Pepperoni Pizza Popcorn

Movie night just got an upgrade with this pizza in a snack form. Pepperoni pizza popcorn is loaded with buttery seasoned pepperoni, Italian spices, and two kinds of cheese.

Cheesy Pepperoni Popcorn

There’s a reason this pepperoni pizza popcorn went viral, it’s one of those snacks that sounds almost too good to be true until you make it yourself. It’s made with warm, buttery popcorn loaded with crispy pepperoni, Italian herbs, a kick of red pepper flakes, and a generous coating of parmesan and melted pizza cheese.

It’s savory, cheesy and basically a slice of pepperoni pizza in snack form, and it comes together in about 15 minutes. Fair warning: my family could not stop eating this. If you love viral snacks, you’ll also love this Oreo Japanese cheesecake.

Ingredients Needed

Find the full printable recipe with directions below.

• Popcorn: You can use prepared microwave popcorn or air-popped popcorn just make sure it is freshly popped as it’s best for getting that cheese and butter to really stick.
• Butter: Unsalted butter works best here so you can control the saltiness, but salted butter will work in a pinch if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
• Pepperoni: Regular sliced pepperoni chopped into bite-sized pieces is perfect. Mini pepperoni also works great and saves you a step since there’s no chopping needed.
• Italian Seasoning: A standard Italian seasoning blend from the spice aisle is all you need. If you’re feeling fancy, you can mix your own with dried basil, oregano, and thyme.
• Garlic Powder: This gives the butter mixture that warm, pizza-shop flavor. Granulated garlic works too, but stick with powder for the best coverage on the pizza popcorn.
• Red Pepper Flakes: This adds a nice little kick without being overwhelming. Use less if you’re sensitive to heat or add a bit more if you like things spicy.
• Parmesan Cheese: The finely grated stuff from a container works great here because it clings to the popcorn really well. Freshly grated parmesan is delicious too and will melt better, just keep it finely grated.
• Pizza Blend Shredded Cheese: This is the secret weapon that makes it taste like actual pizza. Look for a pre-shredded blend with mozzarella and provolone, the warmth from the butter mixture will get it nice and melty.

How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Popcorn

First things first, get your popcorn ready. Whether you’re going stovetop, microwave, or air popper, just make sure you’ve got about 6 cups of fluffy popped popcorn. Dump it into a big bowl with plenty of room for tossing. The bigger the bowl, the easier your life is going to be.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, then add the chopped pepperoni, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Let it all cook together for 2 to 3 minutes until the pepperoni gets a little crispy and the butter soaks up all those incredible flavors. Your kitchen will start to smell like a pizzeria!

While the pepperoni is sautéing, sprinkle the grated parmesan and pizza blend shredded cheese over the popcorn and give it a good toss. Adding the cheese first means it’ll hit the warm butter mixture in the next step and get perfectly melty.

Take the skillet off the heat and pour everything, the butter, pepperoni, all of it — right over the popcorn. Stir and toss it really well so the seasoned butter and pepperoni get distributed evenly. Nobody wants a bland bite, so make sure you get all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

Take the skillet off the heat and pour everything, butter, pepperoni, all of it — right over the cheesy pizza popcorn. Toss it all together really well so the hot butter melts the cheese and coats every kernel. That’s it, grab a handful and try not to eat the whole bowl in one sitting.

Tips for the Best Pizza Popcorn

• Eat it fresh. This popcorn is best served right away while it’s still warm and the cheese is melty. Not feeding a crowd? Just halve the recipe.
• Customize the heat. The red pepper flakes add a nice zing without being overpowering. Leave them out for kids or add extra if you like things spicy.
• Double it for parties. Six servings sounds like a lot until you see how fast this disappears. For game day or movie night, double the batch — you’ll thank yourself.
• Use freshly popped popcorn. Don’t use stale or day-old popcorn here. Fresh popcorn holds onto the butter and cheese so much better, and it only takes a few minutes to pop a new batch.
• Don’t skip the toss. Really take the time to toss everything together so every bite is loaded with flavor. Nobody wants plain popcorn hiding at the bottom of the bowl.
• Get creative with the cheese. The pizza blend and parmesan combo is perfection, but sharp cheddar, asiago, or even a sprinkle of nutritional yeast can be a fun twist.