Don’t have a movie theater date night in your near feature? That doesn’t mean you have to forgo your vegan popcorn while watching Netflix at home—in fact, we encourage all the vegan snacking. Though you can always make your own popcorn if you feel so inclined (just don’t forget the nooch), numerous companies are now making ready-to-eat popcorn in various vegan flavors you can’t easily replicate at home. We’re sharing 11 of our favorite brands.
Is popcorn vegan?
More often than not, popcorn is vegan-friendly. When buying popcorn at your local convenience store, check the ingredient label to ensure animal ingredients haven’t snuck their way inside your snack of choice. Dairy is the ingredient to look out for, as butter and cheese are common ingredients in bagged popcorn. If you’re purchasing microwavable popcorn bags, this same rule applies.
But what about movie theater popcorn? Best known for its buttery taste, movie theater popcorn doesn’t always contain butter. In fact, most major movie theater chains achieve this buttery taste using plant oils, not butter. As always, double check with the concessions stand before purchasing.
Vegan popcorn snacks
Stock up on these vegan-friendly brands for the next time hunger calls.
1 Pipcorn
Sink your teeth into Pipcorn’s Truffle popcorn and your taste buds will explode with gratitude. This luxurious, umami-rich flavor is a scrumptious splurge guaranteed to win anyone over—after, all it’s approved by Oprah Winfrey herself. And “pip” is appropriate when describing the kernels, as the mini heirloom kernels are half the size of regular popcorn. Enjoy with a glass of wine for the ultimate luxe night-in. For a more classic flavor, don’t miss Pipcorn’s Sea Salt variety.
Perfect for: The truffle-obsessed
Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn
2 Poppy Hand-Crafted Popcorn
This popcorn hails from Asheville, NC, which bodes well, given that the city is a beer capital—and where there’s good beer, there’s always good popcorn. The company prides itself on using simple, natural ingredients. Its four vegan flavors include Chai Masala, Garlic & Herb, and Piri Piri.
Perfect for: The boutique brand shopper
Lesser Evil
3 LesserEvil
Organic popcorn gets a makeover with Lesser Evil’s heavenly vegan lineup. There are nine vegan flavors, many of which use a unique combination of coconut oil and the company’s “butter type” flavor on its air-popped kernels. Try, for instance, the “No Cheese” Cheesiness, Avocado-licious, or the Himalayan Gold. Or if you want to step out of the bag and indulge your sweet tooth, the White Chocolate + Matcha, Himalayan Sweetness, and Dark Chocolate + Himalayan Pink Salt flavors are perfectly sweet and salty.
Perfect for: The butter-loving popcorn fan
Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP
4 Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP
Angie’s popcorn is so good you won’t be able to close the bag. Three flavors make up its vegan line: Sea Salt, Light Kettle Corn, and Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn.
Perfect for: The light-snack lover
BjornQorn
5 BjornQorn
Get your nooch on with these deliciously flavored all-vegan kernels. Choose from Classic, Spicy, Cloudy (salty), or Earth (truffle), all of which are topped with nutritional yeast instead of cheese. And when your sweet tooth comes calling, reach for Maple, which swaps out the nooch for maple sugar. The fun part about the brand? This artisan popcorn is solar popped, meaning you can thank the sun for making the kernels so crispy and airy.
Perfect for: Nooch lovers
Nature Nate’s
6 Nature Nate’s
Forget corn kernels. Instead, go with the grain that’s making headlines: sorghum. You might know sorghum best as a feed for animals, but this whole grain is slowly making its way into foods for humans, showing up on restaurant menus and in food products. Now, it’s being popped as a healthier alternative to popcorn, and Nature Nate’s has eight flavors for vegans ranging from Avocado Sea Salt to Habanero Curry to Vegan Cheezy.
Perfect for: The health nut
AshaPops
7 AshaPops
Inside these bags is a big surprise: the “popped” comes from water lily seeds, an Ayurvedic superfood. AshaPops is an entirely vegan brand and offers four flavors: Turmeric Garlic, Chili, Vegan Cheese, and Himalayan Pink Salt. Here’s a bonus: No kernels get stuck in your teeth.
Perfect for: Free-spirited souls
Skinny Pop
8 Skinny Pop
You can’t have a “best of” popcorn list without including Skinny Pop. Not all of its flavors are vegan, so check the packages to be sure, but the vegan options among the current lineup include Original, Dairy-Free White Cheddar, Sweet & Salty Kettle, Sweet Vanilla Kettle, Sea Salt & Pepper, and Twist of Lime.
Perfect for: The classic brand lover
Dill Pickle
9 Safe + Fair Food Company
Never tried drizzled popcorn? You’ll wonder what took you so long when you dig into a bag of Safe + Fair’s popcorn. The all-vegan flavors are among the most unique you’ll find in commercially available popcorn and include fun versions such as Strawberry Shortcake, Dark Chocolate, Dill Pickle, and Birthday Cake.
Perfect for: The adventurous eater
Cornucopia
10 Cornucopia Popcorn
Talk about vegan flavor overload! Cornucopia currently has 15 vegan flavors in its lineup, and it’s not just the quantity but also the creative diversity that sets this brand apart. Maybe you’re a Caramel Apple fan, or you prefer Chili Lime instead. Or maybe you want to put a different spin on your popcorn snacking and opt for the fun colors of Cornfetti. Better yet, go for all 15! Got a flavor suggestion you think would be awesome? Cornucopia encourages you to submit your creations to get a free gallon tin.
Perfect for: I-can’t-make-up-my-mind munchers
Karen Asp is the author of Anti-Aging Hacks and award-winning journalist, as well as a fitness pro certified in plant-based nutrition, world record-holding athlete (in Nordic walking), vegan mentor with PETA, and board member with Uplands PEAK Sanctuary, Indiana’s first farmed animal sanctuary.
