Maple-Bacon Kettle Popcorn
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Crisp bacon tossed with maple syrup. Popcorn popped in the reserved bacon grease. Popcorn and maple-infused bacon mixed together.
Not for the faint of heart. Or New Year’s diets.
But wow, so worth it. I love all kinds of popcorn. Regular, old-fashioned popcorn. Kettle corn. Caramel-peanut popcorn. White cheddar popcorn. Spicy popcorn. Movie theater popcorn (one of the best things about seeing a movie in the theater!). Much like pepperoni pizza and chocolate, popcorn is one of those things that I could easily eat every single day. So finding new and delicious varieties is fun. And maple-bacon kettle popcorn is most definitely a new and delicious variety. If you liked the Brown Sugar-Bacon Buttermilk Waffles, I think you’ll be a fan of this popcorn!
The popcorn is fairly easy and can be finished in less than 30 minutes. Perfect to whip up for a movie night or your kid’s sleepover! Here’s how to do it…
Fry up 4 slices of bacon. I love frying bacon in my cast iron skillet. Always tastes amazing.
Once the bacon is done and removed from the pan, pour out the bacon grease.
If it’s not at least ¼ cup, add vegetable oil to get it to ¼ cup.
Add the grease/oil, popping corn, sugar and salt and pop away!
Meanwhile, chop up the bacon once it’s cool and toss it together with the maple syrup.
Pop, mix, and enjoy!
Maple-Bacon Kettle Popcorn
Yield: About 4 to 6 adult snackers
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, cooked and grease reserved
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ cup corn kernels for popping
¼ cup cooking oil (use the reserved bacon grease and add extra vegetable/canola/olive oil to make ¼ cup)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1½ teaspoon saltDirections:
1. Fry the bacon in a skillet until brown and crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Once cool, chop into small pieces and toss with the maple syrup.
2. Measure out the reserved bacon grease into a measuring cup. If you don't have a ¼ cup, add vegetable, canola or olive oil to make ¼ cup total.
3. Put the cooking grease/oil in a large pan and add the corn kernels. Sprinkle with the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Heat the stove to medium heat, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and wait until you hear the first couple of kernels pop.
4. Once the popping begins, use two pot holders to hold lid on the pot and shake the pot, then return to the burner. Continue to do this often throughout the popping process, every minute or two. This will help ensure that the sugar doesn't burn.
5. Once the popping is done, remove the lid and salt the popcorn with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Use a large spoon to stir the popcorn. Pour in the bacon and maple syrup mixture. Toss together and serve.
Note 1: If you've never made popcorn on the stovetop you may find this tutorial helpful: How to Make Perfect Homemade Popcorn.
Note 2: If you reaaallly love bacon, you will probably want to double the amount of bacon and maple syrup in this recipe. I plan to do that next time!
(Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker)
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I died when I saw this. I NEED to make this. Right now.
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Lollie on February 3rd, 2011 at 3:20 pm
me too!
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What a sinful little snack! Looks divine, Michelle!
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Yum! This is definitely going on my Superbowl Party menu.
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Genius- you can sell me an anything with the addition of bacon!
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I love sweetened popcorn so much. This looks amazing!
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I one of those people who could eat popcorn everyday too! This recipe sounds so delicious!
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LOVE POPCORN AND BACON. NEVER HEARD OF DOING IT THIS WAY BUT I’M DEFINITELY GONNA TRY IT. I DON’T THINK I’LL EVER GET OFF THE TREADMILL.
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Stop everything: I think this is the best recipe I’ve read all week. For all bacon-lovers out there, this has to be a must.
Do you have any tips for popping popcorn over a stove? I’ve only ever used microwaveable bags and air poppers before.
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Michelle on January 19th, 2011 at 9:09 am
Hi Mary, I actually did a tutorial on making popcorn on the stove awhile ago; below is the link. Enjoy!
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/08/03/how-to-make-perfect-homemade-popcorn/
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This reminds me of kettle corn on steroids. Oh my. I love this idea!
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I could for sure eat popcorn everyday!! Kettle corn is amazing. I’ve never actually made kettle corn before….. I guess I should really get on that:)
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Sounds like a perfect salty/sweet combo. Mmm. (:
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Sinfully good!
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There was a bacon popcorn recipe from Top Chef Just Desserts, but this is so much easier and looks even better – I’ve put it on my “to make” list.
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WHAT?!? This is the best recipe I have ever seen.
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I hope you gave some of that bacon grease to Einstein
What a fabulous idea. I am worried i would eat the whole bowl and then be passed out on my couch.
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Josh will love this:)
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Oh my goodness. I need this RIGHT NOW!
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Oh – I bet that is so good! Great pictures, as always!
