Caramel Corn
This sweet, crunchy homemade caramel corn is the perfect treat for parties or to snack on while watching your favorite movie! The recipe is super easy, can be doubled and contains no corn syrup!
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 199kcal
Ingredients
- 8 cups natural popcorn freshly popped, If using microwave popcorn, choose a natural variety—avoid flavored or “buttery” kinds.
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pop the popcorn on the stovetop, in a popcorn maker or in the microwave. Remove all unpopped kernels and place popcorn in a large mixing bowl.
- Take out the rest of the ingredients. Have them measured and next to the stovetop before you begin making the caramel.
- In a medium saucepan (2 to 3 quarts), melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the brown sugar. Keep stirring gently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks mostly smooth and glossy before moving on. This takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Once it looks smooth, lower the heat slightly to medium-low. Let the caramel simmer gently for 4 minutes without stirring. It should bubble slowly, lightly, and evenly — not boil hard.
- Remove from heat. Quickly stir in vanilla extract and salt, then immediately add baking soda. The mixture will foam up lightly — that’s normal.
- Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn in the bowl. Use two spatulas or wooden spoons to toss until mostly coated. Toss in the bowl first for even coating, then spread on the baking sheet to bake.
- Spread the popcorn evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes, stirring halfway through (remove from oven, toss gently, and return to bake). It should look evenly coated and slightly darker golden than when it went into the oven.
- Remove from oven and stir once more. Let cool completely. The caramel will harden and the popcorn will crisp up as it cools.
Video
Notes
Popcorn: Remove any hard, unpopped kernels after popping the popcorn — they’re not fun to bite into!
Prepare ingredients: Before making the caramel, measure out all the ingredients and keep them near the stovetop so everything’s ready to go.
Caramel tips: If the caramel is still a tiny bit grainy, don’t worry — it will taste fine and create a few crunchy clusters. Keep your heat steady: too low = sugar won’t melt, too high = burnt caramel.
Nuts: Add some mixed nuts! Mix in around 3/4 cup to 1 cup of your favorite salted or unsalted nuts, like peanuts, cashews, or almonds, with the popcorn before adding the caramel. They’ll bake along with the popcorn and turn extra crunchy and flavorful.
Storage: Store caramel popcorn in an airtight container or storage bag at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 199kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.5mg
