Oil-Free Popcorn Tips + Chili Cheez Popcorn Recipe (Vegan)

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Brian LOVES going to movies, and his favorite part used to be getting a nice, giant tub of popcorn. Unfortunately, movie theater popcorn is full of oil, butter, salt and who knows what else, so it is off limits for us on our whole food, plant-based diet.

A few weeks ago, we finally made it to the theater to see Detective Pikachu. It was so good! Afterwards, Brian wanted some popcorn, so we went home and got our air popper out. It can be tricky to make oil-free popcorn taste delicious, but Brian has been experimenting with different methods and seasoning mixes over the past year, so we thought we’d share his findings!

Watch video above, check out the tips & recipe below and let us know if you try it out! Scroll down for more information on the products featured in the video.

PLEASE NOTE: If you choose to purchase any products through the links on this page, we receive a small commission from each sale at NO extra cost to you. All proceeds go back into making more content!

Brian’s Oil-Free Popcorn Tips:

Tip #1: Use an air popper

This may seem simple, but a few years ago I actually had no idea these existed. A simple air popper will allow you to pop your popcorn very easily and quickly without adding oil or anything to the kernels. The only unfortunate part is – the resulting popcorn is not that tasty when it is plain. You’ll definitely need to season it up!

NOTE: We have an older model Orville Redenbacher air popper. I couldn’t find that one for sale anymore, so I suggest browsing the reviews on Amazon to find a good one.

Tip #2: Spray the popcorn with some kind of liquid (or the seasoning won’t stick!)

We like to use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, which you can buy in a convenient spray bottle. You can also try spraying your popcorn with pickle juice, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, etc. Just make sure you don’t spray TOO much on. There is a delicate balance – not enough spray and your seasonings won’t stick, too much and it will be soggy. It will take some practice to get the right balance.

Tip #3: Make sure your seasoning mix is a super fine powder

The key to making tasty oil-free popcorn is getting the seasoning to stick. If you try to use regular salt, nutritional yeast or other seasonings, they won’t stick very well. We like to grind our seasonings in a coffee grinder, which turns the mix into a fine dust/powder and allows it to stick to the popcorn better. You could also use a mortar & pestle to grind your seasonings (I just bought this one for Brian to play around with, so I’m sure you’ll see it in future videos).

Tip #4: Eat your popcorn FRESH & season immediately after spraying with your liquid of choice

Once your popcorn is done, you’ll want to spray it immediately and then add your seasoning mix right away! This will help everything stick better. The fresher it is, the tastier your popcorn will be.

Tip #5: Use a bowl with a lid to shake everything up

To get the best even coating (without making a mess), you will want to use a bowl that has a tight fitting lid. We use Tupperware mixing bowls (which are the same ones we use to eat our giant salads every night).

Seasoning Your Popcorn

The ingredients for our “Chili Cheez” Mix

There are so many different seasonings you can try out! We included our favorite homemade mix below, but leave a comment and let us know what your favorite popcorn seasonings are.

Chili Cheez Popcorn

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

The nutritional yeast gives this a cheesy flavor that blends nicely with the kick from the chili powder and the smokiness of the paprika!

Ingredients

  • – 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
  • – 10-15 sprays of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

Chili Cheez Seasoning Mix

  • – 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • – 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • – 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • – 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • – 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • – 1/4 tsp cumin
  • – 1/4 tsp salt (OPTIONAL)

Directions

  1. Measure all of the ingredients for the seasoning mix into a spice/coffee grinder or mortar & pestle. Grind until you have a fine powder.
  2. Place 1/4 cup popcorn kernels into your air popper and pop! If possible, pop your popcorn into a bowl that has a tight fitting lid.
  3. Immediately after it pops, spray the popcorn with Liquid Aminos (approx. 10-15 sprays). You will want a nice, even coating so your seasoning mix will stick.
  4. Coat with a generous portion of your seasoning mix. You will not need the entire mix for 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels, so save any extras in a sealed container for next time!
  5. Secure the lid on your bowl (if possible) and shake the popcorn up vigorously until evenly coated.

Makes about 7-8 cups of popped popcorn. Enjoy!


Sometimes we are lazy and don’t feel like making our own mix. We fell in love with this Pop Zest seasoning a few months back. It is basically a flavored nutritional yeast and they make three different varieties – Artisan Cheese, Butter and Olive Oil & Herb. All three varieties are vegan! It is already a fine powder, so you can just spray your popcorn with your liquid of choice and then sprinkle some of this on.

