How to Make Caramel Popcorn

Guide Note If making plain popcorn has lost its edge, take the snack one step further by adding a light and buttery caramel coating. This page will walk you through two ways to create the perfect bowl of crispy caramel corn, and give you a few tips for delectable variations on the basic recipe.

Table of Contents

Caramel Popcorn Tips

  1. The caramel mixture can be prepared in the microwave as well as a stovetop.
  2. Caramel corn is well-suited to both savory and sweet recipe variations; get creative!
  3. Be careful when stirring the caramel onto the popcorn; it will still be very hot.
  4. Let the popcorn cool in large clumps, then break it into bite-sized pieces.
  5. Store the caramel corn in an airtight container.

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Introduction

  • Whether you need a late-night snack, extra tidbits for a party spread or some munchies for your next movie night, mix a batch of caramel corn to satisfy the cravings for salty and sweet. A simple coating featuring butter, brown sugar and vanilla is all it takes to turn plain popcorn into a deluxe treat.

What You'll Need

  • Create a batch of crunchy caramel corn with the following ingredients and common kitchen tools.

Ingredients

Equipment

  • Roasting pan (big enough to hold the popped popcorn)
  • Saucepan
  • Wooden spoon
  • Oven

Making Caramel Popcorn

  • Follow these steps to create about four quarts of caramel popcorn in a conventional or microwave oven.
  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.1
  2. Pop the popcorn and place it in a large roasting pan.
    • - Use microwave popcorn for convenience.2
    • - Make stovetop popcorn if you don't like the microwave popcorn's salt and butter flavoring. For quick and easy steps, check out Mahalo's How to Make Popcorn guide.
  3. Place the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in the saucepan.3
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.4
  5. Let the mixture boil for an additional 4 minutes without stirring.5
  6. Take the pan off the heat and immediately stir in the vanilla and baking soda.3
  7. Pour the hot caramel over the popcorn.6
  8. Use a wooden spoon to stir the popcorn until the caramel is well distributed.6
  9. Bake the caramel corn for one hour, stirring about every 20 minutes.5
  10. Let the caramel corn cool, then break it into bite-sized pieces.4
  11. Keep the caramel corn crunchy by storing it in an airtight container.1

Microwave Method

  1. Place the 4 quarts of popped popcorn into a brown paper bag.7
  2. Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt to a microwave-safe bowl.8
  3. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.9
  4. Carefully stir the mixture.
  5. Microwave for another 2 minutes.10
  6. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla.8
  7. Pour the caramel over popcorn, shaking the bag to distribute it.7
  8. Microwave the bag for 1 1/2 minutes.9
  9. Shake the bag and microwave it for another 1 1/2 minutes.10
  10. Shake the bag again and microwave for another minute.10
  11. Pour the caramel corn onto wax paper to cool before munching.7

Variations

  • (Creative Commons photo by Stu Spivack)
    (Creative Commons photo by Stu Spivack)
    Build on the sweet caramel flavor by experimenting with a variety of spices and ingredients like chocolate, nuts and dried fruit to give your caramel popcorn a unique flavor.
  1. Add peanuts, pecans, walnuts, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce to create nutty popcorn with a spicy kick.11
  2. Toss in a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom for a complex flavor combination.12
  3. For an extra sticky treat, add marshmallows to the mix.13
  4. Satisfy your chocolate craving by stirring semi-sweet chips into the mix.14
  5. Add peanuts and dried cherries to give the popcorn a bit of tang.15
  6. Try using caramels in place of the brown sugar to simplify the process.16

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References for How To Make Caramel Popcorn

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 About.com: Caramel Popcorn  WARNING: Pop-ups
  2. ↑ About.com: Caramel Popcorn Recipe  WARNING: Pop-ups
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 All Recipes: Classic Caramel Corn
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 YumYum.com: Easy Caramel Popcorn Recipe
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Recipezaar: Caramel Popcorn
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Simply Recipes: Caramel Corn
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 All Recipes: Microwave Caramel Popcorn
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Recipezaar: Microwave Caramel Popcorn
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cyber-Kitchen: Microwave Caramel Popcorn
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Group Recipes: Caramel Popcorn
  11. ↑ Food Network: Nutty Caramel Corn  WARNING: Pop-ups
  12. ↑ Martha Stewart: Spiced Caramel Corn
  13. ↑ Food Network: Gooey Caramel Popcorn  WARNING: Pop-ups
  14. ↑ Recipe Tips: Chocolate Caramel Popcorn
  15. ↑ Food Network: Caramel Corn with Peanuts and Dried Cherries  WARNING: Pop-ups
  16. ↑ Everyday Health: Easy Caramel Popcorn

Additional Caramel Popcorn Recipes



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