The Best Popcorn Seasonings You Need to Try

Popcorn is a timeless snack, beloved by people of all ages and enjoyed not just during movie night but also any time of the year.

That being said, you might find yourself wanting to change up your go-to salted popcorn every now and then. When that happens, add popcorn seasoning. It'll make you fall in love with the snack all over again.

In this blog post, we'll reveal some of our favorite popcorn seasonings and share tips that will help you get your seasoning to stick. 

Let's get started:

Best Classic Seasonings

Most people love popcorn because it's salty, buttery, and has a satisfying crunch. Movie style butter is the most popular type of popcorn and it is actually one that you can make in your own home. You don’t need to go to the movies to get all that rich, decadent butter taste. All you need are some simple popcorn seasonings and your homemade popped popcorn. 

1. Franklin’s Butter Flavored Popcorn Salt

This is one of the best movie theater popcorn seasonings we've ever tried. It's salty, buttery and everything you could ever want in a bowl of classic popcorn. Just a pinch of the popcorn salt goes a long way to create a big flavor. 

Franklin’s Popcorn salt is also vegan, kosher, and gluten-free. This just makes it even better. On top of it all, it has no artificial ingredients and it even comes with a money back guarantee. Now, there is even more reason to give this tasty popcorn seasoning a try- you can’t loose. Grab a small 8 ounce container or get the big 19 ounce version. You will be sure to use it all. 

2. Amish Country Popcorn Salt

Amish Country Popcorn salt is another great seasoning that will give you that movie style popcorn taste. Sprinkle a little of this gluten-free, tree nut and peanut free seasoning over your popped popcorn and you will be in snack heaven. Plus, it is completely non GMO so you can feel good about adding a little extra to your bowl.

The Amish Country Popcorn company not only makes popcorn salt, but they also grow corn to make popcorn kernels. They have more than 13 different popcorn kernel varieties so you can choose your favorite type and then add some tasty seasonings. 

Best Savory Seasonings

Do you feel like getting a little creative with your popcorn? You may want to think beyond the butter and try a savoring seasoning. Some companies have branched out and created unique, interesting flavors of popcorn seasoning that you're sure to adore. 

Keep an open mind when it comes to flavoring your popcorn. While bacon, ranch, or jalapeno popcorn toppings may sound strange at first, it's going to be love at first bite. You will be surprised how many flavors go well with popcorn. Let’s take a look at a few fan favorites:

1. Kernel Season’s White Cheddar

White cheddar cheese is amazing on popcorn. It is savory, salty and makes the popcorn have a creamy mouth feel that perfectly compliments the crunch. White cheddar is the most popular flavor besides butter and one you absolutely must try. 

Kernel Season’s brand white cheddar is a beautiful powder that will completely coat your popcorn. Every bite of popped popcorn will taste cheesy and sharp. You are sure to love this combo.

2. J&D’s Bacon Salt

You put bacon on your sandwiches, in your salad and even in your dessert. Why not add the great flavor of bacon to your popcorn? Bacon and popcorn are an unexpected match that will surprise and delight your taste buds. 

The smokey and salty taste of bacon is delicious with the crunch of popcorn. J&D’s bacon salt is especially yummy as it is made with sea salt, paprika and garlic powder. The funny thing is that this seasoning tastes just like bacon but actually has no bacon in it. That makes it vegetarian and kosher- it’s perfect for everyone.

3. Pinch Truffle Popcorn Sprinkle

If you really want to make your homemade popcorn taste gourmet, then truffle seasoning is what you need. Truffle seasoning has an earthy, powerful taste that is really good with buttery popcorn. The Pinch Truffle Popcorn Sprinkle is made with sea salt, real black truffle salt, black peppercorn, sage and summer savory. It is quite the blend.

In addition to adding lots of flavor to your popcorn, the truffle seasoning blend is considered market fair trade and it supports local farmers. You can feel good about buying this organic seasoning and rest assured that you will get high quality flavors in every sprinkle. 

Best Sweet Seasonings

Popcorn is usually thought of as a salty, savory snack. However, there's a whole other sweet side to popcorn you have to try. Just think of sugar instead of salt as a popcorn topping and you’ll get the idea.

Once you discover sweet popcorn, your whole view of this classic snack will change. Popcorn can be the answer to your sweet cravings and it even makes a fantastic, easy dessert. Grab one of these sweet popcorn seasoning flavor options and give sweet popcorn a try. 

