ cup white-chocolate/peppermint-striped baking chips (like chocolate chips)

¼ cup dried cherries, Craisins, or golden raisins

¼ cup walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, or Macadamia nuts (salted)

All varieties are ideal for gift giving, wrapped in clear cellophane wrappings, bow tied and labeled. Mix and match an assortment of several gourmet batches (wrapped separately) and placed decoratively into a large family-style popcorn bowl, for holiday gifting.