This homemade Caramel Popcorn recipe is so flavorful and has the crunchy, chewy texture you want without sticking to your fingers or teeth!
If you want more sweet snacks, try our Peanut Butter Popcorn, Chex Mix, Sweet Chex Mix, or a perfect Rice Krispies Treat!
Not all Caramel Popcorn recipes are created equal.
Not all Caramel Popcorn recipes are created equal.I've had my fair share of caramel corn and for me, the best ones have a healthy coating of caramel covering the entire kearnal, and they're not too sticky, or too hard. This version accomplishes that and I love that the caramel is made in one pan on the stove and you don't even need a candy thermometer. Drizzle the caramel over fresh popped popcorn and bake it for a few minutes to get that perfect crunchy, chewy texture. This will be the highlight of your next movie night or game day!
How to make Caramel Popcorn:
Pop Popcorn: Pop your own plain kernels in the microwave in a brown paper bag, or with an air popper, or if you want a richer butter flavor, use a bag of movie theater microwave popcorn. After it's popped, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour the popcorn on top.
Make Caramel: Add butter to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let it gently boil for 2 minutes then remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.
Coat Popcorn: Drizzle caramel over popcorn, gently tossing it with a spatula until it's coated evenly. Bake 200°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Enjoy the best caramel corn for a movie night, game day, or really anytime!
Pro Tip: Don't forget a silicone spatula! It's heat resistant and stays cleaner then a wooden spoon. I love to use a large non-stick skillet for this recipe because it's so easy to clean and it comes to a boil much quicker than a saucepan.
More Caramel Recipes:
- Homemade Caramels
- Caramel Apples
- Salted Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Bars
- Caramel Sauce
- Pumpkin Bars with Caramel Frosting
- Caramel Apple Dip
- Chocolate Covered Marshmallows
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Recipe
Caramel Popcorn
Equipment
- Popcorn Popper optional, you can use the microwave!
Ingredients
- 8 cups popped popcorn* (about 1 large microwaveable bag, or ¼ cup kernels)
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons light karo syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Add popped popcorn and spread in an even layer.
- Caramel: Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as the caramel starts to gently boil, boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla
- Drizzle caramel over popcorn. Toss gently with a spatula until the popcorn is evenly coated.
- Bake at 200 degrees F for 45 minutes, stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes.
- Store caramel corn in an airtight container at room temperature for to 2-3 weeks
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe March 2015. Updated March 2019, September 2022 and September 2024.
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Delicious and addicting3, easy to make. I make my caramel mixture in a small Dutch oven. I put my popcorn in a dispsosible aluminum pan, makes it easier to mix.
Have made it twice and everyone loves it. Too bad I eat most myself though because it’s so good! Thanks for a fantastic and easy to follow recipe!
Enjoyed making this and the taste was so good.
Amazing! Used coconut oil and coconut sugar instead of butter and brown sugar and turned out dark and rich and fabulous. So delicious I did not want to bake so I’m going to compromise by only baking a third of the time as love the gooeyness!
I had a sudden craving for carmal pop corn and this hits the spot. A great treat for my family. Will be making this in the future. 10/10
Wow! This recipe is a keeper. Used Maple syrup instead of corn syrup because my son-in-law used to live in Quebec. Used an air popper and Orville Redenbachers gourmet popping corn. I am trying to hide the batch I just made from my wife and kids. LOL
I tried this recipe but I used chokecherry syrup real tasty
Hands down the BEST recipe for Caramel Corn EVER!!! I substituted butter for the margarine, DARK brown sugar for the light brown sugar and used 1 tsp of baking soda. I ended up making 3 batches because I mailed out the first two as Christmas gifts. Ships wonderfully! Hubby and family absolutely LOVE it.
Can someone check the calories / carbs ? Seem a little high 😳
Thanks for pointing out this error. It has about 320 calories per serving.
Caramel is pure sugar and popcorn is all carbs… so either go for it with exuberance or skip it altogether!😁
Great recipe. Tasty and perfect texture. Caution with amount of unpopped/raw kernels. Takes approx. 1 full cup unpopped to yield perfect popped amount. Carmel recipe is flawless. Make sure to sift through and remove unpopped kernels and tough hulls.
Hey James! Thats the ratio I used! Perfect! Plus I salted the corn out of the popper(hadn’t read recipe).