Learn how to make sugar free kettle corn using this recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep sugar from burning in kettle corn? ›

Keep shaking the pan.

This is to avoid burning the sugar and ensure every piece of popcorn is coated with it.

Kettle corn is a type of popcorn that was traditionally made in cast iron kettles. The lightly sweetened popcorn is usually made with just oil and white sugar, but you can mix it up with sugars and sweeteners to suit your taste.

Air popped popcorn uses no oil, meaning it has the fewest calories. “Popping it in oil, however, is a great way to consume a healthy portion of fat to control hunger,” Jeffers says. Not only can you manage serving size, but you can also make it in under 10 minutes in most cases.

Classic popcorn is mostly popped with oil and butter, while kettle popcorn is traditionally air-popped in an iron kettle. Regular popcorn is considered a healthy snack. While kettle popcorn has similar health benefits, you should watch the sugar.

Turn the burner on to low heat to ensure your sugar won't burn or turn to caramel syrup. Using a wooden spoon, continuously stir the sugar in the pot, breaking up any clumps and making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan until the sugar melts. The cook time is only a few minutes, so monitor it at all times.

Sugar does not boil, but instead will re-crystallize at a much higher temperature of 320 degrees Fahrenheit. As the temperature increases the water will reach its boiling point, and turn to steam in the process of evaporation. Meanwhile the sugar will begin to crystallize in the bottom of the vessel.

Boom Chicka Pop Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn

Boom Chicka Pop is a lower-sugar version of Kettle Corn. Some brands of kettle corn can be very high in sugar. Yet this version gives you the same great taste without the stuff you don't want.

However, it is important to check the packaging as prepared bags often contain extra butter or sugar. Instead, people can look for packets of popcorn with light, unsalted butter or fewer calories. People with diabetes should avoid kettle corn varieties, as the extra sweetness comes with additional sugar.

Kettle corn is a variety of popcorn that is seasoned and mixed with light colored refined sugar, salt, and oil, giving it a sweet flavor. Back in the day it was made in cast iron kettles, hence the name “kettle” corn. Why is kettle corn sweet? Because there's sugar in there!

Eating popcorn every night is generally not a problem, as long as it is consumed in moderation and prepared in a healthy manner. However, it's important to consider the nutritional content and portion sizes. Plain air-popped or lightly salted popcorn can be a good low-calorie snack option.

Is popcorn healthier than potato chips? ›

With 31 calories per cup, air-popped popcorn contains much fewer calories than many popular snack foods ( 4 ). One study compared feelings of fullness after eating popcorn and potato chips. They found that 15 calories of popcorn were as filling as 150 calories of potato chips ( 18 ).

“The healthiest way to eat popcorn is typically air-popped with no oil or butter and minimal salt added,” Walsh says. “However, there are numerous bagged popcorn products that come pretty close to matching the nutritional facts of air-popped popcorn such as SkinnyPop or BoomChickaPop.”

While both varieties of popcorn have similar nutritious benefits, sugar added to kettle popcorn is more likely to cause you to gain weight (due to its higher calorie count and addictive nature). However, there is no reason to worry if you consume kettle popcorn every now and then.

In moderation (so as not to spike your blood sugar), antioxidant-rich popcorn can be an excellent anti-inflammatory snack. Be sure to pop kernels on the stove — not in a microwaved bag — to avoid inflammatory chemicals and coatings.

However, in the case of kettle corn, a mixture of oil, sugar, and salt is added to the kettle along with the corn kernels. As the kernels heat up and pop, the sugar caramelizes, resulting in a crunchy, sweet coating on the popcorn.

Due to the high heat of the pot, if you don't transfer the popcorn it will caramelize and perhaps burn.

Regardless of how you pop your popcorn, it is important that you heat the kernels evenly. If you have your heat too high and don't agitate (or shake) your pan steadily, the kernels can be too still and you can burn one side of the kernel.