Popcorn is a favourite snack of mine. I could eat copious amounts of it every night if I let myself.

I used to eat the microwave kind and while I was pregnant and then breastfeeding my very favourite was the microwave kettle corn. It was sweet, salty, carb-y, and totally awesome.  Until I started to read more about the chemicals they use in the bags you pop it in, I would eat an entire bag all to myself sometimes. Okay, most of the time.

Little did I know at the time that the inside of a microwave popcorn bag is coated in the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (or PFOA) which has been linked to different cancers, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and even infertility. What should have been a healthy, fibre-filled snack was being cooked in a weird chemical I didn’t even know existed, let alone know it could be harmful.

I immediately kicked my microwaved kettle corn habit to the curb and started to make myself the stovetop kind. IT IS SO MUCH BETTER. I have never once wanted microwave popcorn again. It’s just completely gross to me now. When I tried it recently at a friend’s house, it left a weird coating in my mouth that I couldn’t get rid of and there was no flavour and less crunch.

Most of the time, I eat my stovetop popcorn with just a bit of Himalayan pink salt sprinkled on top, but sometimes I want something fancier. That’s where this recipe comes in. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy I crave and makes an awesome party snack.

Sriracha & Honey Glazed Popcorn

Inspired by Family Feedbag

• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• sea salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp. sriracha hot sauce

To make the popcorn, add the oil to a large pot and place it over medium heat. Place 3 or 4 single popcorn kernels in the pot and put the lid on. Once these kernels pop, your oil is hot enough to add the rest of the kernels. Add all of the kernels in the pot at once and swish them around a bit in the oil to coat them. Put the lid back on and they will start to pop. It will be slow at first, with one popping at a time and then it will pick up. Once the popping has settled down to only one kernel popping every few seconds, take the pot off the heat and wait a minute before removing the lid to make sure the popping has completely stopped. Remove the lid and then sprinkle and toss with a bit of sea salt to taste.

To make the glaze, melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave safe dish for about 20 seconds. Add in the honey and the sriracha and then microwave the glaze for 20 more seconds. Stir to combine.

Drizzle the popcorn with the glaze while stirring with a big spoon to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.