1. Wabash Valley Sweet Farms Sweet Caramel

Caramel is just as classic as popcorn. Both are foods that everyone loves so why not combine the two? Caramel seasoning on top of popcorn is a very easy way to make traditional caramel corn. However, there is no cooking caramel or dealing with hot sugar required. Just open a jar of seasoning, give your popped popcorn a sprinkle and your caramel popcorn is ready to eat.

While you’re looking at Wabash Family Farms Caramel Popcorn Seasoning, you should also check out the company's other interesting popcorn flavors. The dill pickle seasoning is pretty incredible and the biscuits & gravy popcorn seasoning is quite interesting. All the flavors can be found right on Amazon, even the sweet french toast seasoning mix that you absolutely must try. You may want to sprinkle it on everything. 

2. Kernel Season’s Birthday Cake

Birthday cake popcorn is perfect for any special occasion. Although, you don’t need a special reason to reach for this Kernel Season’s popcorn seasoning- you can enjoy it anytime. 

The birthday cake flavor was first created as a way to celebrate Kernel Season’s 20th anniversary. People loved this sweet seasoning so much that it stuck around. You can grab a six pack on Amazon and sprinkle it on everything, from popped popcorn to pancakes. 

3. Urban Accents Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn

Kettle corn has long crossed the line between being sweet and salty. It is a type of popcorn people reach for when they can’t decide what type of snack to enjoy. Now, you can make your own kettle corn with just a quick sprinkle of Urban Accents seasoning. 

The flavor of this simple kettle corn seasoning is sure to evoke nostalgia. It tastes just like the popcorn you used to get at fairs and carnivals. This sweet popcorn seasoning is definitely going to be a staple in your pantry. 

Best Variety Packs

There are a lot of delicious popcorn seasonings to try. It can be hard to decide which to get first. Luckily, there are quite a few popcorn seasoning variety packs you can try. 

Buying variety packs will let you try a bunch of different flavors and see which you like best. It is also often cheaper to buy several seasonings at once and snag a nice bulk discount. 

1. Kernel Season’s Mini Jars Variety Pack

This popcorn seasoning variety pack is perfect for trying a bunch of different flavors. The pack comes with eight unique seasonings including cheesy jalapeno, caramel corn, nacho cheddar, kettle corn, butter, bacon cheddar, ranch and white cheddar cheese. All of those sound fantastic. 

This variety pack is great for serving at movie nights or parties. Your guests are sure to have a great time testing out all of the Kernel Season’s flavors. Will the popular white cheddar flavor be everyone's favorite or will people go crazy for the cheesy jalapeno? You’ll have to serve them up and see. 

2. Spiceology Popcorn Seasoning Variety Pack

Spiceology has a really interesting variety pack of gourmet popcorn seasonings. They are really unique and sure to delight any popcorn lover. You aren’t going to find these flavors anywhere else.

So what exactly is in the Spiceology popcorn seasoning variety pack? Apple cinnamon, bleu cheese buffalo, jalapeno popper, pizza, smores and truffle parmesan are the exciting flavors you will find in each set. With those amazing seasoning options, it is almost impossible to pick which one to try first. 

How to Make Your Popcorn Seasonings Stick

When you sprinkle your popcorn seasoning over your popped popcorn, you want to be sure it sticks to each and every kernel. Sometimes, seasonings sink to the bottom of the bag or cake onto the bottom of your popcorn pan with your stovetop popcorn. This just won’t do.  

To make sure your seasonings stick, toss the popped popcorn in melted butter, coconut oil or a little bit of olive oil. Adding a little moisture to the popcorn will help the popcorn seasonings stick well, getting those popcorn salts and sprinkles on every piece of popcorn. A little extra fat also helps the popcorn taste better. You can never go wrong with more butter. 

Get More Ideas for Spicing Up Your Favorite Snacks

So which popcorn seasoning are you going to try first? It is amazing how easy it is to transform your favorite, classic snack into something even more incredible. With these seasonings, you will never grow tired of popcorn even if you eat it every single day. 

We believe that eating popcorn is a joyous occasion that's meant to be shared with friends and family. So, we are always thinking of new ways to enhance popcorn and keep it exciting.

Be sure to check back for more popcorn inspiration and to learn more about popcorn as a whole. We share new popcorn information, recipes, and tips all the time.