I am Kathey Raskin, and welcome to my kitchen! Who loves of caramel popcorn? I know I do! There’s nothing you can do to caramel popcorn to ruin it. No matter what happens, you have caramel popcorn to enjoy. Have you ever thought about how popcorn is made? There’s water inside the corn kernel. The heat warms it up, and as the water becomes gaseous, it causes incredible pressure in the kernel that causes it to explode into the yummy snack that we all enjoy during movie nights. Do you do anything extra to your caramel popcorn before you enjoy it? Share your favorite toppings with your friends at Kathey Jo’s Kitchen!
The Best Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Equipment
- Large lidded saucepan
- Large heatproof mixing bowl
- 2-quart saucepan
- Heatproof spatula
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silpats
Directions
- Gather ingredients and equipment. Arrange two oven racks in the top and bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 250°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment or silpats. Once you start making the caramel sauce, everything comes together quickly so have all the ingredients and equipment you need handy.
- Make the popcorn. Warm 3 corn kernels and the oil in a large lidded saucepan over medium heat. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the corn kernels to the pan, shake to coat with oil, and put the lid on the pan. Pop the corn, shaking the pan occasionally, until the popping slows. Empty the popped corn immediately into a large heat-proof bowl. This makes about 10 cups of popcorn; make the popcorn in two batches if your pan is not large enough.
- Getting Rid of Unpopped Kernels: Pour the made popcorn into a large bowl and shake it a few times so the kernels fall to the bottom. Then use a measuring cup to scoop the popped popcorn into a second bowl, leaving the kernels behind.
- Make the caramel sauce. Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the sugar until the sugar is completely moistened. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, boil for 3-4 minutes while stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan continuously. Boil for a minute less if cooking on an electric stove.
- The exact cooking temperature isn’t critical with this recipe, but ideally you want the sugar mixture to reach between 250°F and 300°F. The longer you cook the syrup, the crunchier it will be. For very crunchy popcorn, stop cooking when you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the sugar mixture.
- Add the vanilla, salt, baking soda, and any extras. Off the heat, add the vanilla, salt, baking soda, and any extras, and stir until combined. The sugar mixture will bubble up violently. Continue stirring until you form a thick, glossy sauce.
- Combine the caramel sauce and popcorn. Slowly pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn while stirring the popcorn. Continue stirring the sauce into the popcorn until all the kernels are coated.
- Bake the caramel popcorn. Divide the popcorn between two baking sheets, spreading the popcorn out into an even layer. It’s ok if the popcorn clumps together. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes and breaking up any clumps.
- Let cool completely. Let the popcorn cool completely on the baking sheets. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Variations
Take the recipe above and change it up with these options:
- Cracker Jacks: Add 2 tablespoons of molasses to the sugar mixture as it boils and mix in 1 cup peanuts when combining the caramel sauce and popcorn.
- Curried Caramel Popcorn: Add 1-2 teaspoons curry powder to the caramel sauce along with the vanilla.
- Popcorn Balls or Clusters: Quickly press the popcorn together with buttered hands after the popcorn is finished baking and before it cools. If the popcorn cools too much to stick together, put the trays back in the oven for another 5 minutes.
- Salted Caramel Popcorn: Increase the amount of salt to 1 teaspoon and sprinkle the baked popcorn with sea salt while it’s still warm from the oven.
- Spicy Caramel Popcorn: Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or 2-3 tablespoons Sriracha or other hot sauce to the caramel sauce along with the vanilla.
