Hot Honey Butter Popcorn (Print version)

Crispy popcorn tossed in honey, butter, and chili flakes for a sweet and spicy snack.

# What you'll need:

→ Popcorn

01 - 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
02 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)

→ Hot Honey Butter

03 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 3 tablespoons honey
05 - 1 to 1.5 teaspoons hot sauce (Sriracha or Frank's RedHot), to taste
06 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

# Directions:

01 - Warm vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add a few popcorn kernels and cover.
02 - Once the test kernels pop, add the remaining kernels evenly. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar to release steam. Gently shake occasionally until popping slows to 2–3 seconds between pops, then remove from heat and transfer popcorn to a large bowl.
03 - In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in honey, hot sauce, and chili flakes if using until the mixture is fully combined and warmed through.
04 - Pour the hot honey butter evenly over the popcorn and toss thoroughly to coat all pieces. Sprinkle sea salt over the popcorn and toss again.
05 - Serve immediately, adjusting seasoning or spice levels as preferred.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it when you actually spent minutes—that's the kind of sneaky impressive that friends actually appreciate.
  • The heat hits just right after the sweetness, so every handful surprises you instead of punishing you.
  • It beats any store-bought version by a mile and costs a fraction of the price.
02 -
  • The difference between great popcorn and disappointing popcorn is shaking the pot—kernels need movement to pop evenly, not just heat.
  • Pour the honey butter slowly while tossing or you'll end up with soggy popcorn sludge at the bottom instead of an even coat.
  • Keep that pot lid cracked during popping or you'll get a starchy, steamed mess instead of crispy kernels.
03 -
  • Use a heavy-bottomed pot instead of a thin one—it distributes heat evenly so you get more popped kernels and fewer burnt survivors stuck to the bottom.
  • Toss the popcorn constantly while drizzling in the hot honey butter or the coating settles all on top instead of coating every piece.
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