Nacho Cheese Doritos Popcorn

If you’ve been around my blog for any amount of time then you already know my family loves popcorn! But what you may not know is that growing up I was a huge fan of Doritos. But now that I am plant-based, and actively working towards getting my family fully onboard with this transition as well, it’s not been something I’ve purchased for the home.

There’s also the fact that as an aspiring whole food plant-based foodie, GMO corn and the chemical concoction on top of the crispy chips are not welcome in our home either. After all, who really thinks yummy when you hear that your tortilla chips are dowsed with monosodium glutamate, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate? Me either.

For the past few months, I’ve been scouring the web looking for a ready-made recipe, but nothing really seemed to check off all the boxes for me. Because I was looking for a recipe that was dairy free, gluten free, vegan, and perfect for football season, a.k.a., date-nights-in for housewives everywhere come the fall. Which is why it occurred to me to try and combine my love for Dorito® chips, with what else, Popcorn!

So I’ve taken my hand to make my own. So if you’re like me, and trying to avoid both GMOs and grocery store checkout lines, here’s my recipe for Doritos-inspired popcorn:

To begin, I put together my spice blend. This consisted of nutritional yeast, garlic powder, Adobo seasoning, organic cumin, paprika, organic chili powder, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt.

My favorite ingredient in this mix? Nutritional Yeast. With a naturally cheesy flavored non-candida-feeding yeast, packed with high levels of natural b12 is what totally takes this recipe from super to spectacular. This ancient Egyptian superfood is popular with vegan and plant-based folks the world over due to its dairy-free taste. Our family’s favorite brand? Bob’s Red Mill nutritional yeast.

Now to drag out our trusty popper. Here’s the brand we use. Then just air pop as directed.

You’ll then need to grind your seasonings. I love using a spice mill but a mortar and pestle works too!

Next, drizzle your coconut oil over your popcorn. Keep in mind the oil is used to give the seasoning something to adhere to and is not required for air popping kernels. But you could omit if you choose. Especially for those with Whole Food Plant-Based diets at home.

Toss to coat your popped kernels. Making sure to get the yummy seasoning on the bottle of the bowl redistributed throughout your popcorn!

Finally, sprinkle with your seasoning and toss again to combine. And that’s it! I made a whole bunch of batches of this perfectly palatable popcorn this past weekend and it was a big hit. I hope you’ll try this recipe out at home and love this Dorito Popcorn as much as we do!

Also be sure to check out my other fall-inspired recipes and pin them for easy reference this season too!

Now, friends, I want to ask, what is your favorite way to eat popcorn? Let me know your favorite brand or recipe below! I can’t wait to hear your favorites this season!