The Best Gourmet Popcorn in Kansas City

Most popcorn is an afterthought: a bag from a machine, tossed with butter flavoring, gone stale by the time you get it home. Gourmet popcorn is a different thing entirely, and once you've had it done right, it's hard to go back.

Here's what separates real gourmet popcorn from the rest, and why CST Sweets, The Kansas City Brittle & Toffee Co., has built a following around ours in historic downtown Bonner Springs.

What Makes Gourmet Popcorn Actually Good

• Fresh kernels, popped in small batches. Popcorn made in bulk and bagged days ahead loses its crunch fast. Small batch popcorn, made close to when you buy it, tastes noticeably fresher and crisper.
• Real caramel, not corn syrup glaze. A lot of "caramel corn" is really just a sugar glaze. True caramel popcorn is coated in an actual cooked caramel, with the deep flavor that comes from real butter and sugar cooked properly.
• Even coating. Good gourmet popcorn is coated kernel by kernel, not clumped together with a handful of pieces drowning in topping while the rest sit bare.
• Real mix ins. Chocolate drizzle should be real chocolate. Nuts should be roasted, not an afterthought sprinkled on top.

Our Popcorn, Made Fresh in Bonner Springs

At CST Sweets, our top selling treat isn't candy at all, it's our Ultimate Popcorn: fresh caramel corn loaded with candied pecans, then drizzled with both white and dark chocolate. It's made the same way as everything else in our shop, in small batches, by hand, using the same family approach we've built the business on since 2003.

If you've never had popcorn made this way, it's worth trying at least once. It's closer to candy than snack food, and it's one of the treats people specifically drive back to Bonner Springs for.

Watch It Made

Our retail shop and Experience Kitchen in historic downtown Bonner Springs lets you see how treats like this actually come together, rather than picking up a bag off a shelf with no idea how fresh it is or what's really in it.

Visit or Order

CST Sweets is located at 204 Oak St in historic downtown Bonner Springs, KS, about 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City. We're right alongside Third Space Coffee and Range 23 Taproom, which makes for an easy stop on a full afternoon downtown. Popcorn ships nationwide, with orders sent to customers in more than 60 countries.

Shop our popcorn: cstsweets.com/collections/popcorn
Visit us: 204 Oak St, Bonner Springs, KS 66012, Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 9pm