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The ultimate easy, Homemade Caramel Corn recipe. Easy to make, stays crispy and crunchy for weeks, and you won’t believe how addictive it is! Perfect for parties, snacking, movie night, and gifting. #caramelcorn #caramelpopcorn #caramel #popcorn #snacks #party #food #recipe #homemade #easy #gift #movienight #video #crunchy

Easy Homemade Caramel Corn

The ultimate Easy, Homemade Caramel Corn recipe. Easy to make, stays crispy and
crunchy for weeks, and you won’t believe how addictive it is! Perfect for
parties, snacking, movie night, and gifting.



5 from 17 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

For the popcorn:

  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • ½ cup popcorn kernels freshly popped (about 13 cups of popped popcorn) (NOTE 1)

For the caramel sauce:

  • ¼ cup (½ stick, 2oz, 57g) butter
  • 1 ¼ cups (9.4oz, 266g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (2.75oz, 78g) light corn syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

For baking:

  • Large baking pan (NOTE 2)

Instructions
 

To make the popcorn:

  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
  • Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. To know when the pan is hot enough, add 3-4 kernels of popcorn. When they pop, the pan is hot enough. Remove the popped kernels and add the remaining ½ cup of kernels to the pan.
  • Shake the pan or stir kernels so that they are evenly spread out in pan.
  • Cover with a lid, leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Once the popcorn starts popping vigorously, shake the pot gently once.
  • Remove from heat when the popping stops. You should be able to count to 3 between pops.
  • Put the freshly popped popcorn into the baking pan. Be sure there are no unpopped kernels. (NOTE 3)
  • Place in oven to stay warm while making the caramel.

To make the caramel:

  • Combine the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a pan and heat over low heat until the butter is dissolved.
  • After the mixture is melted, turn the heat to medium and let simmer for 3-4 minutes until it reaches 255° F.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla.
  • Stir in the baking soda until it is well combined.
  • Drizzle on top of the popcorn immediately and stir gently, trying to coat as much of the popcorn as possible.

Bake:

  • Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes.
  • Gently break apart large clusters, if desired.
  • Store in an air tight container for 2-3 weeks.

Notes

NOTE 1: Popcorn can be made in an air popper or in the microwave.
NOTE 2: I use a very large, nonstick baking pan. If you don’t have a nonstick pan, line your baking pan with parchment or a silicone mat. A baking pan with sides makes stirring easier.
NOTE 3: To be sure there are no unpopped kernels, I pour the popcorn into a bowl or pan, toss it around with my hands so the smaller, heavier pieces fall to the bottom, then lift out the popcorn and place it in the baking pan, being careful to leave behind any unpopped kernels or small, hard pieces.
Keyword caramel corn, caramel popcorn
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