Best Caramel Popcorn
The Best Caramel Popcorn takes just over an hour to make and most of that is hands-off oven time. The caramel is a simple stovetop mix of brown sugar, butter and corn syrup, which is then baked onto the popcorn for a crisp coating and crunchy texture. With just five ingredients, it’s a great snack for your next family movie night,
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This easy caramel popcorn starts with simple homemade caramel made from brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and baking soda. Stir it into popped popcorn and bake for the most delicious caramel popcorn. You won’t be able to stop munching this!
Looking for movie night snacks? More delicious options you might enjoy include my Taco Seasoned Pretzels, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes and Cheeseburger Sliders.
Why You’ll Love It
- Crisp caramel coating: The popcorn bakes up crispy after adding the caramel, so you get all the sweetness of caramel without the stickiness stovetop cooking often gives you.
- Short ingredient list: You only need five ingredients for the base recipe, which keeps things simple.
- Easy to change up: You can have fun customizing your popcorn with flaky salt, cayenne, vanilla bean paste, nuts or anything else you’re craving.
Salted Caramel Popcorn Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Plain popcorn: Air-popped or stovetop popcorn is a better fit than buttery microwave popcorn or flavored popcorn, which can affect the caramel and the end flavor. I don’t recommend microwave popcorn because it’s already heavily seasoned and quite oily.
- Oil or butter: Use a neutral oil like avocado or canola for a clean flavor or butter (salted or unsalted) for richness.
- Add flaky salt: Sprinkle some on after cooling if you want more of a salted caramel popcorn finish. I find that fine salt sticks better than coarse.
- Add some heat: A pinch of cayenne or chili powder cuts through the sweetness.
- Add crunchy mix-ins: Pretzel bites or toasted pecans can be mixed in after baking.
- Drizzle with chocolate: Let the popcorn cool first, then add melted chocolate over the top.
Best Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients
- 10 cups popped popcorn from ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, salted or unsalted
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Fine salt to taste, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat.
- Add popped popcorn to the prepared cookie sheet.
- To a saucepan, add the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup.
- Cook over a medium-low temperature until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for about 3 minutes.
- Take the caramel mixture off the heat and add baking soda and salt if needed. Mix well. If you want to add a flavored extract, this is when to do it.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and stir well. You should be able to coat most of the popcorn with the caramel, but not all, which is fine.
- Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Let the popcorn cool for 15 minutes then break it into clusters.
- Let it cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Warm the corn first: The caramel spreads more easily if you warm the popcorn first.
- Stir well: Don’t forget to stir it every 15 minutes to distribute the caramel throughout.
- Let it cool: Don’t break it into clusters until it’s cool or they might not hold together.
- Use a large bowl: It’s harder to evenly coat popcorn in a small bowl, so use a large mixing bowl or a large pan.
Nutrition Information
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Kim’s Top Tips
- Warm the popcorn first: I like to warm the popcorn before coating it, as this helps the caramel spread more easily.
- Stir often: Give it a stir every 15 minutes during baking, to help distribute the caramel and keep it from settling in one area of the tray.
- Let the popcorn cool before breaking it up: Give the coating time to firm up a bit so you get better clusters.
- Use a large pan or bowl for mixing: Crowded popcorn is harder to coat evenly once the caramel is poured over.
How to Store
- Storage: Store leftover popcorn in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 days. Try to push out as much air as possible so it keeps its crunch.
- Room temperature: Keep it in a cool, dry place. The refrigerator can soften the coating.
- Freezing: I wouldn’t freeze this one, since the texture is likely to lose its crunch.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this caramel popcorn with Coconut Fudge, Crockpot Candy, and Crockpot Boiled Peanuts. Add a jug of Kiwi Watermelon Slushie or Pineapple Agua Fresca to your movie night spread.
Easy Caramel Popcorn FAQs
You stir this in off the heat to help the caramel foam slightly and spread more easily.
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature, keeping as much air out as possible.
The popcorn should look well coated and dry enough to cool into crisp clusters.
Add any leftovers into a trail mix or sprinkle over your next ice cream sundae.
¼ cup popcorn kernels + 1 ½ tablespoons oil = 8 cups popped popcorn
⅓ cup popcorn kernels + 2 tablespoons oil = 10–11 cups popped popcorn (what you need for this recipe) ½ cup popcorn kernels + 3 tablespoons = 14–16 cups popped popcorn
