# Well, I thought I invented the world's best popcorn hack. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928 "2019-01-17T14:33:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/1 "2019-01-17T14:33:32Z")
Last night I decided to pop a bag of popcorn. Sitting on the kitchen counter is a bag of brown sugar left over from the night before. I suddenly became inspired and decided to take a handful of brown sugar and mix it with some melted butter, and drizzle it over the popcorn. Holy crap that was good! Looking on the Internets though, I see I’m not the only one to think of this. Although, others are mixing in cinnamon as well. And even better idea! So, do you guys have any popcorn hacks? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/2 "2019-01-17T14:34:53Z")
When I was a kid, a favourite treat was to coat popcorn in melted butter and cinnamon sugar… ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/3 "2019-01-17T14:46:31Z")
That just ruins it for me. One time I got a bag of kettle popcorn which is basically that monstrosity, man was that stuff horrid. Just salt, butter or some times other oils is all I need for my popcorn, though sometimes I do like it plain. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/4 "2019-01-17T14:48:38Z")
Cheapo Italian seasoning mix($1 at the dollar store) and Parmesan cheese in a jar. If you use expensive seasoning and cheese it’s a foul. The flavors would be too strong. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/5 "2019-01-17T14:53:21Z")
Although I’m a fan of just real butter and popcorn salt, I might give the brown sugar hack a try! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/6 "2019-01-17T15:11:24Z")
Internet hack: every time I read “hack” I mentally replace it with “Hints from Heloise.” And yeah, we regularly make popcorn with butter, salt, and cinnamon sugar, and it’s **awesome**. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/7 "2019-01-17T15:15:56Z")
We have friends who have a Hot Food Party every winter. I try to come up with something original every year (like Hot (spicy) Hot Fudge Sauce on Ice Cream). One year I thought I’d come up with the greatest idea – Hot (Spicy) Popcorn. I went to the store to get popcorn to try it out, and found they already had boxes of Spicy Microwave Popcorn on the shelves. Well, it proves that the idea was good. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/8 "2019-01-17T16:11:03Z")
Instead of brown sugar, try real maple syrup. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/9 "2019-01-17T16:28:13Z")
I mix together butter and lemon olive oil, then sprinkle with both salt and pepper. Occasionally, I like to add curry powder to the butter and oil. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/10 "2019-01-17T17:05:52Z")
I have found a product called bacon salt, which is really just hickory flavoring mixed with salt. Tastes great on popcorn and french fries. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/11 "2019-01-17T17:14:11Z")
I buy that Smart Food stuff. It’s prepopped and flavored so it’s a real timesaving hack. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/12 "2019-01-17T18:02:40Z")
I sometimes put butter and Cajun seasoning on my popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/13 "2019-01-17T18:07:51Z")
Back in my college days I had a friend who would add a bit of powdered ranch dressing mix. ::shudder:: Personally I think he did it so he wouldn’t have to share. ETA: Bacon Salt is da bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/14 "2019-01-17T18:09:00Z")
Melt cinnamon candy disks in a sauce pan and drizzle the resulting syrup over freshly popped, lightly salted popcorn (spread out on a baking pan covered in foil or wax paper). Allow it to cool, then break it up into chunks for hot/salty/sweet treats. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/15 "2019-01-17T18:53:19Z")
I use butter flavor cooking spray and Molly McButter sprinkles. I prefer it over real butter at this point. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/16 "2019-01-17T19:14:50Z")
On my popcorn I sprinkle in turn, a few shakes of salt-free lemon pepper, 1/4 tsp of citric acid (sometimes found in the kosher section as “sour salt”), and a bit of sugar (1/2 tsp to a couple of cups, popped). No butter, don’t like the taste. And yeah, the mixture doesn’t stick well. But that means it falls to the bottom of the bowl and when you’re done with the popcorn, you lick your finger and mop up the peppery, sweet, sour seasoning. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/17 "2019-01-17T19:25:32Z")
Popcorn gets salt, butter, and black pepper! If you haven’t tried this, you really should. The beauty of this is you don’t have to put the pepper on the whole bowl or bag- just try some on a handful. You’ll be glad you did. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/18 "2019-01-17T19:26:42Z")
Smoked paprika is awesome on fresh popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/19 "2019-01-18T15:01:31Z")
For one frightening minute, I thought this post was going to be Norther Piper finally getting his yellow lentils to pip! ( no offense, NP, but that was one funny post) ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928/20 "2019-01-18T15:35:51Z")
Ooh, I have one of these: pop the popcorn in a pan with oil (peanut for preference, I think), and add a few splashes of sesame oil. Too much is overwhelming, but if you get it right it adds a wonderful hint of flavor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-i-thought-i-invented-the-worlds-best-popcorn-hack/827928.md?page=2)