How to make tasty popcorn?

[AllstarFacilier]

I’ve bought a little popcorn making pan to have popcorn over Xmas, but I don’t know how to flavour it. Ideally, I’d like to make it popcorn sweet. I’m reading recipes that use butter (and sounds soggy!) but can I just put sugar on? Or buy a good shake flavouring that goes on it?

I normally make it in a normal pan with lid, small quantity of vegetable oil and then enough popcorn seeds to cover the base of the pan. I don't know if ordinary sugar will stick tbh! I'd try fine/icing sugar + cinnamon? I buy a kind of fine powdered cheese for savoury popcorn.

I would love to know how you'd make it like the cinema does. We have a great little popcorn maker and usually just sprinkle sugar on afterwards but it usually all falls off

Larger quantity of sugar, cover with lid and give it an almighty shake would be my bet @peplepue .

I’ve melted a little sugar before and, while it’s runny, drizzled it over freshly popped corn and given it a good shake. That was tasty. Getting the corn to pop right is an art form! Best way I’ve found is to put the oil on to heat and dropped one kernel in…when that one pops you know the oil is the right temperature so only then add in enough kernels to cover the base. Keep the lid on and give it all a shake while the corns are popping. Over cooking makes the corn chewy, not crispy, so once the popping slows, take the lid off so the steam doesn’t add to that chewiness.

We’ve just bought one with idea it will be a healthy snack, in comes adult daughter with her butter and sugar 🙄.

ive got one of those that fills a dish with cooked , not explaining it well, I’ve added a picture.\

my dd puts a little butter and a splash of oil in the tray with some Demerara sugar and the kernels as it cooks it melts the sugar and coats the corn.

you could try melting the butter and sugar and tossing it quickly onto the hot pop corn

Thanks for the ideas! We’ve bought a pan with a domed lid to make it in. We’ll have to give it a go with different types of sugar. I was searching for something to shake flavour in but it tends to come in packs with different flavours and it was only sweet that I wanted as that’s all the kids will have, though I’d like salty sweet!

Maple syrup and melted butter works nicely!

Butter is your friend for making nice popcorn and then whatever flavouring. But always butter😁

I saw a TikTok the other day about making bacon popcorn! Cook bacon, then use the same pan to cook the popcorn in the bacon fat!!! I'm going to try it as soon as my popcorn kernels arrive. Sorry - I know you asked about sweet popcorn so not really much help

When it's just finished popping, put in some cubes of butter and give it a VERY good shake. Then sprinkle in brown sugar (dark if possible) and shake some more. Works a treat.

We used to use caster sugar, but loads of it just ended up on the bottom of the pan. Brown sugar sticks nicely.

I'm a bit confused by a 'little' popcorn making pan though? Surely a little pan won't give you enough space for it to pop? And why not just use a normal saucepan?

Ghee is a game changer for popcorn - you get the buttery taste without the sogginess!

You definitely need to use butter, maple syrup or golden syrup drizzled into the hot pan at the end of cooking will give you a nice sweet flavour.
I usually make savoury popcorn to have with drinks, so I flavour mine with celery salt, black pepper, smoked paprika or cayenne pepper.

It’s this one, I wanted to do crepes too - gift for uni student to take back with her

Nutella or plain with a sprinkling of chocolate buttons.