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Caramel Corn Recipe

Making caramel corn from scratch is that you only need a handful of simple ingredients.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 cups
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 10 cups popped popcorn
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

Method
 

  1. Prepare the Popcorn
  2. Pop enough popcorn to make about 10 cups. Remove all unpopped kernels and spread the popcorn evenly over a large baking sheet or two baking sheets.
  3. Preheat the Oven
  4. Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Lightly grease your baking sheet or line it with parchment paper to make cleanup easier.
  5. Make the Caramel
  6. Add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a gentle boil.
  7. Cook the Caramel
  8. Once boiling, continue cooking the caramel mixture for about 4 minutes. Stir gently and watch it carefully to prevent it from becoming too dark.
  9. Add Vanilla and Baking Soda
  10. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda. The mixture will bubble and become slightly foamy.
  11. Coat the Popcorn
  12. Immediately pour the warm caramel over the popcorn. Using a large spatula or wooden spoon, gently toss the popcorn until the caramel is distributed as evenly as possible.
  13. Bake
  14. Spread the caramel-coated popcorn into an even layer. Bake at 250°F (120°C) for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to help coat the popcorn evenly and prevent large sticky areas.
  15. Cool
  16. Remove the caramel corn from the oven and let it cool completely on the baking sheet. Once cool, break apart any large clusters and serve.

Notes

  • Remove as many unpopped kernels as possible before coating the popcorn.
  • Stir the caramel corn every 15 minutes while baking for the best texture.
  • Allow the caramel corn to cool completely before storing.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Add roasted peanuts, pecans, cinnamon, sea salt, or chocolate drizzle for different variations.