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Clean recipe · recipetineats.com

Caramel Popcorn

Recipe video above. The secret to a great caramel popcorn that's evenly coated with caramel with a thin, crispy coating of caramel (rather that globs of sticky caramel) is baking soda and baking the popcorn to dry it out. This caramel corn stays crispy for 2+ weeks!!! CARAMEL COVEREAGE: Use 1/3 cup kernels for full caramel coverage (very sweet, like candy pieces), 3/4 cup for "normal" (see in post for photo and description).

Original recipe: recipetineats.com

Yield:
8 servings
Prep:
10 min
Cook:
55 min
Total:
65 min
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Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

  1. 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil ((not required if air popping with a popcorn maker))
  2. 1/3 cup popping corn ((10 cups popcorn, Note 1 for lighter caramel coverage))
  3. 100g / 7 tbsp butter (, unsalted)
  4. 1 cup (220g) brown sugar (, packed)
  5. 1/2 cup (170g) corn syrup (, light (sub glucose, Note 2 more subs))
  6. 1/2 tsp salt
  7. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  8. 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

  1. Popcorn

    Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add a few pieces of popcorn and wait until it pops, then quickly remove.
  2. Add remaining popcorn, elevate off stove to shake and spread corn out evenly. Cover with a lid. Once the popcorn starts popping in earnest, shake the pot gently once.
  3. Remove from heat when the popping stops (when you can count to 3 between pops) and transfer to a (very!) large bowl. You need 10 cups of popcorn.

  4. Caramel:

    Preheat oven to 110°C/230°F.
  5. Melt butter in a saucepaan over medium heat.
  6. Add sugar, corn syrup and salt. Stir until just combined.
  7. When it starts to bubble, simmer for 4 minutes - DO NOT STIR!
  8. Remove from heat then quickly whisk in vanilla and baking soda. When you stop whisking, the caramel will foam and increase in volume.
  9. Quickly pour straight over popcorn, toss until caramel cools and starts to harden.

  10. Baking to crisp:

    Spread popcorn on 2 baking trays.
  11. Bake for 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so. Caramel will remelt for the first 2-3 tosses - tossing coats popcorn more evenly with caramel. (If using glucose or honey, bake further 15 minutes).
  12. Remove from oven, leave to cool. Gently break into pieces and serve. Stays crisp 2 - 3 weeks!