The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2024)

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This is the BEST homemade caramel corn recipe! This caramel popcorn is so much cheaper and fresher than the store bought kind and my kids and family love it! It’s great for parties and after school snacks

The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe!

Below are some great snacks for any holiday party, football get together or just curled up on the couch watching TV.

Peanut Caramel Popcorn
(just like Cracker Jacks)

1 cup margarine
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
6 qts. popped corn
1/2-1 cup peanuts

Melt margarine in large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Gradually pour over popped corn and peanuts. Mix until coated. Makes 6 quarts.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Popcorn

1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup peanuts
8 cups of popped corn

In a microwave container, melt butter and add sugar and spices. Add nuts and coat well. In a large bowl place popped corn and pour in butter and nut mix, tossing to coat everything well.

For more quick and easy recipes like this homemade caramel corn recipe, check out our cookbooks!

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Comments

Angie M.
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October 20, 2010 at 10:03 am

I tried this last night. My two kids and I needed a treat for watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”. This hit the spot. I only had butter flavored microwave popcorn, so I popped a bag of that. The recipe calls for 8 cups of popped popcorn. According to the nutrition facts on the microwave popcorn, one bag makes 10 cups so I used 5 tablespoons of butter (recipe calls for 4 tablespoons) and a pinch more brown sugar. I decided to leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg this time. It was SO yummy! The microwave popcorn was a little salty and we LOVE sweet/salty popcorn. I was afraid that since the microwave popcorn was butter flavor it might be too buttery…but it wasn’t. It turned out really good. The kids said it reminded them of kettle corn and it kind of did…better I thought! We loved it and will be making it again. I will try popping plain popcorn sometime and add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the butter/brown sugar. Thanks Tawra and Jill for another yummy recipe!!!
Reply
- Jill
  October 20, 2010 at 12:30 pm
  
  Thanks for letting us know how that worked with microwave popcorn so now we will know how to do it. For you or anyone else who happens to have Dining and like seasoned popcorn check out pages 316-317 and it is all popcorn recipes – different spices and flavors to add, barbecue, spiced and there is a too simple recipe for Kettle corn too.
  Reply
  - Susie
    September 25, 2021 at 12:37 am
    
    Is that in Volume 1 or 2?
    Reply
    - Jill
      September 25, 2021 at 9:25 am
      
      It is in volume 1 Susie
      Reply
grandma
October 20, 2010 at 1:06 pm

I did this using brown sugar splenda and it had a nice mapley flavour. I also add a fair bit of salt since Don likes sweet and I like salty so it pleased both of us.
was going to post on baked potatoes but there is no place to post a comment.
Reply
sheila
October 21, 2010 at 6:47 am

This is the first time I have commented on anything, but I was fixing oatmeal the other day, and I wanted to flavor it somehow. I usually add butter and sugar to mine. Well I had purchased some hazelnut coffee creamer, the powered kind. I added about 4 T. of it to the oatmeal, and it was delicious. I was just thinking, when I read your popcorn/kettlecorn post, that instead of brown sugar, you may can add the hazelnut coffee creamer. I will try this later and let you know. Great website.
Reply
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JANIS NEILL
July 5, 2011 at 9:40 am

DO YOU HAVE RECIPES FOR HOT AND SPICEY POPCORN????
Reply
- Jill
  July 5, 2011 at 9:47 am
  
  Yes Janis we do. One of our many popcorn recipes in Dining on a Dime is
  Spiced Popcorn
  1 tsp. paprika
  1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
  1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
  1/4 cup butter, melted
  Mix together and pour over popcorn.
  Reply
Clay Blacklock
March 8, 2014 at 12:42 pm

Would like to see more tips on saving money at the grocery store
Thanks
Reply
- Jill
  March 8, 2014 at 2:20 pm
  
  Clay we have many many posts on that subject plus Dining on a Dime is packed and we have a whole e book set on it. Here is a link to many of the posts – you can scroll down and start picking out which ones you would like to read – don’t forget the boxes at the bottom to take you to even more.
  Saving Money on Groceries posts
  For more here is our whole set of grocery saving e books
  Reply
Mary Jane
October 11, 2014 at 10:09 am

Years ago, a neighbour got us hooked on garlic and onion flavoured popcorn, on movie night. (The things you learn in the dead of winter, and town is 15 miles away on dark, snowy roads!) Just butter your popcorn as usual, then experiment with 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder, or onion powder and add to it to suit your taste. The only advice I have is to avoid what those same neighbours did….don’t have a garlic popcorn night when all of you have dental appointments first thing the next morning.
Reply
Kerry
October 27, 2017 at 5:23 pm

I just made this for my grandkids trick or treat this afternoon. I’ve this same recipe – sans nuts – for years,but my directions say that once thoroughly mixed, dump coated popcorn onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (I use my roaster) and bake at 200* for 1 hr. It crisps the outside coating without altering the flavor of the buttery caramel. Oven toasted or not, this is the easiest, yummiest caramel corn!
Reply
Susan Buchanan
October 23, 2019 at 9:42 pm

