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–+ servings
Bowls mounded with caramel corn and a jar of corn kernels in background.
5 from 1 vote
Created by: Stefanie

Caramel Corn


Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
24 (½ cup)
Homemade caramel corn has a nostalgic sweet-and-salty crunch and is made with simple pantry staples for a perfectly crisp, non-sticky treat that keeps fresh for weeks.
24 (½ cup)

Ingredients

  • 3 quarts popped corn (12 cups)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Place popped corn in a shallow baking pan in a 250 degree oven while making the caramel.  (I divide the popped corn between two 9x13 pans, glass or metal work fine).
  • In a medium saucepan, mix together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt.
  • Stirring constantly over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil.  Once it starts boiling (really boiling), stop stirring and set the timer for 5 minutes. 
  • Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda.
  • Divide the caramel between the two pans of popped corn and stir it to coat evenly. 
  • Bake at 250°F for a total of one hour, stirring it every 15 minutes. 
  • After one hour, remove the caramel corn from the oven and immediately dump it out onto the countertop (dump onto parchment paper for easy clean-up.  Allow the caramel corn to cool, break it apart, and start eating!

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Notes

  • Pop your popcorn ahead of time, but take care not to burn it. You can't hide burnt popcorn even if your caramel is uber delish. 
  • To get rid of the unpopped kernels, place the batch on a cooling rack above a baking sheet. The unpopped kernels should fall through the grate, but the popped kernels will remain on top.
  • If using microwaved popcorn make sure it's plain without any flavor. Not even butter!
  • You can make your own plain microwave popcorn by putting a couple tablespoons of popcorn kernels and a dash of vegetable oil into a brown paper lunch sack. Fold over the top and microwave until there are a couple seconds between pops. Repeat until you have 3 quarts of popped corn.
  • Keep an eye on your caramel as it boils and keep stirring. Burnt caramel is not a good time and a hassle to start over.
  • For maximum flavor, use brown sugar not white.
  • Store in an airtight container. Even a couple hours of exposure to the air can turn your caramel corn sticky and stale.

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

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