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I love the salty sweet bacon. It reminds me of fav brunch at clinton street bakery in new york city. Such a great snack idea with the pocorn
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My mother used to pop popcorn in bacon fat when I was a kid…from the can she kept on the stove.
There is NO better popcorn…i’ve not had it in many years..stop tempting me! lol
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This looks so perfect right now!
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WOW. I’m forwarding to my boyfriend ASAP. This combines two of his all-time favorite things, the first being bacon.
Thanks for this!
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Bacon + popcorn? 2011 just got that much better
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Oh yum…I’ve thought of adding bacon before but maple? Genius!
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Looks delicious…I absolutely love popcorn! Thanks for sharing.
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Oh my oh my oh my … that’s all I can say … wow! I would never ever stop eating popcorn if this is the way it was served all the time. Great recipe – thank you for sharing!
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O lala, this looks tempting, great idea:)
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Oh wow! My husband will be all OVER this!
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holy cow… or should i say pig? =P i love kettlecorn… and i have yet to attempt any sweets w/ bacon so i think it’s about time! i can picture serving this at a superbowl party! =)
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Why can’t they serve this at the movie theatre??
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I would love to try some of that!
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Oh my goodness gracious. Yes please!
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What an amazing combo of sweet and salty! I bet I could devour an entire batch all by myself!
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Holy moly! I love this so much. I loved this when Joy made it and I love it now. Soooo good looking.
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I’ll take 2 portions, please, for our movie night
) DELICIOUS!
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My kettle corn always burns before hardly any of the corn has popped – do you have any tips?
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Michelle on February 15th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Hi Kate, This is how I always pop my stovepop popcorn and I hardly ever have unpopped kernels:
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/08/03/how-to-make-perfect-homemade-popcorn/
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Cheryl on September 8th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
I realize this is several months late, but maybe it’ll be helpful.
You might try sprinkling the sugar over top of the popcorn *just* as the kernels start to pop (instead of when you first put them in the oil), then covering and shaking as per the recipe. That’s how I always make my kettle corn, and it never burns. I also take it off the heat just as the popping starts to slow down – I might have a few unpopped kernels, but no burnt ones.
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Thanks for posting – it looks great. Maybe this will get me out of my microwave popcorn addiction?
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I usually eat plain salty pop-corn. I think I will give this recipe a try. Thank you for sharing.
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I’d have never thought to do this, but I’m thrilled to be thinking it… I HAVE TO HAVE THIS! Thank you for the sweet-savory post!
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HOLY MOLY!!!!! this looks and sounds ahhhhmazing! if I weren’t on a diet I would make it RIGHT NOW!!!
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If you put this in a bag and sold it, you would be a millionaire and I would be your best customer!
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YOU ARE A GENIUS! OMG – I love popcorn and also agree that the popcorn is one of the best things about seeing a movie at the theatre. And who doesn’t like bacon? CRAZIES! This recipe is true genius and I applaud your creativity – this has to make Foodbuzz top nine!
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Awesome flavor idea! I have been addicted to bacon lately…
I wonder how a sprinkle of crushed sage would be? Sage and pork go really well together.
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You’re killing me here! This is totally amazing and something I MUST make since becoming addicted to kettle corn on a visit to the US a while back (I even imported a Whirley-pop specially for the purpose). Public holiday here Wednesday – I’m on it!
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I’m scared to make this. I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop eating it…and making more…and eating it…and making more…
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I don’t think I’ll go back to plain popcorn EVER again! This looks so delicious!
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Wow! Just wow! I soooooo want to eat this right now! And I have no bacon. Or maple syrup. Or popcorn.
Aaaaauuuuuuugggghhhhhhhhhh!
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Wow… I will have to make this for a friend of ours who has been seriously bacon-crazed lately. I know he’ll love it. Yum!
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Amazing! You’ve combined three of my favorite foods…
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You are evil, my friend. And I mean that in the best way possible. Really, this looks fantastic!
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I am NOT on a diet! Mwahaha! I will have to try this. Really, if you have this once and you run around the block a few dozen times… you’ll be fine! jk jk. I say – indulge! How often do we have bacon grease?
What an amazingly creative recipe!
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2 of my favorites things bacon and popcorn. I have to try this!! Thanks for the recipe
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OK – so tried it for our Australia Day celebrations (which largely involved sitting outside, eating and drinking until the time my husband felt like lighting the barbie), and must report that it is EVIL. You are also evil for posting it, and I’m sure I am going to hell for the handfuls and handfuls of it I ate. Or at least, the gym.
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This is the most amazing snack I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much!
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Bacon… the most beautiful thing on Earth. Bacon’s the best. Even the sound of bacon frying sounds like applause. The only bad part of bacon is that it makes you thirsty… for MORE BACON!
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