All the flavor of smoked cheddar with none of the dairy! This snack is a nutritious substitute for potato chips and is great for game day and road trips.
If you're not sure how much chili powder to use, start by adding just a 1/4 teaspoon to the spice mix. Then, after mixing it into the popcorn, taste and decide whether to add more. Add more chili, if desired, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, mixing between each addition, until optimal spice level is achieved.
ingredients
4 oz (1/2 cup) Popcorn Kernels
3.0 oz (6 Tablespoons) Peanut, Canola, or Vegetable oil, divided
1.5 oz (3 1/2 Tablespoons) Nutritional Yeast
2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
6 Grams (1 Teaspoon) Table Salt, or to taste
1/4 - 1 Teaspoon Pure Chile Powder, such as Cayenne
1 Teaspoon Sugar, brown or demerara preferred
deviations & tips
1/4 teaspoon chile powder = mild
1/2 teaspoon chile powder = medium
3/4 teaspoon chile powder = hot
1 teaspoon chile powder = very hot
prepare the popcorn
To a 6 quart or larger pot, add 2 tablespoons/1 oz of oil along with popcorn kernels. Cover pot with aluminum foil and use a knife to poke holes in the top. Heat over medium. When you start to hear the oil sizzle, occasionally shake pot. When you hear the popcorn pop, shake pot almost constantly to keep popcorn from burning. This will take about 3 minutes. If you can count to 3 between "pops", remove popcorn from heat.
Drizzle 4 tablespoons/2 oz of oil over prepared popcorn and stir until evenly distributed. In a spice mill or blender, combine nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, salt, chili powder, and sugar. Mill to a fine powder. Shake powder over popcorn. Stir and toss until evenly coated. Add any more salt, chile, and/or oil to taste. Enjoy immediately or store completely cooled popcorn in air tight container.
