It’s Friday and the working week is over. You've eaten dinner and you've got a new Netflix series lined up on the TV. Now all you need is a big bowl of homemade popcorn, but which flavour should you choose - buttery, salty, or sweet? It can be hard to find a snack to help with weight loss and healthy living, but popcorn can be such a treat.
Popcorn is a fantastic snack for any occasion, whether you're after microwave kernels for movie night or a low-calorie, gluten-free lunchbox treat. With so many recipes available online, you'll quickly find there are more seasonings to consider than just sugar or caramel. In this article, we rank the top 10 best bags of popcorn in the UK, from indulgent luxury options to healthy alternatives available to buy at Amazon, Tesco, Asda and Waitrose.
Quick List - Top Popcorn
Kirkland Signature
Rich, Buttery and Wonderfully Crunchy With Low Salt and Sugar
Joe & Seph's
Luxurious Chocolate-Coated Popcorn to Treat Yourself To
mybest UK specialist Tara is a nutritionist and energy coach who helps clients lose weight, improve their eating habits, and get their energy back through their nutrition. Tara specialises in helping busy parents specifically improve their eating with ease and without overwhelm, and get back on track so the whole family can benefit.
A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Table of Contents
Tara is a nutritionist and energy coach who helps clients lose weight, improve their eating habits, and get their energy back through their nutrition. Tara specialises in helping busy parents specifically improve their eating with ease and without overwhelm, and get back on track so the whole family can benefit.
The best thing about microwaveable popcorn is that you can enjoy it fresh; just put the bag of kernels into the microwave and you'll be enjoying piping hot popcorn in a matter of minutes. This is the closest you're going to get to cinema-style popcorn at home, in terms of the taste - and it really is delicious!
Pre-made popcorn wins out over microwaved when it comes to convenience. Bags of cooked popcorn come in a variety of flavours and can be enjoyed any time, anywhere and makes for a healthy substitute for a bag of crisps. Pre-made popcorn won't taste as fresh as its microwaved counterpart and has a slightly softer texture so definitely bear this in mind.
Microwaveable popcorn is certainly the most common way to make popcorn these days, and there is a good reason for that! It is easy to prepare, and in about a minute, you can have a low calorie, healthy snack to eat. You can even pop the kernels and take them to go in small bags for an easy and healthy snack for yourself or your children.
These are exciting times for popcorn lovers as companies continue to push the boundaries of flavours. If you’re enjoying popcorn as a treat while chilling out with a movie, then why not experiment with the ever-growing world of dessert-inspired flavours like pecan pie, strawberry meringue, and salted caramel. For an even more indulgent sweet-toothed snack, try toffee or chocolate-covered popcorn.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a healthy snack to accompany your packed lunch, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to lightly salted kernels or those with natural flavourings such as peanut butter and almond.
There are so many different popcorn flavours on the market that you are not confined to just plain popcorn anymore. When selecting, I would always advise looking for ones that do not have added refined sugar, sweeteners, additives, or preservatives.
Instead, look for options with real ingredients, like Propercorn Sweet & Salty Popcorn. This popcorn is so tasty, has only natural flavourings, is gluten-free, and is suitable for vegans.
While popcorn is generally considered a healthy alternative to crisps or other fatty snack foods, two of the most popular flavours contain large amounts of salt and sugar. If you're trying to be mindful of your intake it’s worth keeping an eye on how much you’re munching.
In regards to salt, the daily recommended intake for adults is around 6g per day. As for sugar, adults should consume no more than 30 g per day. Be aware that the recommended upper limits for children will be even less depending on their age. Checking the salt and sugar content before digging in means you can enjoy your snack without worrying about your health.
If you're watching your calories, why not take a look at some other healthy snacks and snack bars?
Even though popcorn is healthy by nature, it doesn’t mean that all popcorn bags you find on the shelf are created equal. Make sure that the popcorn you are selecting has as many real ingredients as possible and is low in both salt and sugars.
Consuming too much salt can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney stones and kidney disease, and even stomach cancer.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kirkland Signature Microwave Popcorn|Pack of 44 | ![]() | Rich, Buttery and Wonderfully Crunchy With Low Salt and Sugar | |
2 | Propercorn Peanut Butter & Almond Popcorn|Pack of 24 | ![]() | A Bag of Brilliantly Balanced Nutty Flavours | |
3 | Propercorn Sweet & Salty|Pack of 6 | ![]() | The Perfect Addition to Any Packed Lunch | |
4 | Joe & Seph's Chocolate Popcorn Selection|Pack of 5 | ![]() | Luxurious Chocolate-Coated Popcorn to Treat Yourself To | |
5 | Popcorn Shed Gourmet Popcorn Tasting Selection Pack|Pack of 7 | ![]() | A Sweet and Savoury Selection That Rewrites the Flavour Rules | |
6 | Eazy Pop Magicorn Microwave Popcorn | ![]() | Amazing Value Bags Perfect for a Family Film Night | |
7 | Propercorn Propercorn - Lightly Salted | ![]() | Healthy Snack for Parties, Movie Nights and Sharing With Friends | |
8 | Butterkist Microwave Popcorn Sweet & Salted|Pack of 3 | ![]() | A Cinema Classic That's Ready in 3 Minutes | |
9 | Butterkist Crunchy Toffee Popcorn | ![]() | Sweet Toffee Popcorn Made With Wholegrain Kernels |
If you're a true popcorn fanatic, then this deal is going to leave you drooling. Kirkland Signature is giving you the opportunity to stock up on a whopping 44 bags for a bargain price. The kernels will last a long time in your pantry as well.
