Make a fast bowl of Pressure Cooker Popcorn in minutes using your Instant Pot! It’s quicker, less messy, and easier to cook than in a regular pot. Every time there is delicious and perfect homemade popcorn which you can eat plain or flavor with your favorite ingredients.
Making Instant Pot Popcorn has never been more simple! Enjoy!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Fun and Fast: Make Homemade Instant Pot Popcorn in a jiffy with your pressure cooker's efficiency.
- Healthy Snack: Control the ingredients for a healthier, homemade popcorn treat.
- Perfect Movie Companion: Create cinema-style popcorn at home for your movie nights.
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make your pressure cooker popcorn:
- Corn Kernels: These are the heart of the recipe - when exposed to heat, they pop and expand into fluffy popcorn.
- Canola Oil: Used to evenly distribute heat among the corn kernels. This oil has a high smoke point, making it ideal for high-heat cooking like popcorn popping.
- Flavorings: These can be customized according to your preference. Salt gives the popcorn a classic savory flavor, sugar adds a sweet touch, butter makes it rich and creamy, and melted chocolate provides a luxurious, indulgent twist.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is a great choice for making popcorn because it has a high smoking point, which makes it less likely to burn. However, vegetable oils are higher in saturated fat than coconut oil or avocado oil, so they may not be the healthiest option.
- Other Oils: Avocado and coconut oils are both excellent choices for making popcorn as they have a lower saturated fat content and a mild flavor.
🔀 Best Popcorn Flavors To Try
There are a number of flavors for Instant Pot popcorn. You can have plain popcorn or add melted butter and salt for a savory popcorn snack.
- Add Salt or Sugar to Your Popcorn: Add salt or sugar or even both depending on what flavor popcorn you wish to make. Some people enjoy sweet and salty homemade popcorn. Others like to add seasonings such as cinnamon powder or even chili powder.
- Chocolate Pressure Cooker Popcorn: You may want to be adventurous and try melting some chocolate into your popcorn if you want a sweet treat, why not try this Starwars Popcorn topping or you could go one step further and make delightful Caramel Chocolate Popcorn Balls.
- Smores Popcorn: You could even try our Smores Popcorn recipe. This is a fantastic Instant Pot popcorn recipe and it's a real winner in our house!
Once you’ve tried making Homemade Instant Pot popcorn this way you won’t want to make it any other way again! It's just as good as movie theater popcorn and is a light and healthy snack to enjoy with the family.
🔪How To Make Pressure Cooker Popcorn
Here is a step-by-step guide for making homemade popcorn in the pressure cooker.
Step One: Set your Instant Pot’s Saute function to high and immediately add the oil inside. Allow the oil to heat up for about 2 minutes, or until your Instant Pot displays the word “hot”. Add the popcorn kernels to the Instant Pot.
Step Two: Stir the popcorn kernels for about 1 minute before placing the glass instant pot lid on the top. The glass lid is great as it allows you to see the corn popping.
Step Three: The popcorn kernels will begin to pop after around 2-3 minutes of heating while covered, you will start to hear the popcorn kernels popping. Turn off the saute button once most of the kernels have popped.
Step Four: Add your fresh popcorn into a large bowl. You can now choose how to flavor your hot popcorn.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Fresh Kernals: Be sure to use fresh kernels of corn for the best popcorn result.
- Stir: To get a more even pop, stir the popcorn or shake your instant pot every minute. This will help the unpopped kernels get better heat and pop evenly.
- Add Butter: If you want buttery popcorn, you can add 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil. Once it’s melted, you can add your popcorn kernels.
- Use Your Glass Lid: You’ll want to be able to see your popcorn kernels to ensure they’re not burning after a couple of minutes of popping. If you don’t have a glass lid, you’ll want to check it every once in a while, under the lid.
💭 FAQs
Pressure cooker popcorn is a quick and easy way to make homemade popcorn in an Instant Pot. Not only does it cook faster, but it produces less mess and the finished product tastes much better than microwave or stovetop popcorn.
Yes, popcorn is naturally gluten-free and can be enjoyed as a healthy snack when prepared with the right ingredients. Be sure to check the label of any seasoning or condiment you use to make sure it’s gluten-free if necessary.
The popcorn will take around 5 minutes to pop in your Instant Pot.
We recommend using popcorn kernels that are specifically designed for popping corn. These types of kernels will have a higher popped-to-un-popped ratio. You can find corn kernels at your local grocery store in the popcorn aisle or online.
The popcorn will stay fresh for up to one week when stored in an airtight container. You can also store the popped corn in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before consuming, make sure you warm it up properly.
Serving Suggestions
How to serve Instant Pot popcorn:
- Enjoy it as a classic movie snack, tossed with melted butter and a sprinkle of sea salt or your favorite seasoning.
- Mix it with nuts, dried fruits, and even a few chocolate chips for a homemade trail mix.
- Use it as a crunchy topping for salads or soups to add an unexpected twist of texture.
🍜 Related Recipes
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How To Make Pressure Cooker Popcorn
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Corn Kernels
- 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
- Plus Flavorings such as salt sugar, butter, or melted chocolate
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot’s Saute function to high and immediately add the oil inside.If using a pressure king pro, you will need to press the browning button.
- Allow the oil to heat up for about 2 minutes, or until your instant pot displays the word “hot”.
- Add the popcorn kernels to the Instant Pot.Stir the popcorn kernels for about 1 minute before placing the glass instant pot lid on the top.The glass lid is great as it allows you to see the corn popping.
- The popcorn kernels will begin to pop after around 2-3 minutes of heating while covered, you will start to hear the popcorn kernels popping. Turn off the saute button once most of the kernels have popped.
- Add your fresh popcorn into a large bowl. You can now choose how to flavor your hot popcorn.
Nutrition
More Instant Pot Dessert Recipes
For more Instant Pot desserts, try the following:
This is so simple and easy to make. I loved this popcorn recipe. thanks