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What’s the ultimate snack time snack?!
POPCORN!!!!
For me, at least, it has always been a nice buttery, salty bowl of popcorn. I never really have craved a bag of potato chips, or Cheetos in my adulthood, but a bowl of popcorn? Yes please!
Growing up, my parents and I had a lot of movie nights. And more often then not, my dad would microwave a bag of popcorn. Such a fun treat for movie night.
I bet my dad is going to love this recipe. It’s microwave paper bag popcorn – and it’s his level of easy (no offense, dad!š)
That’s right, popcorn that’s made in a lunch paper bag, in the microwave. No pre-filled bag needed. We’re going to DIY microwave popcorn!
And it’s so stinking simple. I swear, you will never go back to making the store bought microwave kind again!
It’s just as easy to make, tastes better, and is healthier for you! No oil necessary!
Fluffy, lightly salted, perfectly buttered popcorn all made in a lunch paper bag?
Let’s do this!!!
What you need for microwave paper bag popcorn:
- Butter – beautiful, real butter for the ultimate buttery taste. This is of course optional, but highly recommended. Without butter the popcorn is kind of flavorless, and dry. But, by all means, you do you.
- Popcorn kernels – just your basic old popcorn kernels for popping, nothing fancy. Inexpensive, but delicious.
- Lunch paper bag – to pop the popcorn in. The old-school ones that your lunch used to be packed in for school. They are cheap, but they do the job.
- Popcorn salt – for that salty goodness. All popcorn salt is, is salt that is ground up into a fine powder so that it evenly coats the popcorn. I make my own popcorn salt by grinding kosher salt up in a spice grinder, then I keep it on hand for whenever I want to make popcorn. Or, you can easily buy some.
That’s all you need for making your own popcorn in the microwave!
No extra oil. Nothing! It’s pretty much air-popped popcorn, only, done in the convenience of the microwave!
How to make microwave paper bag popcorn?
- Melt the butter – I like to get the butter ready so you can drizzle it on the popcorn right when it’s done.
- Microwave the popcorn – add the popcorn kernels to the paper bag. Fold the opening of the paper bag onto itself twice, to seal it. Place the paper bag on it’s side in the microwave. Microwave on high for 1:30 to 2:30 minutes. The timing will depend on the wattage of your microwave.
- Add the salt and butter – Once the popcorn is done popping, dump it in a bowl. Pour the butter over top, sprinkle of over the salt, and toss to combine.
- Enjoy – Serve the popcorn immediately. Warm, fresh popcorn, can’t be beat it!!!
Couldn’t be any easier!
How long should I microwave my popcorn?
Timing can vary depending on the wattage of your microwave. It may take one or two test rounds to get the perfect timing right.
Cook time can range form 1:30 minutes to 2:30 minutes. You will know to stop the popcorn when you start to hear the popping slow down. It’s better to remove it a tad early then to burn it.
My microwave is 1,100 wattage, and 2 minutes is the perfect amount of cook time. Reduce, or increase the time accordingly to the wattage of your microwave.
Tip: never walk away from the popcorn while it’s popping. Use your nose to smell for burning, and your ears to hear when the popping starts to slow down. That’s a good indication that it’s ready.
Is it safe to microwave popcorn in a paper bag?
Yes. I haven’t had any problems.
Of course, don’t leave the microwave unattended while the popcorn is cooking. And, use your senses. If you smell it burning, stop it immediately.
Generally, I don’t think there is anything to worry about.
Is microwave popcorn good for you?
Word on the street is that traditional, store bought, microwave packets are often filled with artificial chemical butter flavoring, instead of real butter. They can also have excess oils in it, not the good kind. And, they can be really high in sodium.
So, no, microwave popcorn packets aren’t the healthiest snack for consuming on a regular basis.
Never fear though, we have a solution!
Homemade microwave paper bag popcorn, to the rescue!!!
Why is this recipe for microwave paper bag popcorn healthier?
No artificial flavors, no low quality oil – in fact, no oil at all, And, you’re in control of the sodium level.
This recipe only has 5g of fat (with butter), 78.7mg sodium, and 99 calories, per 2 cup serving of popped popcorn.
It is hard to find a comparison of nutrition information for store bought microwave popcorn. The nutrition facts vary from brand to brand due to variations on the size of the bags and ingredients used, etc. But, in conclusion of my quick research, at the very least, the fat content, and the sodium content are way higher in a store bought version of generic microwave popcorn.
Bottom line: when you make your own microwave paper bag popcorn you are eating a snack that….
- is lower in fat
- is flavored with real butter
- lower in sodium
- has no artificial flavors
- has no chemicals
- is oil free
*(compared to store bought microwave popcorn packets).
Sounds like a winner to me!
How to make popcorn without oil?
I did not test this recipe with oil in it. Would it pop better? Maybe. But, my goal was to keep this recipe as healthy as possible and when you HAVE to add oil, or extra butter to popcorn made in a pan, why not eliminate it when it’s not absolutely necessary?
For me, this popcorn is perfectly fluffy, there are hardly any un-popped kernels, and I love the fresh taste it has compared to store bought microwave popcorn. Plus, the freshly melted, real butter provides the best flavor. Always!
What’s the difference between your stovetop popcorn recipe, and this one?