However, the price is no good if the product isn't up to scratch. Thankfully that's definitely not the case here; these tasty kernels have a loyal following with many praising the rich buttery taste and fresh crunchy texture straight out of the microwave. Best of all, it's extremely low in salt and sugar - so you can enjoy this product whenever you fancy it!
This light, crisp hand-popped corn is coated with a savoury blend of peanuts and almonds to create a delicious nut butter hit. While it's definitely moreish, the taste isn't too overpowering and allows you to still enjoy the taste of the corn underneath.
We like the 25g bag best as it provides plenty of kernels to share without the risk of going overboard and feeling unwell, or worse - having to throw away a load of stale leftover popcorn at the end of a movie marathon!
On the opposite end of the spectrum to our previous product are these snack-sized portions by Propercorn, which make the perfect addition to any packed lunch. An easy option for those looking for a lighter option to take with them to work or school, each 14g bag contains a mere 63 calories while still providing plenty of flavour.
Both gluten-free and vegan, this multipack of six single servings would make the ideal store cupboard staple for when you're feeling a bit peckish. The balance of sweet and salty is just right!
This may not be the healthiest snack, but surely you didn't think we'd let popcorn drizzled in chocolate get past us? This pack of five contains a range of decadent delights, with flavours such as caramel, white chocolate, and vanilla bean and orange chocolate. All of which sounds sublime!
If you're looking for low sugar, low-calorie option, you may want to give this one a miss. But popcorn enthusiasts in need of a big treat should pick up one of these little bags of heaven.
UK company Popcorn Shed is on a mission to rewrite the rules of how popcorn should taste. Not only have they concocted a range of exhilarating flavours, but their popcorn recipe incorporates chunks of nuts, chocolate, and dried fruit to really enhance the flavour of their product.
The Salted Caramel, Berry-licious, and Say Cheese flavours, all of which are included in this tasting selection pack, have won Great Taste Awards - so you know you're in for a first-class popcorn-munching experience!
Looking for something inexpensive? Eazy Pop has you covered - this 85g bag of microwaveable popcorn is less than a pound. This makes it perfect for movie night, as the low price means you can buy twice as much!
It may be great value for money, but how does it taste? Overall, it's very salty and not particularly buttery. If you like don't mind that then you're surely on to a winner, but those who want a proper buttery flavour may want to look elsewhere.
These fun and healthy bags of air-popped, naturally seasoned popcorn are ideal for entertaining or relaxing in front of the TV. A brilliant source of whole grain fibre, and low in calories, grab a handful to pick at throughout the day.
Deceptively satisfying, the use of butterfly corn gives the popcorn a light and crunchy texture, whilst the natural seasoning creates a deep flavour from start to finish. Whether you're a savoury fan or have a sweet tooth, Propercorn has a wide selection of flavours to choose from. Made in the UK, it's a win-win for snacking!
Here's another entry from Butterkist; this time we've chosen their sweet and salted flavour microwave popcorn. Quick and easy, the delicious kernels will be fully popped and ready to eat within three minutes - yum!
Included are three 60g microwavable bags, which should see you through either a couple of movie nights or an entire series on Netflix, depending on how much spare time you have! Luckily there's much less sugar in this product than their last offering, although the recipe does include palm oil which isn't particularly healthy.
Kicking us off is this delicious toffee popcorn that's just the ticket for those seeking a classic taste. Butterkist use wholegrain kernels in their recipe to give their popcorn a higher fibre content. When popped, the kernels come out in a bunch of weird and wonderful shapes, making them even more fun to munch on.
Just be aware that this popcorn has an incredibly high amount of sugar, so you might want to limit yourself to enjoying it only as an occasional treat.
Yes, definitely! Popcorns are a great low-calorie snack, make sure you don't add a lot of extra butter or salty flavourings. Consuming too much salt can lead to an increased risk of heart disease.
Sealed popcorn kernels will usually keep for around six months, but check the expiration date on the package. Always store them in an airtight container.
Written and researched by Lewis Clark
No. 1: Kirkland Signature|Microwave Popcorn|Pack of 44
No. 2: Propercorn|Peanut Butter & Almond Popcorn|Pack of 24
No. 3: Propercorn|Sweet & Salty|Pack of 6
No. 4: Joe & Seph's|Chocolate Popcorn Selection|Pack of 5
No. 5: Popcorn Shed|Gourmet Popcorn Tasting Selection Pack|Pack of 7
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
Automotive
Baby Products
Beauty
Books
Business, Industry & Science
Computers & Accessories
DIY, Garden & Tools
Electronics & Photo
Fashion
Grocery
Health & Personal Care
Home & Kitchen
Large Appliances
Musical Instruments & DJ
PC & Video Games
Pet Supplies
Sports & Outdoors
Stationery & Office Products
Toys & Games