Truffle Popcorn

One of my very first blog posts discussed the health benefits of popcorn.  Popcorn makes a great snack because it’s low in calories and high in fiber. One cup of popcorn is only 30 calories.  Would you rather have potato chips?  Well for 30 calories, you could have two to three chips.  Which snack would you rather have?  Three cups of popcorn or a handful of potato chips?

Well I usually don’t eat my popcorn plain, but that is the way to go if you are concerned with sodium from salt and fat from butter.  So I was looking for a new way to flavor my popcorn without adding too much of the "bad" stuff.  I came across truffle popcorn at one of my favorite wineries, Chandon.  So I started experimenting at home and came up with this healthy recipe.

Stovetop Truffle Popcorn

Spray a large saucepan with a generous amount of no-calorie non-stick olive oil spray until the bottom of the pan is fully coated. 

Add popcorn kernels until the bottom of the pan is covered (about ½ cup).  Spray the kernels with some more non-stick spray. 

Turn the heat up on the stove to medium to high heat, place the pot over heat and put the lid on.  Stand close by because this only takes a few minutes.  Periodically lift the lid slightly to allow some heat to escape.  This may help the popcorn to pop quickly and completely.

Once you hear the first pop start shaking the pot to move the kernels around so they don’t burn. (I haven’t had them burn yet) 

Once popping stops, remove pot from heat and turn off the stove.  Meanwhile in a second pan melt one tablespoon of Smart Balance light buttery spread with flax with 2 teaspoons of white truffle oil. 

Pour over the popcorn and shake around in the pot to evenly distribute.  Sprinkle with salt and/or parmesean cheese. 

This recipe makes about 5 cups of popcorn.  Each cup contains only 50-60 calories. 


You can also use an air-popper to make the popcorn which doesn’t require any oil or spray then toss with the butter and truffle oil.

Last night my girlfriend, Heidi made some delicious popcorns on the stove top.

The first was cooked in a couple tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil and canola oil, red pepper flakes and minced garlic then after popped it was topped with chili oil and garlic salt.  This was spicy and delicious.  The minced garlic burned a little so next time we'd omit that.

The second batch was cooked in a couple tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil and porcini mushroom oil then topped with garlic salt.  It was so yummy. 

So get creative with your popcorn and opt for heart healthy oils instead of butter in your next batch.