I know and you know that plain, air-popped, unsalted popcorn without butter is a healthy snack, especially for dieters. But who wants plain popcorn? Do we have to sacrifice tasty popcorn snacks for health and weight loss? Not with these popcorn recipes! Love that buttery rich movie theater popcorn, caramel corn, cheese popcorn, chocolate drizzle popcorn (be still my heart) or the ultimate popcorn experience Chicago style popcorn? Here are delicious ways to create the tastes you love without the major calories, sugar, sodium and fat explosion.
Healthy "Caramel Corn"
1/4 cup Olive oil margarine or Smart Balance Butter
1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower, cashew or almond butter for those with peanut allergies)
1/3 cup honey
2--3 quarts popped corn
crushed salted pecans (optional)
Combine first three ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until blended. Mix popcorn and nuts. Pour peanut butter sauce over popcorn and nuts and toss until well-coated. Spray two cookies sheet with olive oil pan spray or cover in aluminum foil and coat with pan spray. Arrange popcorn in single layer over both pans. Bake 20 minutes @ 350 degrees. Store in airtight container.
Healthy Cheese Popcorn
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano
1/3 cup ghee, melted
2 quarts popped popcorn
Blend first three ingredients. Pour over popcorn and blend thoroughly to coat each popcorn kernel. Toast in oven for a few minutes. Serve warm. Popcorn is best if served several hours later.
Healthy 'Buttered' Popcorn
If you love popcorn popped in oil with butter and just can't abide air popped popcorn, here's a little secret. In your popcorn kettle, use olive oil to pop popcorn. Pour enough non-EVOO olive oil to cover the pan bottom and add one layer of popcorn. When popcorn is done, add a little salt and mix with hands. Ghee works too. Olive oil makes a healthy tasty butter substitute that tastes just as good as delicious.
For the grande Chicago popcorn, combine the first two! For chocolate drizzle popcorn, make healthy buttered popcorn. Melt 70% cacao or higher chocolate chips or bars and toss with hot popcorn. Or just mix chocolate chips with popcorn.