**UPDATE** Since posting this video, we have discovered that Pop Zest recently changed their recipes. Unlike the packages we have in our pantry, all three varieties now list either extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil as their final ingredient. The packages in our pantry also list a variety of tree nuts as ingredients, but those are not included in the newer versions. Please read any labels carefully before purchasing if you have any specific restrictions / allergies!

Featured Products:

Detective Pikachu on DVD
Air Poppers on Amazon
KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder
Bragg Liquid Aminos Spray Bottle
Simply Organic Chili Powder *You may not realize that a lot of chili powders have salt added to them! We like this one from Whole Foods because it is salt-free.
Tupperware Set of 3 Impressions Classic Nesting Bowls
Pop Zest *NOTE: See note above. Their new recipes do include some oil.
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20 Responses to Oil-Free Popcorn Tips + Chili Cheez Popcorn Recipe (Vegan)

  1. Eliana says:

    Jessica, your hair looks so cute!!!!nice!
    Brian, thank you so much for the recipe. Very yummy! I love the idea of using Bragg’s to have the powder adhere to the popcorn. Great tip!

    Blessings!

  2. Alan Abbott says:

    I have just bought a silicon microwave popcorn maker and it’s great! 1/4 cup in the bottom. In our microwave 1:40
    and we have a bowl of popcorn (It said start at 2 ins but when I tried 2:20 we had total burnt corn!) 1:40 and no un-popped corn or burnt. Haven’t tried the seasoning yet as I quite like just plain and my wife doesn’t like spicy (me? I eat carolina reapers lol).
    The silicon popcorn maker collapses down to nothing which is good as we are out of room in the kitchen lol. Love the channel.

  3. Dee says:

    Brian/Jessica, have any suggestions to good tasting nutritional yeast from Amazon or Wal-Mart? Don’t have trader Joe’s and don’t want to pay for shipping from there.

    • Hello! We have tried a couple of other brands. Please note, we are Amazon affiliates, so if you use any of our Amazon links, we do receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). The first one we like is Bragg’s – https://amzn.to/2yMIwPH – this one is fortified. If you are looking for a non-fortified version, we like this one – https://amzn.to/2T3j1m8. There is a lot of debate over whether the fortified versions are good for you… we don’t use a TON of it, so we just buy the fortified kind from Trader Joe’s. We used to buy the Braggs one a lot, but found that the TJ one was cheaper and has more protein.

  4. Nicole says:

    I finally made this! Waiting for a delicious popcorn topping and this one is it! It’s got some kick! Yummy! Thanks for all you both do!

  5. Laureen says:

    I personally like a non-spicy version where I sub dried dill weed for the chili powder and extra onion powder for the smoked paprika. I also add salt, Because for me it’s hard enough trying to eat plant-based and oil free. I’m not yet ready/willing to give up my salt. That being said, I am trying to reduce it, I just don’t feel that l would enjoy popcorn if it was low sodium. Anyhow, thanks for these tips!

  6. Joan Belson says:

    Have you tried Everything but the bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s, on popcorn? It is delicious.

  7. Batty Royale says:

    Flavor God makes a really great Nacho cheese spice. No cheese. Great on everything, including popcorn.

  8. Jo Hopkins says:

    Hi Jessica and Brian! I’m just starting an “Eat to Live’ lifestyle and I’m currently on the 6 Week Plan. The plan calls for just 1 cup of whole grains or starchy vegetables per day and I have 1/2 cup of oatmeal each morning, which only leaves me 1/2 cup left for the day. How do I fit popcorn (which is a whole grain, if I’m correct) into the plan? I can’t stop at just 1/2 cup of popcorn! lol I do use an air popper, but my husband doesn’t like popcorn, so if I make a batch and only eat 1/2 cup, I’m wasting the whole rest of the batch. Thanks for any help!

    • We tried not to be too crazy with counting, but I would say generally if Brian was having popcorn, he would skip the oatmeal that day. And he didn’t eat popcorn every day – just a once in a while treat.

  9. Bridget Cullett says:

    I thought I was stuck with dry, bland air popped popcorn so this was lovely. My hot air popper is useless so I actually used a silicone microwave bowl I got from Amazon made by Fenzella. All but 3 kernels popped out of 1/4 cup. I recommend it.

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