Pizza Popcorn

Pizza Popcorn is the answer when you’re craving pizza and a movie. Buttery and sprinkled with herbs and cheese, this popcorn will satisfy all your wants and desires!

Pizza popcorn in a bowl with fresh rosemary

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Pizza Popcorn recipe

Every afternoon, around 3 or 4 p.m., it becomes popcorn o’clock at our house. Since my husband and I both work from home, it’s become our go-to snack. We take turns making a big batch to share. 

Most of the time we settle for a simple blend of olive oil and sea salt,  sometimes with a sprinkle of herbs or spices for some extra popcorn pizzazz. And sometimes we splurge on movie theatre butter.

Then one day I dreamed up this Pizza Popcorn. Craving pizza but trying to eat lighter? This popcorn is the answer. It’s tossed with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkled with cheese powder, herbs and pizza seasoning.

Pizza popcorn is perfect for movie night, for a mid-afternoon snack, even a late-night snack.

Pizza popcorn in a bowl with fresh rosemary and a pizza box

Why you’ll love this recipe

Pizza popcorn is the perfect snack or appetizer! It’s always a hit because….

  • It’s easy to put together with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
  • Pizza popcorn works beautifully as a movie night snack, afternoon snack or appetizer for a pizza party.
  • You can customize it with your favorite pizza toppings.

How to make perfect popcorn

Though my love for popcorn goes back to childhood, this afternoon snack habit started when my husband and I got one of these popcorn bowls as a wedding present. These things are a total game changer. 

You can make a huge, perfect batch of perfectly-popped popcorn, with no harmful chemicals, no paper waste, no burnt kernels. I’m serious. If you like popcorn, this bowl will change your life.  

It took me a few tries to get it right, but it’s become one of our favorite recipes. 

But if you don’t have one of these bowls, all you need is plain popcorn. You can buy it popped or you can pop kernels in the paper bag method or on the stove. Check out these methods for popping popcorn from The Cookful.

Pizza popcorn in a bowl with fresh rosemary

Pizza popcorn seasoning

To make pizza popcorn, you’ll need a few toppings to mix together.

The cheesy herb topping is what gives it alllllll the pizza flavor. You’ll need:

Italian herbs seasoning usually contains dried oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil and sage, so if you don’t have the mixed kind on hand, you could absolutely throw on some of these others. Oregano and basil will have the most pizza-ish (yes, I’m making that a word) flavor.

Best cheese powder for pizza popcorn

To mimic the mozzarella on pizza, white cheese powder works best to add cheesy flavor to popcorn.

White cheese powder is different than the yellow powder you get on cheddar cheese popcorn. The grated parmesan that comes in a bottle would work fine as a substitute or in addition.

Instead of the white cheese powder, you can use nutritional yeast for a vegan option (be sure to use olive oil as a binder, too.)

The red chili flakes will add some spice, so add those at your own risk, or just add a pinch. You could also sprinkle on some black pepper if you like.

Pizza popcorn toppings and mix-ins

If you want to add some more mix-ins to your pizza, here are some ideas:

  • pepperoni, cut into small pieces
  • dried pineapple chunks
  • red pepper flakes
  • bacon bits
  • Cheeze-its
  • chopped fresh basil
Pizza popcorn in a bowl with fresh rosemary and a pizza box

How to get toppings to stick to popcorn

To get seasonings to stick to popcorn, it’s best to add some kind of binder, such as:

  • melted butter
  • olive oil
  • avocado oil

For this pizza popcorn, I used a copious coating of melted butter. Half a stick sounds like a lot, but trust me — it helps with the flavor and getting the herbs to coat every kernel!

If you prefer something lighter, you can use a drizzle of olive oil instead. 

Pizza popcorn in a bowl with fresh rosemary

How to make pizza popcorn 

Start with a batch of plain, unflavored popped popcorn.

I typically pop a 1/4 cup of kernels in my silicone popcorn. Pop it in your microwave until the popping begins to slow down considerably until you can count about 2 seconds between pops. 

While your popcorn is popping, mix together your cheese powder, salt and herbs. 

Then, melt your butter. While it melts, pour the popcorn into a large bowl. 

Pour half of the butter over your popcorn, then toss to coat. Then repeat with the other half. Tossing is important, so try to coat every single kernel. 

Lastly, you’ll sprinkle half of your cheesy herb mixture over top, then toss and repeat. Don’t skip that step! 

Pizza popcorn in a bowl with fresh rosemary

More pizza appetizers

Make a warm Pizza Dip with Breadstick Bites to start the party. Everyone will love dipping breadsticks into this cheesy dip.

Pizza Rolls in the Air Fryer would be a huge hit! These cheesy, stuffed treats will be gone in no time.

Anyone would love digging into this amazing Pepperoni Bread.

More popcorn recipes

Pizza popcorn in a bowl with fresh rosemary

Pizza Popcorn

Yield: 8 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Pizza Popcorn is a tasty snack that will satisfy all your cravings for pizza and popcorn at once!
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ingredients

instructions

  • Pour popcorn into a large serving bowl or mixing bowl.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the cheese powder, salt and seasonings and set aside.
  • Pour half of the melted butter over your popcorn, then toss to coat. Repeat with the other half, and toss again.
  • Sprinkle half of your cheesy herb mixture over top, then toss to coat. Repeat with the other half, and toss one more time.

notes

I typically pop ¼ cup kernels in my silicone popcorn bowl in the microwave. Three minutes on high is the magic number for me, but the trick is to wait until popping slows to about 2 seconds between pops.

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nutrition information

Yield: 8 cups

amount per serving:

Serving: 1cups Calories: 737kcal Carbohydrates: 128g Protein: 20g Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 6g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 24mg Sodium: 665mg Potassium: 459mg Fiber: 21g Sugar: 7g Vitamin A: 185IU Vitamin C: 0.3mg Calcium: 25mg Iron: 5mg
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Comments

  1. April Blake says

    This looks so good. I love popcorn with those seasoning shakers. Have you thought about adding dried tomato powder into this mix to make it even pizzaier? Ooooh.

  2. Dana McCurdy says

    Susannah,

    My houe loves popcorn too and what a great way to jazz it up with thie recipe.

    Thank you for sharing.

    I enjoy reading your blog.

    Cheers!

    • Susannah says

      Thank you so much for stopping by to leave a comment, Dana! I’m so glad I’m not alone in my popcorn fanaticism.

  3. Radianttmoon says

    Oh goodness. I’m late to the party but you betcha I’m going to be making this ASAP! Found this recipe on Pinterest 😉

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