Add the coconut oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot and place a few popcorn kernels inside. Cover the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Once these kernels pop, the oil is hot enough.
Add the remaining popcorn kernels, a pinch of salt, and the sugar to the pot, cover with the lid, and shake the pan for a few seconds.
Cook the corn until all the kernels have popped, while continuously shaking the pan. Pause occasionally to listen for breaks in popping. Once there is about a 2-second break between pops, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the popcorn to a bowl. Allow the popcorn to cool down for 2 minutes before eating.