Popcorn Lovers Guide
So, I love snacks.
Just a big fan of them.
My favorite snack? Popcorn.
It’s probably like 15% of my diet and I just don’t see that changing anytime soon.
And, what’s not to like about popcorn?
It comes in a bunch of different flavors
You can put a variety of toppings on it
You can make it fresh or buy it pre-popped
It makes the perfect impersonal, yet totally acceptable Christmas gift in the form of a tri-split tin featuring butter, cheddar and caramel
There’s even such a thing as gourmet popcorn
You really can’t lose with PCorn.
So, as a self-proclaimed popcorn connoisseur, and in celebration of National Popcorn Lovers Day, I thought I’d share my fan favorites with you folks at home who are curious about the best snack ever.
Category is: brands.
MOVIE THEATER
This is a no brainer and definitely deserves a spot in this guide as it is the O.G. of buttered popcorn goodness. There’s nothing better than going to the flicks in a non-pandemic world with your purse full of candy from the gas station and a bottle of water, so that you only have to drop dollars on the golden gift from the movie theater gods.
Top qualities:
Warm
Perfect amount of salt (you add it yourself, duh)
Drizzled in real butter
Great with any candy (if you haven’t added a whole box of Buncha Crunch to your warm movie theater popcorn, you haven’t truly lived yet!)
Still tastes good stale - seriously, if you haven’t tried day-old movie theater popcorn, you’re truly missing out
Gives you something to do during the previews because we all know we all eat our movie theater snacks before the movie actually starts
Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP Real Butter Popcorn
This is one of my go-to brands for pre-popped popcorn. You really can’t lose with Angie’s.
Side note: This company was featured on NPR’s How I Built This podcast and it was a really interesting story. So, even if you’re not a popcorn person, but you are a podcast person, I highly recommend checking out that episode!
Top qualities:
It’s got a fluffy pop - meaning the individual pieces of popcorn are a little thicc and don’t melt as soon as they hit your tongue
You can find it at most grocery stores and it’s usually on sale
It’s a woman-owned company which isn’t common for popcorn brands
Low on the cals in case you can’t stop - I usually cannot
Most bags come pretty full, so you’re not cheated by extra air
Favorite Flavors:
Buttered - it’s a truly cohesive relationship between the butter flavor and the popcorn. It doesn’t taste like you’re getting popcorn covered in some processed butter powder. The popcorn itself encompasses the buttery flavor.
Cheddar Cheese - again, there aren’t any breaks in flavor between tasting the cheese and tasting the popcorn. It’s all wrapped into one experience, so it tastes legit - which is rare for a cheddar popcorn. Big, big fan of this one.
Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn - Ugh this one is so delicious. The ratio of sweet to salty on this popcorn is just *chef’s kiss*. The kettle part isn’t like caked onto each piece of popcorn either, it’s just a little crackle coating, so it’s perfect.
Seasonal Flavors - they offer some really unique seasonal flavors that I go out of my way to find each year because I’m mildly addicted, including: white chocolate and peppermint, frosted sugar cookie, and pumpkin spice drizzle.
Skinny Pop Popcorn
Another fan favorite of the grocery store variety.
Top qualities:
Its pop is lighter - which means it melts a little quicker as it hits your tongue but because it’s a lighter pop, you can enjoy more all at once lol
You can find it at most grocery stores - also in bulk size at Costco
Low cal across the board
Available in mini bags at the gas station, so if you’re crazy and don’t like movie theater popcorn, you can pick up a bag of this in lieu and it will still fit in your purse or any large sweatshirt
The microwaveable bags are just as noms as the pre-popped in case warm, freshly popped popcorn is more your jam
Has a wide variety of unique flavors
Favorite Flavors:
Original - this is in their classic green bag and honestly, just satisfies any and all popcorn-snacky-cravings
Sea Salt & Pepper - I am a pepper gal. RARELY will you hear me at the dinner table ask for the salt, but pepper is a regular request. So, this flavor makes all of my peppered popcorn dreams a reality. It’s not overwhelming, it’s just enough and each piece has a generous amount, so it’s evenly distributed throughout the bag.
Twist of Lime - okay hear me out. If you’re obsessed with the touch of lime tortilla chips, then I really do feel like you’d enjoy this one. I was skeptical about it at first, but have purchased this flavor a few times since and it does not disappoint. The lime flavoring does sometimes make the little area at the back of your jaw tingle, but it depends on how sensitive you are to tangy flavors.
Smartfood Popcorn
I’m giving this one a shoutout solely for its most-popular flavor that we all know and love.
Top Qualities:
Fluffy pop - this is the kweeeen of fluffy popped popcorn. These pieces are hearty and you could fill your cheeks with them like a chipmunk. Not that you would, but you could if you wanted to.
This brand is so easy to find: grocery store, gas station, vending machine, etc.
They have a low cal version, if 160 calories for 2.5 cups of this is just too much for you, but Ima stick to the original.
Favorite Flavors:
White Cheddar popcorn - this is honestly the only one I’ve ever tried, but it’s a classic that doesn’t get nearly enough hype. The cheese flavor is so legit that it coats your fingers in a v thick layer of white cheddar that would be sacrilegious to not lick off when you’re done snackin.
Garrett Popcorn
Okay, we’re going to level-up to the gourmet brands - starting with the OG Garrett Popcorn.
If you’ve ever been to Chicago, but have never had Garrett Popcorn, you’re not doing it right.
Pre-pandemic, people would line up down the block before the shop opened just to get some Garrett Popcorn. Obvi there are a few locations in Chicago, like Navy Pier for example, but there are lines no matter which location you go to because it’s just that good.
Top Qualities:
It’s super fresh
Each piece is thicc and crunchy
The popcorn is hand-crafted, so you know it’s high quality
The amount of flavor that’s packed into each bite is unreal, so you’re definitely getting your money’s worth
Because it’s bagged on the spot, they fill those bags to the brim
For gourmet popcorn, I honestly feel like the prices are pretty good
Still tastes suuuuper good even when it’s a couple days stale
Favorite Flavors:
All of the flavors are good, honestly. So, you can’t really lose here.
My go-to order is the cheese/caramel mix - I’m a salty sweet kind of gal and that just always hits the spot
Just the cheese - this deserves its own bullet point tho because the cheese on this popcorn is so real, your hand becomes covered in the best type of cheesy, buttery grease. I just cannot get enough of it.
Brown Bag Popcorn
I was introduced to this Detroit-based gourmet popcorn company last year when my incredibly thoughtful boss sent everyone on her team a tin of it. And, I just don’t feel like enough people know about it!
Top Qualities:
It’s thickly popped and super popcorn-style crunchy - just the way we like it
If you order from their website, it comes in this super cute paint can
Freshly made if you visit their store
Hand-crafted flavors
Their core flavors are gluten free for you gluten sensitive people out there
LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESS!!
Favorite Flavors:
I’ve only had the MMMMMix - which is the caramel and cheese mix - and it was absolutely phenomenal. Like the cheese and caramel perfectly compliment each other vs. one or the other stealing the show (IYKYK).
They have a variety of other flavors, including a “Flavor of the Month” which is currently Motown Mint.
Welp that’s it! To all of you popcorn haters out there, I will give you the one con, which is the little pieces that have a tendency to get stuck in your teeth, but otherwise, it’s the best.
Happy National Popcorn Lovers Day!
YOUR TURN: Let me know if you have any favorite brands or flavors that I didn’t include here, and I’ll give them a try.