This easy, homemade Caramel Corn is a must-make recipe in my kitchen each and every Halloween season. Crunchy, sweet and completely irresistible!
Along with my Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, this caramel popcorn has been a Halloween tradition in our house for decades.
I’m issuing a warning before we move ahead with this. This homemade caramel corn is addictive. I suggest immediately packaging it up in cute, festive containers and giving it away to friends and family. There, you’ve been warned. Proceed with caution.
A lot of people may not realize how easy it is to make Caramel Corn at home. The unfussy caramel mixture cooks quickly and easily on the stove and no candy thermometer is needed.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Freshly popped popcorn
- Caramel mixture – Butter, light brown sugar, light corn syrup, salt, baking soda, and pure vanilla extract.
- Optional add-ins – Pretzels, candy corn, black licorice pieces, assorted nuts
Popping the Popcorn
You can use any method you prefer to pop the popcorn for this recipe. Pop it with an air popper, in a skillet on the stove, make popcorn in a microwave oven, or you can even use your Instant Pot to make popcorn!
How to Make Caramel Corn
- Pop the Popcorn – Place freshly popped corn in a large roasting pan and place it in the oven to keep warm while making caramel coating.
- Make the Caramel Sauce – Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Remove the popped corn from the oven and carefully pour the caramel mixture in a thin stream over the popcorn. Stir the mixture to distribute the caramel and coat the popcorn.
- Transfer to Baking Sheets – Divide the caramel corn between the two baking sheets that have been coated with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake – Bake in the oven at 250 degrees F, stirring with a spatula every 15 minutes, for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking it up into pieces.
Be sure to watch the video in the recipe card below to see just how quick and easy it is to prepare. My little gremlin, Lexie, makes an appearance in the video. Where there is popcorn, there is Lexie.
Tips for the Best Caramel Popcorn
- After popping the corn, pick through it and remove any un-popped kernels.
- If you don’t have a large roasting pan you can use a disposable foil roasting pan or any oven safe pan large enough to hold a boat load of popcorn.
- Be sure to use a large saucepan to make the caramel sauce as it will foam up and grow in size (and this is normal!).
- The caramel sauce will distribute more evenly if you pour it over slightly warm popcorn. To keep your freshly popped popcorn warm, transfer it to a 250 degree F oven while you make the caramel sauce.
- Mix in some fun ingredients like pretzels, black licorice, and candy corn. There are lots of possibilities. Mixed nuts, assorted candies, anything goes. The add-ins add some nice contrast and make it even more festive.
FAQ
The longer you bake caramel popcorn, the crispier it will be. You can take it out of the oven after 20 minutes and it will be slightly soft and chewy. For a crisp, crunchy result, bake it for 30 minutes.
When the baking soda is added to the caramel sauce, it causes it to bubble up and grow in size. The bubbly, foamy nature of the caramel ensures that your caramel corn will be crisp and crunchy, but not harden too much.
How to Store Caramel Corn
Store Caramel Corn in a zippered plastic storage bag or other airtight container at room temperature. It will be fresh for up to 3 months, however, I guarantee it will not last this long!
Package it up to give as gifts, but definitely save a little for movie night or the football game or to munch on when you are handing out candy on Halloween night.
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Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- ¾ cup popcorn kernels, freshly popped
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins
- black licorice pieces, pretzels, candy corn, assorted nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 F degrees. Place freshly popped corn in a large roasting pan and place in oven to keep warm while making caramel coating.
- In a medium saucepan over MEDIUM heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Remove popped corn from oven and carefully pour caramel mixture in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
- Spray two large rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. Divide coated popcorn between the two baking sheets and bake in the oven at 250 degrees F, stirring with a spatula every 15 minutes, for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces. Keep it pure and simple or add any optional add-ins to make it festive.
- Store in two gallon sized zippered storage bags or other airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- After popping the corn, pick through it and remove any un-popped kernels.
- If you don’t have a large roasting pan you can use a disposable foil roasting pan or any oven safe pan large enough to hold a boat load of popcorn.
- Be sure to use a large saucepan to make the caramel sauce as it will foam up and grow in size (and this is normal!).
- The caramel sauce will distribute more evenly if you pour it over slightly warm popcorn. To keep your freshly popped popcorn warm, transfer it to a 250 degree F oven while you make the caramel sauce.
- Mix in some fun ingredients like pretzels, black licorice, and candy corn. There are lots of possibilities. Mixed nuts, assorted candies, anything goes. The add-ins add some nice contrast and make it even more festive.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Halloween Treats
This was so easy to make (awesome step by step instructions) and soooo delicious. Hope all my neighbors like it because that’s what they are getting for Christmas. Ha!
Well, I think they are going to love it! I know I would. Thanks so much, Jessica 🙂
This is such a great snack recipe! We absolutely love it – thank you!
Oh, what a FUN recipe for Fall!! Thank you for sharing this!!
My family absolutely loved this! So delicious!
How many cups of popcorn does 3/4 cup of kernels make???
You should end up with a little over 4 quarts of popcorn. I find it easier to measure the kernels versus measuring that much popped corn! But, if you prefer to measure the popped corn, make sure you’ve got 4 quarts (or 16 cups).
Love the bowl you are serving it from! How cute!
Thank you, Margot! It’s the bowl we use for our trick-or-treat candy on Halloween night. We’ve had it so long that I can’t remember where I found it!
mmm, this looks so great! It’s making my mouth water just looking at it. Thanks for sharing.
Mmm…I made caramel corn last year and ate wayyyy too much. I promised myself that I wouldn’t make any this year. You have convinced me otherwise 🙂
I know what you mean Heather, but you’ve got to do it! It’s that time of year!!!