Vanilla Popcorn

Here’s a snack that’ll stop people mid-conversation. Pop the lid off this pot and the whole room fills with the scent of warm vanilla and buttered corn.

The trick is brilliant: a split vanilla bean goes straight into the hot oil with the popcorn kernels. As everything heats up, the bean infuses the oil with its fragrance, so every single kernel carries that vanilla flavor from the inside out.

Once popped, toss it with melted butter, a sprinkle of superfine sugar, salt, and the scraped seeds from the bean. Those tiny black flecks clinging to each piece of popcorn look gorgeous and taste even better.

Pro Tips

• Use superfine sugar if you can find it. Regular granulated sugar won’t dissolve on the warm popcorn and feels gritty.
• Save the spent vanilla bean pod after scraping. Bury it in a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar for next time.
• Pop in a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight lid. Thin pans create hot spots that burn some kernels while others haven’t popped yet.
• Toss the popcorn while it’s still hot so the sugar and salt stick to the melted butter coating.