Best Oil for Popcorn: What Type of Oil to Use When Making Popcorn at Home

Cooking popcorn on stovetop is the best way to make popcorn Just imagine fresh, crunchy popcorn brimming with flavor you have total control over. What could be more perfect? 

Whether it’s for movie night, date night, or just as an afternoon snack, making stovetop popcorn will definitely upgrade your snacking game. All you need are your trusty Popsmith Popper, kernels, and the right oil. 

Choosing the proper oil is key. The types of oil you use can alter the way your popcorn tastes and its nutritional value. 

In this post, we’re going to explore your options for the best oil for popping popcorn (and the ones you should avoid).

Let’s get right into it:

8 Best Types of Oil to Use When Popping Popcorn

There are different kinds of oil in the grocery store. You can use almost all of them to make popcorn, but as you’ll see below, some oils are better than others:

1. Coconut Oil

Our number one best oil for popping popcorn is coconut oil.

With a 350°F smoke point, coconut oil heats just enough to make crunchy popcorn. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and rich in medium-grade triglycerides (MGTs).

Coconut oil also gives your popcorn a rich depth of flavor, enhancing any topping or seasoning you add. It’s a great substitute for butter and — fun fact — is the secret behind why movie theater popcorn tastes so incredible.

DID YOU KNOW? It’s normal for coconut oil to turn solid at room temperature or colder. Just add it to heat, and it will melt.

2. Canola Oil

You probably already have canola oil sitting in your pantry, and that’s because it’s a fantastic universal cooking oil.

This might be the best popcorn oil for you if you’re looking for an oil with a higher smoke point. Canola has a smoke point between 400-450°F, which is more than coconut oil.

A big downside of using canola oil, though, is that it can leave your popcorn with a weird taste. This oil is also highly processed, so you may want to steer clear if you’re health-conscious.

3. Peanut Oil

Although a little pricier than other oils, peanut oil is worth using if you want to give your popcorn a slightly nutty flavor. It also has a smoke point of 450°F so you won’t have to worry about it burning your kernels.

But to be safe, you may want to use a different kind of oil if you have a bunch of people over. They might have a nut allergy you don’t know about. 

4. Sunflower Oil

Sunflower is an interesting oil choice for popcorn. It has a significantly high smoke point, not burning until well over 400°F. You definitely won’t have to worry about kernels burning with this oil!

Another advantage of sunflower oil is its high quantity of healthy fats and low cholesterol levels. It’s a good choice if you’re mindful of your health.

But the biggest benefit of using sunflower oil to make your kernels pop is that it’s a neutral oil. It won’t affect your popcorn’s taste or texture.

5. Vegetable Oil

Speaking of neutral-tasting oils, vegetable oil is another cooking oil that doesn’t overpower your popcorn. It’ll help pop any type of kernels, keeping them soft and also a little crunchy.

Vegetable oil is super refined, though, so it’s a point of contention for some people. It also isn’t consistent when it comes to ingredients. Depending on the brand you buy, it can blend anything from soybean to canola and other plant oils together.

The smoke point of your vegetable oil will also vary because of these inconsistencies. But overall, it won’t hurt to try it the next time you pop popcorn.

6. Avocado Oil

Next up on our list of the best oil for popcorn (and the most expensive of them all) is avocado oil. Because of its high price, this popcorn oil is often used to make gourmet popcorn. We won’t blame you if you want to save it for yourself as a treat!

Avocado oil has a slew of health benefits. It contains tons of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids. And like coconut oil, it allows you to make buttery popcorn without actual butter. It’s creamy, salty, and flavorful — everything butter is, only not greasy.

7. Olive Oil

If you’re leaning toward a neutral oil that allows your popcorn’s natural flavor to stand out, you’ll like olive oil. Its mild flavor goes particularly well with garlic powder and parmesan cheese seasonings.

Olive oil is rich in monosaturated fats, antioxidants, and vitamin E, which is a plus. And it’s also a staple in your kitchen, so you don’t need to worry about buying oil just for popcorn.

But for best results, use virgin or extra virgin olive oil. These have a better smoke point.

8. Soybean Oil

If you’re looking for something affordable yet high-quality, soybean oil is probably the best popcorn oil that fits your criteria. It has a higher smoke point than coconut oil and vegetable oil, plus you won’t have a problem finding it in the groceries.

And because this oil is derived from whole soybeans, it’s a great source of antioxidants, vitamin E, and other minerals.

Best of all, it has a neutral flavor that will let your popcorn seasoning do all the talking.

3 Types of Oil to Avoid for Popping Popcorn

Now that you have an idea of the kinds of oil you can use when cooking popcorn on stovetop, let’s talk about the ones you should stay away from: 

1. Butter

We know it’s not technically an oil, but try not to use regular old butter when you’re making stovetop popcorn. It turns the kernels soggy and burns too quickly. Clarified butter (aka ghee) is a safer option. This is butter minus the water and milk solids and it has a higher smoke point than the one in your fridge. 

2. Flaxseed Oil 

Flax oil makes a plain salad pop.

Popcorn? Not so much, unless you drizzle some as a finishing touch. Flaxseed oil simply doesn’t have the smoke point to cook any dish. 225°F is too low. 

3. Wheat Germ Oil

Another oil that just can’t pop popcorn is wheat germ oil. It has the same smoke point as flaxseed oil and is really better as a salad or pasta dressing.  

How Much Oil to Use to Make the Perfect Popcorn

The exact quantity of oil needed to make popcorn will vary depending on how much popcorn you want to pop.

As a general rule of thumb, you’ll need about 2 tablespoons of oil to pop half a cup of kernels. Use this ratio to figure out the amount of oil you need.

You also want to consider how much oil you actually like on your popcorn. Some snackers prefer a small drizzle of oil while others want their popcorn greasier.

If you want to decrease the cholesterol levels or saturated fat in your popcorn snack, then use less oil. You can always add more melted butter and seasonings to the popcorn after it has popped in the oil. Oil quantity is quite flexible.

What Type of Oil Do Movie Theaters Use to Pop Popcorn?

If you’re trying to replicate movie theater popcorn at home, then go for coconut oil. As we said earlier, it’s what a lot of movie theaters use instead of real butter.

Coconut oil is naturally rich, and when they add some butter-flavored seasoning on top of that, the end result is that extra buttery taste you love so much. We know — it’s still hard to believe movie theater popcorn doesn’t actually have “real” butter.

Making Popcorn Without Using Any Oil

While popping popcorn kernels in oil is the common way to make popcorn at home, there’s still a way you can enjoy popcorn oil-free. 

The most common method of making popcorn without oil is using an air popper. It uses high heat to make the kernels pop. Air poppers can be expensive, but they’re worth it if you want the healthiest popcorn. You can still season your air-popped popcorn however you like. 

Get More Snack Inspiration with Popsmith

We hope this helps you pick the best popcorn oil for your next culinary adventure. 

Personally, we like coconut oil best because it enhances the popcorn’s taste. That’s why we use it for our Oh Sooo Buttery and Classic Kettle Popcorn kits. 

However, it’s up to you to choose any oil you want based on your personal preferences. Go experiment with various oils and see which one suits you most!  

Want more articles like this? Then check out our other blog posts! We talk about all things popcorn — from seasoning ideas to unique recipes and the distinctions between various types of kernels.