Movie Night Snacks Besides Popcorn
When you picture an at-home movie night, you might immediately imagine a freshly popped bowl of buttery popcorn. But who says popcorn is the only food you can snack on while watching a movie? Switch out the traditional popcorn to keep your movie night guests on their toes and enhance the cinematic experience.
Whether you’re watching a drama, comedy, thriller, rom-com or mystery, there’s a perfect snack to fit every movie mood. Keep reading to discover some of our favorite popcorn alternatives!
15 Delicious Movie Night Popcorn Substitutes
We’ve compiled a list of good movie snacks besides popcorn for you to try. There’s a variety of sweet and salty snack suggestions, so you can find what you need to satisfy a specific craving.
1. Chips
Chips are a grab-and-go classic when you’re craving something crunchy and salty. Plain chips might seem like a boring movie snack, but there are plenty of chip options — from kettle-cooked salt and vinegar potato chips to tortilla chips with a hint of lime. If you’re hosting a movie night with friends or family, try putting out a giant chip buffet of everyone’s favorite flavors.
Don’t be afraid to get adventurous and make DIY chips by cutting up a potato and seasoning the slices before popping them in the oven until they reach crispy golden perfection.
2. Fries
Fries are an excellent shareable snack you can dress up or down, depending on your mood. From simple french fries to these loaded BLT sausage waffle fries, you can’t go wrong with fries and a movie. For the health-conscious, baked sweet potato fries are a slightly healthier substitute for regular fries.
3. Veggie Sticks
Vegetables aren’t everyone’s idea of a movie snack, but they’re a healthy option for those who enjoy them. Plus, fresh veggies can act as a palette cleanser after a round of oily or sugary food. Choose crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, peppers and celery, and cut them into thin strips for easy snacking.
Chill before serving with your favorite dip. Hummus, ranch dressing, cream cheese and guacamole are go-to veggie stick dip pairings, but we’ve provided some flavourful alternatives in the next section.
4. Dips
If you’re serving fries, chips or veggie sticks at your movie night, accompany them with an assortment of homemade dips. The options are limitless when it comes to dips because they can range across all flavor categories. You could choose a kickin’ Buffalo chicken dip, cheesy Southwestern dip, three-cheese sundried tomato pesto dip or spinach and artichoke dip, to name a few.
Keep in mind that dips don’t have to be savory — try dipping graham crackers into a s’mores dip of melted chocolate and marshmallows to appease your sweet tooth.
5. Sliders
Sometimes, popcorn and candy are too light of a snack. For extra-hungry movie watchers, sliders are the ideal, more filling alternative. These adorable miniature burgers are easy to eat while keeping your fingers clean, making them perfect for movie-watching. If you enjoy snacks with a little kick, try these Buffalo chicken sausage sliders made with spicy sausage, hot sauce, blue cheese and sour cream.
6. Pretzels
Pretzels are another staple snack, suitable for just about any snacking situation. Although hard pretzels are a dependable choice, don’t overlook soft pretzels! Munching on bite-sized soft pretzel nibbles during a flick is satisfying and less noisy!
Whether the pretzels you serve for your movie night guests are hard or soft, spice them up by sprinkling on some flavored salt or seasoning, such as garlic powder, onion powder or cheese. You can even create sweet variations by dipping them in chocolate or rolling them in cinnamon sugar.
7. Nachos
If you want to jazz up your chips a little bit, nachos are the game changer you’re looking for. You might think of nachos as some melted cheese on chips, but there’s so much more to this snack. Load your nachos with traditional toppings like sour cream, salsa, ground meat, jalapeños and beans. You can also try Italian nachos made with sausages, pepperoni, mozzarella and pizza sauce.
Get creative by trying variations of traditional nacho ingredients, like this salsa with avocado, mango and sausage. Alternatively, serve plain nachos with homemade sausage queso — it’s a bit less messy!
8. Cookies
Of course, premade refrigerated cookie dough is a quick fix for a cookie craving — but with a little imagination, cookies can be so much more. From an old standby, like chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies, to a modern favorite, like monster cookies or layered cookie bars, cookies are a fun way to put your baking skills to the test.
