Description

This Easy Homemade Caramel Corn recipe is a delightful sweet and salty snack made from freshly popped popcorn coated in a rich, buttery caramel sauce. Perfect for movie nights or casual gatherings, this caramel corn combines a smooth caramel made with butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and baking soda to create a light, crispy coating on every kernel. Quick to prepare on the stovetop, it offers a classic treat that’s best enjoyed fresh but keeps well in an airtight container for a few days.

Ingredients

Scale

Popcorn

10 cups popped popcorn
Salt, to taste

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sweet cream salted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Prepare Popcorn: Pop 10 cups of popcorn using your preferred method such as stovetop, air-popped, or microwave. Remove all un-popped kernels to prevent biting into hard pieces.
Season Popcorn: Sprinkle salt over the freshly popped popcorn to enhance the sweet and salty flavor combination.
Melt Butter: In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cup of butter over low to medium heat until fully melted but not browned, maintaining a gentle heat to avoid burning.
Mix Brown Sugar: Add 1 cup of packed light brown sugar to the melted butter and stir continuously until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
Simmer Caramel: Increase the heat to medium-low and bring the butter and sugar mixture to a low boil. Allow it to bubble for 4 minutes without stirring to develop the caramel.
Add Vanilla: Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly.
Incorporate Baking Soda: Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to the caramel mixture; it will foam and bubble, creating a lighter, aerated texture. Remove from heat immediately after mixing.
Coat Popcorn: Slowly drizzle the warm caramel over the salted popcorn, using a spoon to gently fold and coat all kernels evenly.
Cool and Set: Spread the coated popcorn onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a Silpat liner. Allow it to cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Notes

Ensure no un-popped kernels remain to avoid unpleasant bites.
Use low to medium heat during caramel preparation to prevent burning.
The baking soda reaction aerates the caramel, making it lighter and easier to coat the popcorn.
Caramel corn is best enjoyed fresh but can be stored for several days in an airtight container.
Use parchment paper or a non-stick liner to prevent sticking during cooling.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Snack
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: caramel corn, homemade caramel popcorn, sweet and salty snack, movie night snack, caramel popcorn recipe