Is Orville Redenbacher popcorn vegan? Nothing beats freshly popped popcorn whether it's made on the stovetop, in an air popper, or a microwave. I love to make my own popcorn in an air popper, melt some Earth Balance (vegan butter) to pour on top, and add a sprinkle of salt. But sometimes you need the ease and speed of microwave popcorn for your movie night. Orville Redenbacher is a very popular brand of microwaveable popcorn. But is it popcorn vegan? The answer is that some flavors are and some aren't. Let's check out the ingredients of the different flavors which can all be found on the Orville Redenbacher website.
Buttery Flavors of Popcorn
Let's start with the classic Butter Flavor.
Butter Flavor Ingredients: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Natural Flavors, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness), Butter, Color (Annatto).
Unfortunately, the classic Butter flavor contains ingredients from animal products (dairy) and isn't vegan. The popcorn kernels themselves are vegan, but it's what's added to it that makes it not. In addition to the classic Butter flavor, there are several other buttery flavors.
- Movie Theater Butter: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor (Including Milk), Color (Annatto), Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness).
- Pour Over Movie Theater Butter: Bag: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Color Added (Annatto, Turmeric, Paprika), Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E For Freshness). Pouch: Soybean Oil, Butter, Salt, less than 2% of Natural Flavor, Color Added (Paprika, Vegetable Juice [Beet]), Citric Acid and Rosemary Extract (For Freshness).
- Ultimate Butter: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor (Including Milk), Color (Annatto), Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness).
- Light Butter: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Color Added (Annatto, Turmeric, Paprika), Natural Flavors, Butter, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E For Freshness).
- Tender White: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Butter, Mixed Tocopherols ( Vitamin E for Freshness ), Natural Flavor.
Not surprisingly, all the buttery flavors contain milk ingredients and are not vegan.
Sweet & Savory
- Kettle Corn: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Sucralose, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness). VEGAN
The good news is that the Kettle Corn flavor does not contain any non-vegan ingredients.
Naturals
- Simply Salted: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness). VEGAN
- Light - Simply Salted: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness). VEGAN
- Light - Classic Butter & Seal Salt: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Sea Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E For Freshness), Natural Flavor (Including Milk).
Both Simply Salted and Light-Simply salted are vegan!
Avocado Oil Popcorn
- Avocado Oil Sea Salt: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Avocado Oil, Mono- and Diglycerides, Sea Salt, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness). VEGAN
The Avocado Oil flavor is vegan.
SmartPop!
- Kettle Corn: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Sucralose, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness). VEGAN
- Butter: Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor, Color Added (Annatto, Turmeric, Paprika), Butter, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness.)
Yay! The SmartPop Kettle Corn flavor is vegan.
Orville Redenbacher Vegan Popcorn Flavors
The great news is that there are five vegan flavors of the microwaveable popcorn.
- Kettle Corn
- Naturals Simply Salted
- Naturals Light Simply Salted
- Avocado Oil
- SmartPop Kettle Corn
Vegan Popcorn Brands
While there isn't always a strictly vegan popcorn brand, most companies offer a few flavors that can comply with a vegan diet. There are several good options out there according to Cruelty Free Reviews.
- Act II - Kettle Corn, ButterLovers (Lovers flavor only, not other buttery ones)
- Pop Secret Kettle Corn
- SkinnyGirl Lime & Sea Salt
- Newman's Own Popcorn - Tender White, Sea Salt
- Jolly Time - Simply Popped Sea Salt, Kettle Mania, all other Kettle Corn flavors
There are probably other vegan microwave popcorn brands and flavors out there, but these are relatively easy to find at any grocery store.
Kettle Corn Recipe
I absolutely love kettle corn! It's sweet, salty, savory and amazing. Sure you can buy it, but you can also easily make it at home. The only thing you need to be careful about is not burning the sugar. Easy Kettle Corn by Baking Mischief gives step by step directions to make the delicious snack. You'll only need 4 ingredients:
- vegetable oil
- popcorn kernels
- granulated sugar (There's also a link on the page to a recipe that uses brown sugar if you prefer that.)
- salt
Aside from those ingredients, you'll only need a large pot and a large bowl or sheet pan to put the finished kettle corn on. So no need to wait for your next visit to an amusement park or a carnival. You can easily make a batch of kettle corn at home!
Fun Popcorn Toppings
The traditional way to make popcorn is to pour some melted (vegan) butter on top and sprinkle some salt. But you can also get more creative with your toppings! When you see only a seasoning listed below, you'll also want to add melted vegan butter or a little oil to the popcorn as well to help the seasonings stick. Try out some of the following:
- Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning
- Nutritional yeast (I'm actually not a fan of Nooch but lots of vegans love it on everything.)
- Cinnamon and sugar (white or brown sugar)
- Garlic powder
- Melted peanut butter and vegan chocolate chips
- Taco seasoning
- Italian seasoning
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Curry Powder
- Frank's Red Hot mixed with melted vegan butter
- Cinnamon Maple Caramel
- Trail Mix Style - nuts, seeds, vegan chocolate chips, dried fruit (raisins or cranberries) etc.
FAQ
Does Orville Redenbacher only sell microwavable popcorn?
No. They also sell popcorn kits, both white and yellow popcorn kernels, and popping and topping oil which is vegan.
Is the movie theater popcorn I get vegan?
Surprisingly, the popcorn at movie theaters is often vegan. It's usually topped with a type of oil instead of real butter. But you should ask the theater workers directly to make sure that it doesn't contain any dairy products.
Is popcorn healthy?
Yes! Regular popcorn is a healthy snack and has a good amount of fiber. You just need to watch what toppings you put on it.
Can I use oil instead of vegan butter to top my popcorn?
Sure. You can use any oil you like including sunflower oil, coconut oil, and olive oil.
Summary
Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn can be a delicious and healthy snack for any time! Sure you can make it on your stovetop, but it's quicker and easier to make popcorn in your microwave oven. There are five flavors of Orville Redenbacher that can fit in with a vegan diet: Kettle Corn, Naturals Simply Salted (regular and light), Avocado Oil, and SmartPop Kettle Corn. So head out to your local grocery store and grab a few boxes to have for your next movie night.
Wondering if other salty snacks are vegan? Check out:
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