Coconut oil is a good alternative, chemgal.  It's rich, like butter, and has the medium chain fatty acids we need. 

Don't eat it much anymore but I've never found anything that beats real butter and a bit of salt, to be honest. I'll be interested to see what people come up with.

Mendalla

A yummy treat is popcorn topped with a sprinkling ot cinnamon-and-sugar.

Back in California we used to eat popcorn topped with spirulina. Don't ask me why.

I had to Google "spirulina" and I don't know why you would put it on popcorn, either. So you could pretend it was healthy??

For others who want or need to know: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)

Mendalla

My husband's boss and his family puts brewer's (?)  yeast on popcorn. It is very tasty.

I had a friend in HS who put smarties in hers. That is most excellent.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

Melt equal amounts of peanut butter and butter together in microwave and pour over popcorn. Add peanuts for some crunch.

OR

Equal amounts of honey and peanut butter.

I buy the above machine at garage sales for about $5 - still in the gift box.

You put in 2 - 3 T canola, 1/2 c popcorn, 1/4 c sugar.

Put on stove on high, crank away and when popped, sprinkle with salt.

I do this for company, and the first person to say that it is the best popcorn they have ever tasted gets a free popcorn machine.  That's simple fresh kettle corn.

I prefer just butter, but not what I'm famous for. Microwave and hot air do not compare.

I'll have to give the coconut oil a try!  I've thought about that one, chemguy talked me out of it though.

The peanut butter and honey sounds messy - but tasty!

I know what spirulina is, but it wouldn't be one of my go-tos for popcorn!

Northwind, does the brewer's yeast stick to the popcorn without anything else?  I know what it is, but I've never actually used any to know what the texture is like.

SnP, I'm a hot air popper.  I've seen things like that in stores, and they are expensive!  You had a great find!

$28.50 @ Lee Valley

Americans are part of the Great Human Experiment, that's why :3

(you Hippie, Aaron)

my wife introduced me to brewer's yeast as a popcorn topping and I enjoy it a lot

another topping that i totally pig out on is parmesan...with, of course, butter so as to get the parmesan to stick...otherwise, the product just settles on the bottom of the bowl like lonely (but still doomed) sand...

Brewer's yeast does stick to the popcorn. Our friends make popcorn with oil (probably coconut oil) in a pot, so it has some oil on it. The brewer's yeast tastes sort of cheesy or something. It is quite tasty.

That popcorn pot looks cool. Would it be appropriate over a campfire too?

spirulina - couldnt find it. What is it please?

I suppose Pilgrims will drop in and offer everyone popcorn and vegemite>

Crazyheart, it's algae:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_%28dietary_supplement%29

To me, brewer's yeast and vegemite (and marmite) all sound like they would taste similar.  I've never actually tried any of them though.

This thread is delicious....I'm going to make popcorn! :)

Brewer's yeast tastes a lot like parmesan -- vegemite, however, tastes like a 1 million year old sea creature that should have died 700 years ago bleah :3

YKMMV

this is what dry spirulina looks like

Great for camping.  But the main thing is once you have tried it, you would only think of hot air popcorn as shipping material.  I have probably picked up 5 or 6 of these at garage sales. All new. the people probably got them as gifts and did not try them. You would not sell it if you tasted the popcorn.

Where do you get brewers yeast?

I grew up popping popcorn in a pan on the stove. We'd stand  there moving the pan back and forth to make sure the popcorn did not turn black. Air popped is okay, but needs gobs of butter to be palatable.....thus defeating the alledged benefit of air popping corn. I'll look for one of those. I'll be in Ontario, and may even be able to visit a Lee Valley Store.

Probably a health food store. I'm not sure if you can get it in a regular grocery store, but it might be worth checking out.

Ok, have to say this.....chocolate covered peanuts or raisins or smarties......the combination of salt and chocolate slighlty warmed is to die for....

I have had and used to like brewer's yeast on popcorn..forgot all about it.

We did the pan on the stove way way back, but often cheated and bought Jiffy Pop (basically the cord and oil pre-packed in a foil pan with a cool foil cover that expanded as the corn popped). Later, Mom got an oil based electric popper. It was basically an electric fry-pan with a rotating "blade" to stir the kernals. Add oil and kernals, put the cover on, and plug in. The cover even had a reservoir where you could put a pat or two of butter to melt. It ended up at the cottage and may well still be there for all I know.

I've always found air-popped too dry. Some microwaved is okay, especially if you buy a microwave popper and do it yourself instead of buying the bags.

Mendalla

My wife and I buy it at supermarkets -- one can also get it at Health Food stores, but at a greater price

I haven't tried brewer's yeast yet, but found some good combos!

Canoia is the best oil for taste.  That with garlic powder and a small amount of salt is a good butter & salt substitution for me.

Coconut oil is the best substitution for butter texture wise, but the smell with garlic isn't too great.  I tried it with cinnamon and it was ok, but a little bland.  Would probably be a tasty sweat treat with shredded coconut, but I go to popcorn for a savory snack.  For sweet, I would rather just have chocolate.

Engevita yeast is very tasty.

aka: Nutritional yeast

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast

I like to use melted butter with fresh soy sauce.(add soy to melted butter,) Get the real stuff not the chemical stuff and you will benfit from the living enzimes that are in fermented food like yogurt and saurerkraut. 

I have nevr tried it but lI have always wanted to try almond butter, or maple butter.

all I ever have on popcorn is salt and butter (real butter)

Epicure Selections (home based business/home parties) have a salt free seasoning in chili and lime. I like it in addtion to the salt and butter.