I’m trying this tomorrow. Love your show and all the demos. Kitchen looks great also.
Reply
Dawn M Curtis
October 24, 2019 at 8:22 am

My recipe for caramel corn involves baking for an hour at 250 and stirring every 15 minutes. This looks way, way easier. Can’t wait to try it!
Reply
Kathy Bullmer
September 22, 2021 at 3:37 pm

I think this would make a great Christmas gift and you could add a prize to it just like cracker jacks. 😋
Reply
- Jill
  September 23, 2021 at 10:20 am
  
  Yes cute idea Kathy to add the prize.
  Reply

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The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why is my caramel corn not crunchy? ›

If you prefer chewy caramel corn, let it sit until the caramel has hardened. If you prefer crunchy caramel corn, Preheat oven to 250 F. and bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, break the larger clumps into smaller pieces if desired.

Keep Reading ›

How do you make Martha Stewart caramel popcorn? ›

In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil, stirring constantly. Working quickly, drizzle popcorn with sugar syrup, and toss. Spread popcorn evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden and shiny, about 40 minutes.

Discover More Details ›

Why is my homemade caramel corn grainy? ›

Why is my Caramel Corn Grainy? Grainy caramel (or crystalized caramel) happens when the sugar crystals in the caramel seize up or cling together.

Discover More ›

What happens if you forgot the baking soda in caramel corn? ›

Baking soda is what makes caramel corn chewy with a bit of crunch and gives it the classic brittle texture. The baking soda also helps the mixture to increase in volume which ensures it covers all of the popcorn. It's an essential ingredient and without it you'll likely find the texture of the caramel corn to be off.

Discover More ›

Why did my caramel corn come out chewy? ›

Once the caramel has cooled on your popcorn, the air bubbles inside the caramel create a softer texture. The softer texture means you won't be biting into hard-as-cement caramel. Rather, the caramel is melt-in-your-mouth chewy and only slightly crunchy.

Discover More Details ›

Why put egg in caramel popcorn? ›

Even if you want to add candy or sauces, it doesn't require an egg. Still, some say the egg keeps the kernels from sticking together, while others say it's to keep wannabe chefs from adding too many kernels to the pan.

Discover More ›

Why is my homemade caramel not hardening? ›

If caramels are too soft, that means the temperature didn't get high enough. Again place the caramel back into a sauce pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and heat to 244°F. If you don't have a candy thermometer, you can test with a cold water test. Details on how to use this method can be found here.

Tell Me More ›

How do you make caramel not gritty? ›

Add Moisture: If the sugar is melted but you still see a few crystals- sometimes adding some liquid like water or heavy cream to the mixture can help dissolve any sugar crystals that have formed and promote a smoother texture.

Read The Full Story ›

Why is my caramel popcorn bitter? ›

Overheating the mixture. Be very careful as you heat your caramel. Follow the recipe carefully, and never melt your caramel on your stove's highest setting—it will cause the caramel to scorch and taste burnt. Once it gets a burnt or bitter flavor, it can't be saved.

Know More ›

Why is my caramel popcorn soggy? ›

Generally, the caramel will have a higher 'water activity' than the popcorn. As a result, if you leave the popcorn for a while, moisture from the caramel will migrate into the corn. This causes the popcorn to lose its 'crunch' and become soft and chewy.

Is caramel corn the same as caramel popcorn? ›

Caramel corn or caramel popcorn (toffee popcorn in the UK) is a confection made of popcorn coated with a sugar or molasses based caramel candy shell that is normally less than 1mm thick. Typically a sugar solution or syrup is made and heated until it browns and becomes thick, producing a caramelized candy syrup.

Should you stir sugar when making caramel? ›

Swirl, don't stir: While slow, deliberate stirring will help the sugar dissolve evenly, you want to stop stirring once it has fully melted.

View Details ›

Why do you add baking soda to caramel corn? ›

The baking soda reacts with the acid in the recipe (i.e., brown sugar) to create an airier, more brittle texture that's not as sticky as the recipes without it. The charms of caramel corn finally made sense. Once coated, the popcorn goes into the oven for about half an hour.

What does sodium bicarbonate do to caramel? ›

The sodium bicarbonate allows it to achieve the 'brittle' texture you are looking for in carmel corn. Without it the stage at which you stop cooking the caramel would result in a very sticky consistency. It serves the same purpose in peanut brittle.

Learn More ›

What can I use instead of baking soda in caramel? ›

The Best Baking Soda Substitute: Baking Powder

Baking powder is, without a doubt, the best baking soda substitute you can find. They're not the same thing (baking soda is about three times stronger), but they are both leavening agents that work in similar ways.

What gives Carmel its flavor? ›

What Is Caramel? Caramel is white granulated sugar that's been heated slowly to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. This gradual heating process breaks down the sugar's molecules and creates a deep golden brown color and rich flavor.

What happens if I put too much baking soda in cornbread? ›

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

See Details ›

The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2024)

The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe!

Peanut Caramel Popcorn
(just like Cracker Jacks)

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Popcorn

Related Posts

Easy St. Patrick’s Day Recipes And Themed Food!