Popcorn lovers, it’s your day today! What better way to make it a poppin’ celebration than levelling up from regular buttered popcorn to something sweet and filled with umami. Meet our Maple Furikake Popcorn with Mixed Nuts!
The complete recipe and video guide are at the end of this post. Make sure to read through everything, including ideal substitute ingredients and pro-tips, so you can get the best results.
1. Popcorn. Lots of it: For this recipe, any plain popcorn will do. You can pop your own kernels or go for the microwaveable bags that are available in your local grocery store. You just want to make sure to account for everyone who’ll be eating because there’s nothing more irksome than reaching the bottom of your popcorn bowl 15 minutes into the movie. Have enough for everyone!
2. Furikake Japanese Seasoning: The first main ingredient in this recipe is this Japanese umami seasoning. It’s a flavor booster that’s primarily made from a savory blend of toasted sesame seeds, seaweed bits, and bonito flakes. This umami bomb is typically sprinkled on top of Japanese poke bowls, rice, noodles, salads, smoked salmon, and more. Fittingly, furikake is the Japanese word for sprinkle!
With its versatile and addictive flavor profile, who’s to say you can’t add it on popcorn!
There are several kinds of furikake available in the market. There is Nori Furikake that has seaweed flakes, Seto Furikake with bonito flakes, and the spicy Wasabi Furikake. For this recipe, you can use any, depending on your mood.
If you can’t find ready-to-use furikake in your Asian grocery store, you can make your own by toasting your own sesame seeds, and mixing in nori, salt, sugar, and other flavorings like chili flakes, bonito flakes, dried shiso or miso powder.
3. Maple Syrup, Light Brown Sugar, and Butter: These three are basic yet essential glaze ingredients that need your attention. The molasses from the brown sugar will give your glaze a golden caramel color and add depth to the maple syrup. Mixed with butter, these three will make your popcorn sticky, sweet, and oh-so rich! When it’s time to mix them all together in a saucepan, make sure not to burn it unless you want your popcorn to taste burnt and bitter!
In case you’re missing some ingredients, feel free to use honey and corn syrup are a great maple syrup alternatives. Dark brown sugar also works as a light brown sugar replacement. If you can’t get your hands on both, white sugar will work as well, only that you’ll get a sweeter glaze.
4. Baking soda and salt: Glazes need salt too because it will enhance the sweetness and block out any bitterness that your mixture may have.
On the other hand, we may not be baking anything but a dash of baking soda is key to adding that delectable gloss over your popcorn. If baking soda is not accessible to you, ¾ tsp. baking powder should also work for this recipe.
5. Mixed nuts (Optional): We’re doubling down on the crunch by adding mixed nuts into the recipe. I used peanuts and pecans, but you can also add in walnuts, almonds, and even cashews. Be mindful of friends or family who have a peanut allergy and will be eating with you! You can always make two batches, one with nuts, and another without ‘em, so everyone can still enjoy the sweet and umami-filled maple furikake popcorn.
1. Pre-heat your over at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl, combine your popped popcorn and mixed nuts. Set aside.
3. Time to cook the glaze! In a saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Stir continuously for about 2 to 3 minutes, making sure not to burn the sugar. The mixture will bubble up but just keep stirring until the sugar turns into a caramel color.
4. Take off the heat and stir in salt and baking soda until your mixture turns glossy.
5. Drizzle the mixture over the popcorn. Using a wooden spoon or your plastic gloved hands, toss to glaze your popcorn evenly.
6. In a parchment-lined baking pan, spread your glazed popcorn in a single layer.
7. Sprinkle a generous amount of furikake on top.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until perfectly crisp and golden brown.
9. Take out of the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving, just so the caramel hardens a little and adds even more crunch to your already crispy popcorn and nuts.
Movie nights will never be the same ever again with this yummy Maple Furikake Popcorn! It may take a couple more minutes to make versus microwaveable popcorn - 25 minutes to be exact - but we swear, the extra effort is worth it. This recipe serves 6 people but who really is content with just a single serving of popcorn, especially when they're this good! Double or triple the recipe as you see fit.
Let me know if you tried this recipe by tagging me at @karman_foods on Instagram! If you want more easy-to-follow Asian recipes like this, subscribe to our Youtube channel where we’re always cooking up great things for you. Shop curated Asian groceries only at Karman Foods!
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