Name: EASY CARAMEL POPCORN RECIPE
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 20
Cuisine: Homemade
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/3 Crown Lily White Syrup; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda; 1 tsp. vanilla; 16-20 cups popped popcorn

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Delicious, sugary, and sweet, this easy caramel popcorn recipe is a favorite treat.

Because it isn’t exactly healthy, I only make it for the Christmas season. It makes a great homemade gift. It dries well, and can be put into cute bags for an easy teacher gift.

This recipe does contain corn syrup. And brown sugar. Not healthy. But as a treat, it is still better than store bought caramel popcorn because it has no preservatives.

How Long Does Caramel Popcorn Last

When stored properly, Caramel Popcorn can last up to a month. For the freshest popcorn, store it in airtight containers or bags.

For even longer freshness, caramel popcorn can also be frozen quite successfully.

After your homemade caramel popcorn has cooled and dried completely, place it into a airtight container. I choose large Tupperware containers with airtight lids.

Another option is plastic Ziplock bags. Make sure to remove as much air as possible before zipping close.

Try to eat any caramel popcorn that’s stored at room temperature withing 3-4 weeks.

Ingredients in Homemade Caramel Popcorn (Without Baking)

There are 7 ingredients in the family approved caramel popcorn recipe. You will need:

Butter (always better than margarine)
Brown Sugar
Crown Lily White Corn Syrup
Salt
Baking Soda
Vanilla
Popped Popcorn

How To Make The Best Caramel Corn Recipe

To start with, you will need 20 cups of popped popcorn. This depends on the variety of you have, but it is approximately 3/4 cup of popcorn kernels.

Pop these in your air popper, or in a stove top popper (my favorite). Remove as many unpopped kernels as possible.

In a small pot, melt the butter. Add in brown sugar, and corn syrup. Stir well to dissolve. Add in salt, baking soda, and vanilla.

Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and pour over popped corn.

With a spatula, carefully fold the caramel mixture over the popcorn. This can take a bit of folding, so keep stirring gently.

Spread the caramel popcorn out onto a clean kitchen surface. You can place parchment paper underneath,. I just make sure my countertop is very clean.

Psss. the above picture is what it might look like if you don’t remove unpopped kernels. Very annoying.

How To Eat Caramel Popcorn

Caramel popcorn is best eaten as a snack, along with nuts if desired. It’s a delicious and special snack.

Why Does My Popcorn Have a Large Percentage of Unpopped Kernels?

This is the biggest challenge when making this caramel popcorn, because its frustrating to chew on kernels. And its hard on the teeth!

There are several reasons why you might have a large percentage of unpopped kernels.

One reason can be too many kernels. It’s better to pop smaller batches, instead of too large. The heat can better distribute to pop the corn with less kernels.

Another reason can be variety. Better quality varieties have a better popping rate. I have had good success with Orville popcorn kernels.

Tips for Making Caramel Popcorn

Use the best quality of kernels that you can find.
Remove any unpopped kernels before adding caramel sauce. This makes for a more pleasant eating experience.
Follow the recipe for cooking times carefully. The sauce needs to be cooked for 2 minutes to get to a hard candy stage.
Leave it out to dry long enough, to prevent sticking together.