About a year ago I shared a recipe for the best stovetop popcorn (with nutritional yeast)…so which one is better?!
Honestly, I love them both.
The stovetop popcorn recipe feels more fancy, and fun to make.
I especially recommend making popcorn on the stove top if you never have before, just for the experience. It does tend to get a little more fluffy than the microwave version, but I think both are a real tasty option.
Recently, we have been making the microwave paper bag popcorn version more often, mostly due to it’s convenience. No extra pan to wash, and quicker cook time.
Both methods of cooking popcorn is a road to a delicious, healthier snack option.
Chose your own adventure.
Reasons you will make this popcorn recipe on repeat:
- It’s delicious
- And crunchy
- Perfectly salted
- Has a real buttery flavor
- It’s filling, but not heavy
- It’s so, so easy to make
- Only takes 7 minutes to make
- It’s low in calories
- It’s oil free
- It’s naturally gluten free
- It’s naturally vegetarian
- It’s a favorite snack enjoyed by kids, and adults alike
- The perfect movie night snack.
- Did I mention, it’s tasty?!
More healthy snacks:
- the best stovetop popcorn (with nutritional yeast) – the fun, but slightly fancier way to make popcorn. So delicious, and worth it!
- healthy Greek yogurt dill dip – perfect for dipping veggies!
- easy jalapeno sauce – Grab some tortilla chips. This one is so good!
- slow cooker curried trail mix – salty, savory, and sweet. So easy to make too.
- 8 ingredient homemade salsa – couldn’t be any easier….or more snackable!
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment down below, along with a star rating. Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram #robustrecipes. I love hearing from you.
Print
Microwave Paper Bag Popcorn (No Oil)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 2 mins
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: snack, sides, easy, 10 ingredients or less
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, meatless, egg free, nut free
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Microwave paper bag popcorn is so easy. It only requires a few simple ingredients, and takes only minutes to make. It’s healthier than traditional store bought microwave packets. The perfect snack!
Ingredients
- optional: 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
- 1/4 teaspoon popcorn salt (see notes)
Instructions
- Melt the butter: If are using butter, melt it in the microwave, gently – set aside.
- Microwave the popcorn: Add the popcorn kernels to small lunch size paper bag. Fold the opening of the paper bag over twice to seal it. Place the paper bag on it’s side in the microwave. Pop on full power for 1:30 mins to 2:30 mins. The timing will depend on the wattage of your microwave. Mine is 1,100 watts and 2 minutes is perfect – make sure to decrease, or increase your cook time accordingly to the wattage of your microwave. This might take one or two times of trial and error to get the timing just right so that in the future you know exactly how long to pop your popcorn. You will want to stop cooking the popcorn once there are a few seconds between each pop.
- Add salt and butter: You can add the melted butter (if using) and salt to the bag and shake it up, but I find there is better distribution of the seasoning and butter if I transfer it to a large mixing bowl. My bowls have lids, so I add the popped popcorn, butter and salt, place the lid on, and shake it to mix. No lid? Just use a spoon, or your hands, to give everything a good toss.
- Enjoy: Of course, popcorn is best eaten fresh and warm, so dig in.
Notes
Oil option – I know the title specifically says “no oil”, but I started making the popcorn using 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of avocado oil and that tiny bit of oil does help the final popcorn to pop larger and fluffier than without the oil. I think that either method results in great popcorn, but I did want to mention that the added oil is an option, if you want. I just add the 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of avocado oil (or other neutral tasting oil) to the bag of kernels, shake it around in the bag so the kernels are coated, and proceed with the recipe.
Butter: Even though the butter is optional, without it the salt doesn’t stick to the popcorn as well – so I highly recommend it.
Vegan/dairy free: For a vegan/dairy free version you can use vegan butter instead. Or omit the butter.
Popcorn salt: all popcorn salt is, is kosher salt that’s ground up into a fine powder. This is so that the salt sticks evenly to the kernels instead of being big clumps of salt. I highly recommend it.
How to make your own popcorn salt: Place a few tablespoons of kosher salt in to a spice grinder (AKA a coffee grinder designated for spices) and whiz away until the salt is powdery. Transfer to a jar for storage. I always keep some on hand for whenever we want popcorn. If you get clumps in your popcorn salt, I just use a spoon to break up the clumps so it’s smooth again. If you don’t have a spice grinder, then I recommend buying popcorn salt.
Nutritional yeast: one of your favorite popcorn toppings is nutritional yeast! A must try for a fun flavor twist.
How to make smaller portions of popcorn: You can easily make 1 serving of popcorn: 2 tablespoons popcorn kernels, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 1/8 teaspoon popcorn salt. I reduce the cook time by about 10 seconds (1:50 mins). Again, cook time varies depending on the wattage of your microwave.
I can’t imagine why this doesn’t work for me. It’s so simple but it didn’t pop very much popcorn. Tried multiple times but even doubling the cooking time, and closely monitoring it, didn’t improve it.
Hi, I am sorry this hasn’t been working out for you – that is strange. My first thought is, are your popcorn kernels old? If they are on the older side, that can affect how well they pop. And they may pop decently when you use a stove top method, or air popper method. If all else fails, you could try adding a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of avocado, or other neutral tasting oil to help promote cooking. Hope this helps.