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I’m obsessed with making my own Popcorn Salt—it’s so simple, anyone can do it! You can customize it with just about any flavor you like, and it makes such a fun and thoughtful housewarming or hostess gift. I sprinkle it on everything from veggies to popcorn, and it instantly adds a pop of flavor to whatever I’m cooking.
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“This does sound like a great idea for some gifts—maybe wedding favors! Thanks for the inspiration!” -Ally
Easy Popcorn Salt Recipe
I had so much fun putting this recipe together because it’s just that easy—and once I realized how simple it is, I couldn’t help but dream up a bunch of different flavor variations to share with you. Whether you’re craving something salty and savory or sweet and snackable, there’s a popcorn salt for every mood.
Once you’ve nailed the basic method, the possibilities are endless. Think umami-rich mushroom salt, herby Italian seasoning, cheesy nutritional yeast, bold everything bagel seasoning, cozy cinnamon sugar—you can truly let your creativity run wild!
Tips for Beginners
- Use a good-quality fine sea salt.
- If you use flakes or rock salt, you’ll need to grind the salt further in a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder to get a finer consistency.
- You can easily adapt the flavors with different herbs, spices, sauces, and syrups.
- If your flavor of choice is wet (wine, sauce or syrup) then you’ll need to bake the salt in the oven to dry it out. Dry flavorings such as herbs and spices will be ready immediately.
Popcorn Salt Recipe (3 Ways)
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Bacon Parmesan Salt
- 1 cup iodized salt
- ¼ cup cooked bacon crumbles
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Buffalo Salt
- 2 tbsp Buffalo sauce
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning
- 1 cup kosher salt
Chocolate Wine Salt
- 750 ml chocolate wine 1 bottle, I used ChocoVine brand
- 1 cup sea salt
Instructions
Bacon Parmesan Salt
- Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fully combined.1 cup iodized salt, ¼ cup cooked bacon crumbles, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Buffalo Salt
- Preheat the oven to 170°F (or the lowest setting on your oven).
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.2 tbsp Buffalo sauce, 1 tbsp ranch seasoning, 1 cup kosher salt
- Spread salt on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 2 hours. Every 30 minutes, flip the salt to make sure it doesn’t burn or meld together.
- Put salt back into food processor and pulse once more. The salt should break up and form a finer consistency. Enjoy!
Chocolate Wine Salt
- Preheat oven to 170°F or your oven’s lowest heat setting.
- Pour bottle of wine into a medium saucepan and simmer on low heat until it reduces significantly and becomes a syrup. This might take 45–60 minutes. Take off the heat.750 ml chocolate wine
- Place salt and wine reduction in food processor and pulse until well combined. The mixture will be relatively sticky.1 cup sea salt
- Spread mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chop up as much as possible to spread the salt.
- Bake for 2 hours, flipping and chopping it every 30 minutes.
- Once dried out, return the salt to a food processor and pulse. The salt should break up and form a thinner/more salt like consistency.
Becky’s Tips
- Recipe adapted from Chew Town.
- Each recipe will yield approx. 1-1½ cups of seasoning. Use 1 tablespoon per 5 cups of popped popcorn.
- Nutritional information is based on the bacon Parmesan salt.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Popcorn Salts Step by Step
Bacon Parmesan Salt
Pulse the salt: Put 1 cup of iodized salt, ¼ cup of cooked bacon crumbles, and ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse until fully combined.
Buffalo Salt
Pulse the salt: Preheat your oven to 170°F (or the lowest setting on your oven). Place 2 tbsp of Buffalo Sauce, 1 tbsp of ranch seasoning, and 1 cup of kosher salt in a food processor and pulse until combined.
Bake the salt: Spread the salt on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 2 hours. Every 30 minutes, flip the salt to make sure it doesn’t burn or meld together.
Break up the salt: Put the salt back into the food processor and pulse once more. The salt should break up and form a finer consistency. Enjoy!
Chocolate Wine Salt
Cook the syrup: Preheat your oven to 170°F or your oven’s lowest heat setting. Pour 750 mL (1 bottle) of chocolate wine into a medium saucepan and simmer on low heat until it reduces significantly and becomes a syrup. This might take 45 minutes to an hour. Take off of heat.
Bake and pulse: Place 1 cup of sea salt and the wine reduction in a food processor and pulse until well combined. This mixture will be relatively sticky. Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chop up as much as possible to spread the salt up. Bake for 2 hours, flipping and chopping it every 30 minutes. Once dried out, return the salt to a food processor and pulse. The salt should break up and form a thinner/more salt-like consistency.
How to Store
Store leftover popcorn salt in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions
I love using the Buffalo popcorn salt as a secret weapon to kick up the flavor in some of my favorite Mexican-inspired meals. Sprinkle it over chicken fajitas to add a zesty, spicy edge. For beef enchiladas, it adds an extra layer of smoky heat. And when it comes to fresh salsas, just a pinch of this bold seasoning can bring out the brightness of the tomatoes and lime.
Use the bacon salt to flavor your next batch of mac and cheese, and the chocolate salt would be the perfect way to flavor my Texas sheet cake skillet!
This does sound like a great idea for some gifts–maybe wedding favors! Thanks for the inspiration! I do hope nobody actually turns on their oven before the reduce the wine for an hour though????
I have just returned from Iceland where I brought home a sample of licorice salt. It is supposed to be great on popcorn, steak, and some veggies too! Since I have written a children’s vegetable cookbook I am interested in making this salt. I wondered before I start experimenting if you had any knowledge or tips that might help me? I appreciate your time and good luck with your passions!
Heide from 4waystoyummy
Licorice salt, what a fun idea! OMG I’d love to visit Iceland, that’s amazing!
Glad you like the idea. Do you have any ideas of how to make it. Pulverize some good black licorice and add to the salt? Could it be that simple?
Just wondering if you can use a dehydrator instead of the oven…
I’m sure this is possible but I’ve never actually used a dehydrator so I don’t know for sure the method. If you try it please let me know!
how much does each recipe yeild? I’m planning on doing these for christmas gifts this year.
This is great! I use finishing salts from The Salt Cellar (salt-cellar.com) because making them myself isn’t always doable. This inspires me to be more of a DIY person. I’m going to have to try the chocolate wine – I’ve never seen that flavor before!
This is great! I use finishing salts from The Salt Cellar (https://www.salt-cellar.com) because making them myself isn’t always doable. This inspires me to be more of a DIY person. Have you ever tried making these with Himalayan salt rather than iodized or sea salt?
Do you know how long these will last? I want to make them as gifts, but hate to give something that will “expire” soon.
What’s the storage time of the last two? I imagine longer than the two weeks.
Wow! I love the flavour combinations you’ve made. They all sound great. Glad I could provide some inspiration. Ax
This is suchhhh a great homemade gift idea! Or just a make our movie nights in better idea :) haha
It’s so fun Ashley! I can’t wait to come up with more flavors now that I know how easy it is. Hope you’re doing well! I want to meet up at a conference one of these days!