5 Creative Flavor Combos to Upgrade Your Boring Old Popcorn

Calling all popcorn fanatics: we know a bit of drizzled butter is all that's needed to make a delicious bowl of your favorite finger food, but we've got some interesting mash-ups of flavors that we think you should try the next time you veg out on your couch for another Netflix marathon.

1. Caramel Apple Lollipops + Sea Salt

Literally everyone I know loves caramel apple popcorn, but as you can see in the video guide below, it's not exactly something you can make on a impromptu movie night. That's why I say skip the overly-complicated and time-consuming recipe and go the easy route—just use Caramel Apple Pops.

Snag some of those lollipops up and crush them, then get your hands on some sea salt. Mix the two together with some popped popcorn and marvel at how well the sea salt brings out the sour and sweet flavors of the candy. Way easier, right?

2. Candied Bacon + Chili Flakes

If you've ever had candied or sugar-coated bacon, you know how freaking good they are. Now imagine that mixed in with popcorn... one hell of an awesome snack. If you need some on this one, check out The Little Big Blog for instructions on making candied bacon popcorn. We, however, encourage you to add some kick and mix in some chili flakes (aka crushed red pepper), too. You can even add some kettle corn for some savory-sweet-hot amazingness.

5 Creative Flavor Combos to Upgrade Your Boring Old Popcorn — *Image by Carrie Anne/The Little Big Blog*

3. Maple Butter + Fried Shishito Peppers

Here's a tip we gathered from our travels in Boston. Take some butter and mix it with maple syrup. Then, toss your maple butter with fried shishito peppers and popcorn and prepare to be amazed at the funky mix of spicy and sweet. If you want to get super creative, put all of it (popcorn included) on top of corn pancakes like our friends at Alden and Harlow.

4. Pepperoni + Parmesan Cheese

Pizza popcorn: the new addictive snack that you need in your life.

You can throw in extra herbs and spices, such as dried oregano or red pepper flakes, but it's just as easy to enjoy the flavors of pizza in your favorite snack by crumbling cooked pepperoni with Parmesan cheese. You can also mix in optional olive oil if you'd like. (If you're in a hurry, use the microwave to cook your pepperoni on paper towels for the perfect crispy texture.)

5. Oreos + Peanut Butter Chips

This list is populated with savory popcorn, so you know we had to end it on a sweet note. Simply melt peanut butter chips, then mix with a batch of popcorn. Top this nutty combo with crushed Oreos and you've got a kick-ass, salty-sweet dessert. If you want to kick it up to diabetes-level sweetness, use caramel popcorn. You're welcome.

Between the pepperoni and the peanut butter chips, our hope is that these tasty popcorn mix-ins keep your next Netflix movie night poppin'. Got any other crazy-delicious mix-in ideas? Let us know in the comments.