If your dog has been part of your family for a while, you’ll know that for our furry friends, snacks make the world go round. And their favorite treats are whatever we’re eating! While most (processed) human treats aren’t safe for dogs, we can share some of our own favorite meals and snacks with them if we prepare them correctly. One you might not have thought of? Popcorn for dogs. Not the microwave kind, but the good ol’ stove top version!
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of dog treats, but plain popcorn, prepared properly, can be a crunchy, low-calorie treat for your pup.
Can Dogs Eat Popcorn?
Yes, dogs can eat popcorn. After all, it’s really just dried corn exposed to heat. Most dogs can have a bit of corn just fine—it’s a common ingredient in commercial dog foods, after all—and many go crazy for the crunchy-but-airy texture. If yours hasn’t had the opportunity to try popcorn yet, be sure to give it a shot. We think it makes a particularly good low-calorie training treat!
However, as the title of this post implies, popcorn can be both a crunchy treat and a health hazard for dogs. After all, not all popcorn is made equal: it should be prepared without sugar, salt, butter, or any kind of seasoning, and popped in as little oil as possible. This means that store-bought microwave popcorn is absolutely out. As convenient as it is, it’s usually absolutely laden with oil, artificial (butter) flavorings, salt, sugar, and preservatives. These can irritate your dog’s digestive system. This can lead to diarrhea or even more serious health issues over time, especially if you regularly let your pooch indulge in large amounts. The same goes for store-bought bags of pre-popped popcorn.
Luckily, making popcorn yourself at home is a breeze. We’re all so used to the microwave version nowadays that we seem to have forgotten how easy it actually is to pop some corn on the stove! Give it a try: it isn’t just healthier for your dog, but also for you. Below, we’ll have a look at two ways to make dog-safe popcorn, plus briefly touch on other poppable grains (some of which can also be used in homemade dog treats).
Tip: Some dogs are allergic to corn. As always when you feed something your furry friend hasn’t tried before, offer a very small amount the first time and keep an eye out for any adverse effects.
Popping corn for your dog
Air-popping popcorn for dogs
The best way to make some popcorn to share with your dog is by air-popping the corn. It involves zero oil and zero other ingredients, meaning it’s 100% dog-safe. Now, a lot of people think you need a popcorn machine to air-pop corn. It’s true that this is the easiest way to do it—you literally just insert the kernels and it launches delicious warm popcorn at you—but you can also air-pop in the microwave without too much effort. All you need are regular brown paper lunch bags!
The paper bag method is very similar to using store-bought microwave popcorn, except you add the kernels to the paper bag yourself. No oil, just fold the top over 2–3 times to prevent it from opening in the microwave and throwing popcorn everywhere, and then microwave at 800 watts for 2–4 minutes. Don’t walk away while the corn is popping, because you’ll want to turn off the microwave as soon as the intervals between pops slow down. Otherwise, you run the risk of the popcorn burning (and even setting the bag on fire in extreme cases).
Let your fresh, homemade popcorn cool down for a bit and carefully open the bag. Set a cup or so aside for your dog—plain only, no seasoning, and no unpopped kernels included—and feel free to dress the rest up for yourself with butter, salt, or your favorite toppings. Movie time!
Tip: As we’ve recently discovered, you can also make popcorn in an air fryer. Preheat to 400 °F, cover the basket bottom in tin foil, add a single layer of corn kernels, and cook for 8 minutes or until the popping slows down. A bit slower than the microwave option, but it works like a charm and you don’t need oil
Stove top popcorn for dogs
Of course, the classic way to make popcorn is in a large pot on the stove. Some folks swear you can do this without oil, but we’ve noticed ours pops better and is less prone to burning if we use a teaspoon or so (which is a small enough amount that it won’t bother your dog’s tummy). To pop corn for your dog on the stove, all you really need is a big, heavy-bottomed pot that heats nice and evenly. Don’t forget the lid, or you might get caught in a popcorn hail storm!
To make the popcorn for dogs, place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Add some oil with a high smoke point, like canola, corn, peanut, sunflower, or coconut. Place two corn kernels in the pot: you’ll know it’s hot enough when they pop. At this point, you can add enough kernels to cover the bottom. Place the lid on the pot (a glass lid is ideal), leaving a tiny crack, and let the corn do its thing until the popping slows down.
As with the air-popping method, once the popcorn is done, you can set some aside for your dog to offer plain (absolutely no butter, salt, or seasoning). The rest is yours—bon appétit!
Tip: Use corn kernels that haven’t been sitting too long. Although they’re dried, it’s the residual moisture they contain that makes them pop. As a result, old and dried-out kernels don’t pop nearly as well as fresh ones.
Amaranth can be popped to make a sort of “micro-popcorn”.
Other poppable grains for dogs
If dried corn can pop due to the moisture inside turning into steam and explosively rupturing the hard outer shell (sounds pretty cool when you put it like that, right?), does the same also work for other types of grains? The answer is a resounding yes. We’ve all had puffed rice cereal before, right? It’s produced by means of the same process, using brown rice.
The same goes for a bunch of other grains available at any supermarket:
- Quinoa
- Amaranth
- Millet
- Sorghum
- Teff
- Spelt
- Buckwheat
These won’t pop to be as large as a piece of popcorn, but they will still expand and take on a toasted flavor. Because the pops aren’t as explosive (they’re more like crackles), grains are best prepared in a skillet rather than a pot. You can offer the popped result to your dog as-is, mix them into homemade dog treat dough, or sprinkle a few over their food for a fun texture boost. Again, just be sure to skip any salt, sugar, or seasonings.
And don’t forget: like popcorn, popped grains aren’t just for your dog. You can use them in granola bars, yogurt, or sprinkled over a salad! Sharing is caring, after all.
