Homemade Caramel Popcorn is the best dessert! Learn how to make caramel corn with this easy caramel popcorn recipe! Gluten free & delicious!
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This caramel popcorn recipe is the ULTIMATE treat. It's chewy, crunchy, sweet and delicious.
My Gram has been making this recipe every year around the holidays for as long as I can remember. It's devoured in seconds at her holiday table, and once you try it you'll understand why.
This easy caramel popcorn recipe is simple to make and so yummy. Done in under an hour, this caramel popcorn is perfect for gifting or snacking on!
Making candy isn't just for candy companies - YOU can do it too! Check out Easy Candied Walnuts, Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle or these tasty Vegan Orange Chocolate Truffles. All are perfect treats for a holiday sweets table or homemade gifts for family or friends.
Why We Love this Recipe for Caramel Popcorn
- Delicious: Some of the best recipes are simple and still have a ton of flavor. Made with only 6 ingredients this caramel corn is packed with sweet buttery caramel flavor.
- Holiday Gifts: A sweet and easy gift, press into popcorn balls or simply deliver in clear bags with a bow for a nice gift.
- Customizable: Add salted peanuts or cheddar popcorn to caramel corn for a sweet and salty mixture.
Homemade Caramel Corn Ingredients
Why do you put baking soda in caramel corn? Baking soda is essential to caramel corn because it helps make the texture slightly softer. The baking soda makes the syrup foamy and changes the density of the caramel which makes it easier to spread on the popcorn.
What happens if you forgot the baking soda in caramel corn? If you forget the baking soda in caramel corn it will change the texture of the popcorn completely. It will make it harder and can affect the taste.
How to Make Caramel Corn
Here's how to make the best caramel popcorn:
- First, pop your popcorn. Add ½ cup of popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and shake it every 5 seconds.
- Make sure to consistently shake the pot to avoid the popcorn burning. Once popcorn slows down popping, removing from heat.
- Repeat again with another ½ cup of kernels.
- When popcorn is finished popping, quickly look through it and pick out any un-popped kernels.
- Set popcorn aside. In a large non-stick pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Stir in brown sugar, karo syrup, baking soda, and vanilla extract.
- Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
- Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. DONT stir it!
- Quickly pour the caramel mixture onto the popcorn and stir with a spatula until the popcorn is coated.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Pour popcorn onto lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stir and then bake for 10 more minutes until popcorn is no longer ‘gooey’.
How long does homemade caramel popcorn last?
Storing: You can store this caramel popcorn recipe for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature.
Freezing: Do not freeze caramel popcorn or put it in the refrigerator. It will ruin the texture of the caramel corn.
Easy Caramel Popcorn Variations
Butter: Butter is essential to this recipe. We haven't tried it with dairy free butter but it might work!
Sugar: We don't recommend substituting white sugar unless you have to, but White sugar can be used interchangeably with brown sugar. You can add 1 teaspoon of molasses to white sugar to make brown sugar.
White Karo Syrup: We don't recommend substituting karo syrup in this recipe. I haven't tried it with maple syrup or honey but I don't think it would work.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is essential for this recipe. Do not substitute with baking powder.
Vanilla Extract: Helps to add flavor, we don't recommend substituting.
Corn Syrup Substitutions in this Recipe for Caramel Corn
I have only ever made this recipe with corn syrup and don't recommend substituting it because I don't know how it will work out.
If you want to experiment, here are some substitutions for corn syrup. Do note that these have not been tried in this recipe, and could affect the outcome.
- Glucose syrup - Adds moisture and sweetness, it is the best replacement option.
- Honey - is lightly flavored and helps to retain moisture.
- Maple syrup - Maple flavored, an easy one-for-one swap with corn syrup.
- Brown rice syrup - Sweet flavor, great option as a corn syrup replacement.
Tips for Homemade Caramel Popcorn
Don't forget to sift through your popcorn and pull out any unpopped kernels. You won't enjoy biting into one of those!
- Cooling rack: Pour your freshly popped corn onto a cooling rack and the unpopped kernels should fall through the grates.
- Colander: Use a colander with large enough holes for kernels and they should fall through the holes with a few shakes on the colander.
Or, simply shake the pan you cooked the popcorn in and allow the kernels to fall to the bottom, and carefully remove the popped pieces out of the pan.
Recipe for Caramel Corn FAQ
To maintain your caramel corn's freshness it's important to keep it sealed in an airtight container. If you've stored it in a Ziploc bag, make sure you squeeze the air out.
Chewy caramel corn is a result of too much caramel syrup or a caramel syrup that's too thick. Heat your caramel syrup a bit longer to thin it out and help distribute evenly over your popcorn.
If your caramel corn isn't crunchy, it's likely that it's chewy. Too much caramel coverage on your popcorn, or your caramel hasn't cooked long enough and is too thick. A thinner caramel will evenly cover your popcorn and still maintain the crunch.
Caramel corn is fresh popcorn coated in a sweet sugar syrup that's sticky, crunchy, and sweet. While kettle corn is popped in a kettle with oil and salt, then sweetened with a sugar dusting while in the kettle.
Other easy dessert recipes:
- Easy Edible Sugar Cookie Dough Recipe
- Easy Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
- Easy Vanilla Cupcakes from Scratch
- Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake Recipe
- Easy Peanut Butter Pie (No Bake Recipe)
- Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
Homemade Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- 1 cup popcorn kernels air popped follow directions for popcorn)
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup white karo syrup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, pop your popcorn. The best way to air pop popcorn is to heat a large pot with a lid on the stove. Cover the pot and heat for 2 minutes (with nothing in the pot) after two minutes, put a few drops of water in the pot. If it sizzles, add ½ cup popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and shake every 5 seconds. It should take about 3 minutes for the kernels to pop.
- Make sure to consistently shake the pot to avoid the popcorn burning. Once popcorn slows down popping, removing from heat.
- Repeat again with other ½ cup of kernels.
- When popcorn is finished popping, quickly look through it and pick out any un-popped kernels. (don’t skip this step!)
- Set popcorn aside. In a large non-stick pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Stir in brown sugar, karo syrup, baking soda and vanilla extract.
- Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat (it boils quickly).
- Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. DONT stir it!
- Quickly pour the caramel mixture on the popcorn and stir with a spatula until the popcorn is coated (you may have to do it in batches unless you have a big bowl!)
- Preheat the oven to 250 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Pour popcorn onto lined baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stir and then bake for 10 more minutes until popcorn is no longer ‘gooey’.
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