Homemade Caramel Corn
Crispy, crunchy, and sweet, this homemade caramel corn is an irresistible treat you’ll want to snack on all day long! Who knew it was this easy to make caramel corn at home?!
Servings: 16 cups
Ingredients
- 16 cups popped popcorn (½ cup unpopped kernels)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, or 4 oz.)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250℉. Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets (13 x 18 inches) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add popcorn to a large mixing bowl, removing any unpopped kernels. (Lightly stirring the popcorn will cause the heavier unpopped kernels to fall to the bottom of the bowl.) Set aside.16 cups popped popcorn
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil (see note). Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Do not stir.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, packed, ½ cup light corn syrup, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Remove the caramel sauce from the heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pour the hot caramel sauce over the popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Divide the popcorn evenly between the baking sheets and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool. Break into smaller pieces if necessary.
Notes
- What is a rolling boil? It means that the entire surface of the sauce has bubbles and is boiling. When you see this happening, reduce the heat to simmer and start the timer for 5 minutes. If you use a candy thermometer, it should read about 220℉ after the sauce boils for 5 minutes.
- Storage: Cool caramel corn completely. Store in an airtight storage bag or container for up to 2 weeks. Freezing is not recommended.
- Popcorn options: You can use your favorite technique to pop plain popcorn for this recipe (½ cup kernels) or use bagged popcorn as a shortcut. Purchase the plain or sea salt only variety. A 5-ounce bag contains between 10 to 12 cups of popped popcorn. If you prefer microwave popcorn, a 3.29-ounce bag will make about 10 cups of popped popcorn. Purchase a plain or sea salt only variety (not buttered).
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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