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–+ servings
overhead view of a bowl off caramel popcorn.

Caramel Popcorn Recipe

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 357kcal
Author: Becky Hardin
This easy caramel corn is made with microwave popcorn and a homemade brown sugar caramel sauce. It's the ultimate sweet and salty snack!
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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • Baking Sheet(s)
  • Candy Thermometer (optional)

Ingredients

  • 15 cups popped popcorn with unpopped kernels removed (3 (3.2-ounce) bags)*
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
  • ⅓ cup light corn syrup **
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 225°F. Spread the popcorn over 1-2 large baking sheet(s) lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
    15 cups popped popcorn
    popcorn on a baking sheet.
  • In a saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, melt the sugar, butter, and corn syrup, stirring constantly. Once it begins bubbling and pull away from the sides of the pan, continue stirring for about 1-2 more minutes (until 235-240°F) before removing from the stovetop. Stir in the baking soda, which will begin to foam in the mixture. Keep stirring until it is well combined.
    1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup salted butter, ⅓ cup light corn syrup, 1 teaspoon baking soda
    caramel in a saucepan.
  • Pour the mixture evenly over the popcorn and toss the popcorn with a rubber spatula so that each piece is coated in the caramel sauce. Do NOT use your hands! The caramel is VERY hot!
    caramel poured over popcorn on a baking sheet.
  • Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring the popcorn every 10-15 minutes.
    baked caramel popcorn on a baking sheet.
  • Remove from the oven when done, and allow the popcorn to cool. Once it is cool enough, break any large pieces and serve.
    overhead view of a bowl off caramel popcorn.

Video

Notes

*Microwavable movie theater-style popcorn is the way to go! It's already buttery-flavored and salted. If using your own kernels, you'll need about ½ cup, and you'll want to salt them before adding the caramel for that salty-sweet taste.
**You can use honey instead of corn syrup, but it will add a noticeable honey flavor, and you'll need to bake the popcorn for up to 15 min longer.
Becky's Top Tips:
  • Avoid using any other flavored popcorn, like kettle or cheese. The homemade caramel sauce pairs best with salty, buttery popcorn.
  • To remove unpopped kernels, shake the popcorn over something like a colander or cooling rack. That way, the kernels will fall through and you'll just be left with the popcorn.
  • Be sure not to skimp on the corn syrup. The corn syrup helps caramel coating achieve the desired texture instead of being thin and grainy.
  • If your popcorn happens to go stale, don't be sad! Just put the popcorn back in the oven at 250°F for a few minutes.
  • Add some nuts for extra crunch. Peanuts, almonds, or pecans are my fav!
  • Sprinkles or a chocolate drizzle are also good, but add them after the popcorn has fully cooled.
Storage: Store caramel popcorn in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.75cups | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 402mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 391IU | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg