Did you know the second Thursday of March is considered Popcorn Lovers’ Day? Don’t worry if you forgot; we came prepared for this one. Whether you prefer to settle in for a movie with a salty bag of kettle corn or would rather feature a homemade popcorn recipe as the centerpiece of a dessert table, Purecane™ is sharing some fun, simple crafts and unique, sugar-free recipes to enjoy on this ultimate snack-lovers’ holiday.

Sweet Recipes…

We looked to the experts at Food Network for inspiration on scrumptious popcorn recipes. If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, we recommend whipping up the following:

Peanut Butter Popcorn

Heat 1 cup honey and 3/4 cup Purecane™ Baking Sweetener over medium heat; stir until sweetener dissolves.
Add 1 cup peanut butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt; stir until smooth.
Pour over popcorn and 2 cups of peanuts; toss and spread on baking sheets. Let cool and enjoy!

Strawberry

Pulse 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries and 6 tablespoons Purecane™ Confectioners Sweetener in a food processor until powdery.
Drizzle 4 tablespoons melted butter over hot popcorn and sprinkle with strawberry sweetener mix. Toss with a few extra freeze-dried strawberries and dive in!

Cinnamon Sugar

Drizzle 6 tablespoons melted butter over popcorn.
Toss with 4 cups cinnamon cereal, 1/3 cup Purecane™ Baking Sweetener OR Purecane™ Brown Sweetener, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Voilà!

...and Savory Recipes!

If sweet isn’t your thing, Food Network also features some savory popcorn recipes that pack a unique punch for your tastebuds:

Mustard-Pretzel

Whisk 4 tablespoons melted butter with 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Purecane™ Baking Sweetener and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Drizzle over hot popcorn and toss with a few (or more) mini pretzels. Yum!

Szechuan

Heat 1 cup of peanuts, 1 cup dried arbol chiles, 1/2 cup peanut oil, 1/2 cup sesame seeds, 1/2 Szechuan peppercorns, 4 teaspoons Purecane™ Baking Sweetener, 4 teaspoons kosher salt in a large skillet over medium heat until nuts and chiles are toasted.
Pour over popcorn, toss with 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil. Enjoy!

Curry

Melt 1 stick butter over low heat.
Add 2 cups golden raisins, 2 cups pistachios, 3 tablespoons Purecane™ Baking Sweetener and 1 tablespoon curry powder; cook 2 mins.
Toss with hot popcorn and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Go ahead and dive in!

Bonus Round: Craft Time

While warmer weather is right around the corner, most corners of the U.S. are still battling some cold, rainy days that prevent us from playing outside. Who knew popcorn could make such fun, versatile crafts? We’re sharing our early spring favs, so head to the nearest grocery store, stock up on the cheapest popcorn you can find, and dive into these fun, family-friendly DIYs.

Colored Popcorn, Two Ways

Bring some bright-colored blossoms or garlands to your living room, office, refrigerator door, or playroom with these two easy DIYs. Simply pop as much popcorn as you’d like, separate into separate bowls (depending on how many colors you’d like to feature), and add different powdered food colorings to each bowl.

From here, you can make beautifully colored trees and flowers by gluing pieces of popcorn to a construction paper tree trunk or flower stem with just a bit of glue...

...or safely using a needle, thread fishing line through each piece of colored popcorn, making a patterned garland long enough to string over your doorway. (Pro Tip: Make sure you tie a knot to secure it at the end!)