Nitrate & Nitrite Free Orange Ginger Popcorn
Snack time gets a serious upgrade with this sweet, citrusy, warmly spiced popcorn that's as fun to make as it is to eat. The glaze comes together from maple syrup, fresh orange zest and juice, ground ginger, and a touch of cayenne if you like a little heat — all completely clean, whole ingredients with nothing hidden in the mix. That matters more than you might think, since a lot of flavored popcorn and snack foods sneak in cured or processed additives that people trying to avoid nitrates and nitrites have to watch out for. Here, you're popping your own kernels in coconut oil and making the glaze from scratch, so you know exactly what's going in the bowl. The baking soda trick gives the coating a light, almost caramel-candy texture that crisps up beautifully as it cools on the pan. It's the kind of snack that disappears fast at a movie night or a holiday gathering, and nobody will guess it came together with such a short, straightforward ingredient list.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the popcorn
- ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For the glaze
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Pop the popcorn kernels: heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 2–3 test kernels, cover, and wait until they pop. Add the remaining kernels in a single layer, cover, and shake the pot gently every 30 seconds until the popping slows to 2–3 seconds between pops. Transfer the popped corn to a large mixing bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. You should have about 9–10 cups of popped corn.
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