Do you ever find yourself staring longingly at the bottles and bottles of soft drinks that line the shelves in grocery stores? Or maybe you’ re one of the one’s that gaze at the seemingly enormous chips and dip aisle.
The right amount of temptation and lack of common sense can sometimes push me to make a bad decision. I’m not perfect by any means, but that doesn’t mean I should shatter my values just because I was tempted.
While making good decisions when grocery shopping may not be the easiest thing in the world, it is among the most necessary. That means skipping things like candy bars, highly processed crackers, and soda pop.
So, is there a way to satisfy your cravings without buying processed or refined-sugar-filled “foods”? Of course!
A few days ago, my mother came to me with a recipe she was dying to try. Let’s just say, this was another one of those perfect recipes. We’re talking gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and uses ingredients that I already have in my pantry.
Now, you may not have nutritional yeast in your pantry, but when you hear about the health benefits of it, I’m sure you’ll want to buy a container or two of the stuff.
Nutritional yeast is high in vitamin B-12, protein, fiber, and a great source of folic acid. You can learn more about the health benefits of nutritional yeast here.
Anyways, snacks that leave their powder all over your fingers tend to be the kind of snack I crave on a daily (hourly?) basis. So, obviously, when my mother told me she wanted to try to make Dorito Flavored Popcorn, I rushed to get all of the ingredients out. While I started to make the blend of spices, my mother tried to make the popcorn using the stove-top method.
Turns out, she has no clue how to make popcorn. When I came to examine her—ahem—failure, I noticed that she used about 1 1/2 cups of oil in attempt to pop a 1/2 cup kernels, resulting in a pot half-filled with burnt, oily, soupy popcorn. Yeah. Luckily, I came to her rescue (we switched tasks) and all went well. Very well.
Let’s just say I’ve found a new comfort food I can feel good about eating. Plus, it’s a hit with the younger kids. A HUGE hit.
The best part? I can make this easy snack in less than 10 minutes—popping my own popcorn over the stove. If this is a new concept to you (no shame), here is a lovely tutorial that couldn’t make it much easier.
I use a spice grinder to blend the spices together, and it works like a charm. You can use a coffee grinder, but make sure you clean it out well before you use it to grind coffee beans again. There is no need for Dorito flavored coffee. Just…ew.
The three times we’ve made it, we experimented with different amounts of each spice, but nothing tastes quite like the original recipe. By the way, unless you are doubling the recipe, DO NOT double the salt. Lesson learned!
I really think you’ll like this popcorn snack. It’s totally freaking amazing. Inexpensive, easy, and tasty. Guaranteed!
DON’T MISS A RECIPE! SIGN UP TO HAVE NEW POSTS DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX!
Here’s the recipe:
- 8 cups freshly popped organic popcorn
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast {where to buy}
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Combine nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, cumin, paprika, cayenne (if using), and salt in a spice or coffee grinder.
- Blend seasonings for about 15 seconds to make a fine powder.
- Sprinkle on the seasoning and toss to coat.
How do you prepare popcorn? Let me know in the comments below!
This is exactly what I need! A tasty popcorn recipe! I’m definitely going to try this on the weekend
This is exactly what you need! This recipe won’t let you down.
Can you leave the nutritional yeast out as I don’t have any at the moment.
Hello Kristin. I have not tried making the popcorn without the nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is known for its cheesy/nutty taste, turning ordinary popcorn into something amazing. If you try it without the nutritional yeast, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Both ways are super yummy. Without the nutritional yeast it has more of an Indian flavor which is also very good. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks, Kristin!
How do you get the seasoning to stick to the popcorn?
The oil makes it stick. Thanks.
Well, once again, I don’t see nutritional information with this recipe. What’s the deal? Do Vegans not care about nutritional information? I’m at wits end. I’m trying to go Vegan but this seems to be too much to ask. I’m so disappointed
Hi Kathleen! I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I wouldn’t say that vegans don’t care about nutritional info, but it’s just that I chose not to go through the process of figuring out how much carbs, proteins, and such are in the recipe. Many websites offer free nutrition facts for recipes if that’s what you’re interested in. I’m sorry to hear that you’re having a hard time changing your dietary choices. Generally, though, I don’t worry about nutrition facts and here’s a great post that explains why many don’t. I hope you find something that helps.
I’m so excited to try this! Only problem is I don’t have a spice or coffee grinder. How bad would it be if I just tried mixing the spices really well, maybe in a food processor??
Hi Laura. I think if you put the spices and such in the food processor it would turn out fabulously! Let me know how it works for ya.
I make and flavor my own popcorn all the time, but I wouldn’t have guessed you could get a doritos flavor without cheese powder. I’ll have to try this nutritional yeast method. By the way, if you’re using a coffee grinder for spices, the easiest way to clean out the spice flavor is to grind a handful of rice. The rice powder pulls out the spice oil residue.
Thanks for the awesome tip Paige! I will definitely be trying that. I hope you love the popcorn!
We love popcorn and are love trying different spice blends on it. Found you on Clever Chick blog hop.
This sounds and looks delicious. I can’t wait to give it a try!
That’s a much healthier way to get one’s Dorito fix! Mr. GFE will love this recipe.
Thanks,
Shirley
Oh yum! I admit I LOVE doritos but I NEVER eat them because of all the junk. Thanks for this recipe – I will definitely try it! Thanks for linking up at Natural Living Monday!
Thanks Vicki. Sometimes I feel tempted to buy Doritos (nobody’s perfect) but when it’s so easy to replicate it with popcorn at home, I can indulge without eating junk food.
Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, your flavoring for the popcorn looks awesome! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great day!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Wow!! I love popcorn!! This looks awesome…thanks for sharing!!
Popcorn is a Sunday tradition around here. I’m excited to try this one in a couple days. Glad I saw it on Savoring Saturdays.
This sounds so good! I love Doritos, but they’re so unhealthy. Thanks for sharing:)
I know, Ginnie! I love Doritos too, but I don’t love what they do to my body. This recipe is perfect for getting your snacking fix while keeping things healthy.
Mmmmm. looks deelish. Thanks for sharing at Manic Monday.