To take your cookie game to the next level, layer them into cookie sandwiches by filling them with a light frosting or ice cream.
9. Pinwheels
Pinwheels are a hit with kids and adults and are super easy to make. For a sweet option, cover puff pastry with cinnamon and sugar, roll it into a log, slice it up and cook it until golden. If you prefer savory snacks, try these sausage cream cheese pinwheels. The recipe calls for only three ingredients, so you can have them ready to serve in a snap.
10. Fruit
If you’re looking for a healthier movie snack, fruit is the perfect option. Packed with vitamins and minerals, fruit is both delicious and nutritious. A fresh fruit salad is a delightful way to brighten up your movie snack selection with something sweet while maintaining a balanced diet.
If you only want to be healthy-ish, douse your fruit in melted chocolate! You can make chocolate-covered strawberries or chocolate-dipped bananas. Another way to make fruit closer to dessert is to slice up some apples and serve them alongside a caramel or cinnamon peanut butter dip.
11. Cheese and Crackers
Cheese is another yummy addition to movie night. The kids can snack on cheese sticks to eliminate mess while the parents indulge in their favorite fancy cheeses. You can create a platter containing various types, such as brie, Camembert or blue cheese. Add some crackers and some pepper jelly, cream cheese or hummus for extra-tasty flavor combinations. Fruits like figs, grapes and pears taste amazing with cheese, too.
12. Popcorn Chicken
Don’t be alarmed that popcorn’s in the name — this chicken got its name from its bite-sized nature. As the baby cousin of the chicken nugget, popcorn chicken is even tinier and easier to eat by the handful while watching a movie. Heating popcorn chicken is a breeze, so if you want more of a culinary challenge, whip up a homemade sauce to dunk the little pieces in.
As a bonus, the protein in popcorn chicken makes it one of the best snacks for movie night because it’s more satisfying to snack on than plain popcorn. If you’re feeling extra peckish, pair them with other snacks like fries and veggie sticks.
13. Pizza Tornados
A full pizza can be a bit heavy as a movie snack, especially if you’ve eaten dinner beforehand. Instead, make some pizza tornadoes! They’re essentially pizza on a stick, which is as fun as it sounds. All you need to do is add some sausage and veggies to a skewer and then wrap them with thin strips of pizza dough. Brush them with oil, sprinkle on some seasoning and then bake for 15 minutes. Add shredded cheese and bake again until the cheese melts.
14. Nuts
If you’re still craving something salty, nuts are an excellent substitute for popcorn. Go with the classic peanut, or try almonds, cashews, macadamias and pecans. Combine your favorite types or make your own trail mix. Add various nut types, dried fruit like cranberries or raisins, and some granola. It’s movie night, so add some chocolate or candy to the mix for a sweet surprise mid-crunch!
15. Toasted Sandwiches
Toasted sandwiches are another filling movie snack that nearly everyone will love. You can serve classic grilled cheese sandwiches or try an exciting combination you’ve never had before. For example, kimchi grilled cheese sandwiches contain Korean fermented cabbage that is both spicy and sour. This grilled cheese sandwich recipe made with ciabatta bread, sausage, cheese, tomato and spinach is also delicious.
Create the Ultimate Movie Night Snack Board
Why pick one snack when you can have them all? Try a fun new movie night trend by making a snack board! It’s similar to a charcuterie board, but you’re not limited to cheese, meat and crackers. The best snack boards have candy, nuts, pretzels, fruit, cookies, fries and more! Most of the snack ideas in this article would look fantastic on a movie night snack board.
Find Premio Foods Sausage in a Store Near You
Complete your movie night by locating a Premio Foods sausage carrier closest to you to get the ingredients you need for the ultimate movie night snacks. With more than 40 varieties of sausage and no fillers, Premio Foods ingredients are exactly what your movie night is missing. If you want to wow your guests, use Premio Foods sausage to make a tasty popcorn replacement.
Don’t settle for boring old popcorn again — use Premio Foods sausage to create a snack spread so legendary it’ll steal the spotlight!