Mix up some homemade ranch popcorn seasoning, and use it in this easy ranch popcorn recipe. Snack time just leveled UP!
Y'all, I love ranch. Before I went vegan, one of my favorite treats was a plate of tater tots at The Highlander topped with pickled jalapeños and plenty of ranch for dipping.
Now, I satisfy that greasy tot craving with a side of cashew ranch dressing, but who says that the ranch party has to stop there?
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About the ingredients
- Dried dill/parsley brings the herbal flavor that you love about ranch. You can do all dill, all parsley, or half and half.
- Onion powder and garlic powder bring the umami flavor to the table.
- Lemon pepper brightens up the flavor and adds the mildest of kick.
- Nutritional yeast adds that creaminess you'd want in a cool ranch.
- Salt enhances all of those ranch flavors. You may need more or less depending on the vegan butter and spices you use, so you'll salt to taste at the end.
- Popcorn kernels are, of course, essential.
- Melted vegan butter adds creaminess and helps the ranch seasoning stick to the popcorn.
How to make ranch popcorn
To make ranch popcorn, you start by making the seasoning mix. To do that, combine the dried dill, parsley, onion, garlic, lemon pepper, and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Mix together well, and set the ranch seasoning aside while you pop your popcorn and melt some vegan butter.
You can pop your popcorn using any method you like. I use an air popper, but you can also pop it on the stovetop or in the microwave. You do you!
Transfer the popped popcorn to a large bowl with high sides, and drizzle on half of the melted vegan butter. Then, add half of the homemade ranch seasoning.
Toss the popcorn to coat it really well in the butter/ranch mixture.
Now, drizzle on the remaining vegan butter and ranch, tossing again to coat it really well.
Adding the butter and homemade ranch seasoning in stages like this helps you get it more evenly distributed and end up with less of that delicious seasoning wasted at the bottom of the bowl.
If a lot of the seasoning has fallen to the bottom, use a wooden spoon and to gently fold and toss it back up into the popcorn.
Season to taste with salt, and serve your ranch popcorn immediately.
Serving suggestions
This homemade ranch seasoning is great on popcorn, but it also has tons of other applications!
- Rub it onto tofu before baking.
- Mix it into your hummus
- Stir it into your next batch of cauliflower mashed potatoes.
- Whisk it into vegan mayo for instant ranch dressing.
This ranch seasoning is versatile stuff, is what I'm saying here!
Ranch popcorn is the bomb. Seriously, I never thought I'd find anything to rival good, ol' nutritional yeast popcorn, but this gives it a run for its money.
Mix up the homemade ranch on its own, or use the full recipe below to make the ranch seasoned popcorn of your dreams!
Storage directions
Feel free to multiply this recipe and keep it around to season on the fly! Store it in a glass container. It will stay nice and fresh for up to six months.
Like any spices, ranch seasoning loses flavor the longer it stays on the shelf.
You can keep the ranch popcorn for up to a day in an airtight container, but know that it is best served immediately after you pop and season it.
Ranch Popcorn Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
For the homemade ranch seasoning
- 4 teaspoons dried dill and/or dried parsley - Use all dill, all parsley, or 2 teaspoons of each, depending on how dilly you like your ranch.
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
For the popcorn
- ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
- ¼ cup vegan butter - melted
Instructions
Make the ranch seasoning
- In a small bowl, combine the dill, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and nutritional yeast.
Make the popcorn
- Pop the popcorn using your preferred method. I used my air popper.
- Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Drizzle half of the melted butter onto the popcorn, then shake on half of the ranch popcorn seasoning. Shake the bowl to toss the popcorn in the butter/ranch mix.
- Repeat the drizzle, shake, and mix with the rest of the butter and seasoning. Season to taste with salt, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
For popcorn, this will definitely not work. Ranch dressing will turn the popcorn soggy.
To get the ranch seasoning to stick to your popcorn, you want to add it slowly and use a little bit of melted vegan butter to help it stick.
I like to add half of the butter and seasoning to the popcorn in a large bowl with high sides. Toss and shake to distribute the seasoning, then repeat with the remaining. Adding in two parts gets you more even coverage and leaves less seasoning at the bottom of the bowl.
Oh goodness, no! Ranch dressing can use mayo as its base, but the taste of ranch seasoning is all about three key flavors: dill, garlic, and onion.
You can add other seasonings, like parsley and paprika, but if you're looking for ranch's true essence, it's about those three simple spices. This recipe adds lemon pepper to bring in that bright flavor and a mild kick.
Yes! It's naturally gluten-free.
M07LOVE
Added 1/2 tsp salt. It was awesome!!
acookinthemaking
Yum--this looks like it would make an awesome snack! I love anything that takes less than 5 minutes to put together :)
Becky Striepe
Haha I am with you on that! Quick is key for me these days.