Key Takeaways:
- Caramel Corn Ingredients: The recipe calls for 6 quarts of popcorn, brown sugar, light corn syrup, butter, salt, baking soda, and vanilla for smooth and buttery caramel corn.
- Baking Process: After coating the popcorn with caramel, bake at 250°F for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes to ensure even coating and prevent sticking.
- Gourmet Variations: Enhance your caramel corn with creative toppings like Rocky Road, Moose Munch, Zebra Mix, or Peppermint Crunch for a festive twist.
- Storing Tips: Store caramel corn in an airtight container or a ziplock bag to maintain its crunch. Avoid making it in humid months to prevent it from becoming soft.
- Fixing Soft Caramel Corn: If your caramel corn becomes soft, simply re-dry it in a 225°F oven for 30 minutes to restore its crunchy texture.
- Fun Tradition: Caramel corn is a holiday favorite that is often shared as a gift, with variations that make it perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations.
Overview
The holidays wouldn’t feel the same without the irresistible crunch of caramel corn, a treat that kicks off with Halloween popcorn balls and carries through to the festive season. While popcorn balls are traditionally made without caramel, why not add that rich, buttery sweetness? As soon as Thanksgiving ends, it’s time to whip up a batch of salted caramel popcorn, a family favorite that has become so popular in my circle that I now make multiple gallon bags to satisfy the demand. The caramel corn is such a hit that one colleague, Devon, even hides her stash in a biohazard bag to keep it from being “poached” by others. This delicious snack is easy to make, requiring just a few basic ingredients like butter, brown sugar, light corn syrup, and popcorn. The recipe includes a baking step that ensures the caramel coating becomes perfectly crunchy, making it the ultimate holiday treat. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can elevate your caramel corn with gourmet twists like Rocky Road, Moose Munch, Zebra Mix, or Peppermint Crunch for an extra festive flair.
What would the holidays be without caramel corn? Starting with Halloween, there are popcorn balls to be enjoyed. I know that, traditionally, popcorn balls are not made from caramel corn, but why not? As soon as Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to get going on the Christmas goodies. At the top of my list and the list for my family and friends is salted caramel – caramel corn. It’s so good that I used to gift one-gallon bag per family. Now I am told, “It is challenging to share, and could I please have my bag?” Hence, the amount of caramel corn I make grows each year.
A colleague and good friend, Devon, loves my caramel corn. When I bring it to work, I give one gallon to her, and the rest of my colleagues all share a gallon bag. Devon, on occasion, will disguise her caramel corn in an unused biohazard bag to discourage poaching.
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What Do I Need To Make Caramel Corn?
- Popcorn: You will need 6 quarts of popped popcorn. This sounds crazy, but I like the extra butter microwave popcorn. Something about the salt and butter taste that makes the caramel corn extra good. If microwave popcorn isn’t for you, then, by all means, pop the corn of your choice.
- Sugar: You need two different sugars. Brown sugar and light corn syrup. The two sugars are necessary to help prevent the crystallization of the caramel. Use light brown sugar and not dark brown sugar.
- Butter: Gives the caramel its thick, pourable consistency and oh-so-buttery taste.
- Other: salt, baking soda, and vanilla. All help break up the sugar crystals, keeping your caramel smooth and tasty.
How to make Caramel Corn:
- Pop 6 quarts of popcorn and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Heat the popcorn bowl in the oven to help prevent the caramel from sticking to the bowl. You will want a metal or oven-safe glass bowl big enough to hold 6 quarts of popcorn.
- Heat the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup until boiling. Boil until the caramel is a deep caramel color or 250 degrees on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Add the salt, vanilla, and baking soda. The caramel will foam up; this is normal. Remove from the heat, continue stirring until the caramel stops foaming.
- Remove the pan from the oven, spray with a little nonstick spray, and add the 6 quarts of popped corn. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir to coat the popcorn. Once the popcorn is evenly coated, spread the caramel popcorn out on two large cookie sheets.
- Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from the oven every 20 minutes and stir the popcorn. Stirring keeps the caramel popcorn from sticking to the sheet pan. Rotate the pans, top to bottom, front to back every 20 minutes.
- At the end of an hour, the caramel corn should be crunchy and not sticky once it cools. If it is slightly soft or sticky, bake for 20 more minutes.
Make the Caramel Corn Gourmet
- Level up your caramel corn with gourmet toppings.
—Rocky Road – add mini-marshmallows, nuts, and drizzle with melted dark chocolate.
—Moose Munch Mix – Go all out with gourmet nuts (pecans, cashews, macadamia, or peanuts) and a generous drizzle of either melted dark or milk chocolate.
—Zebra Mix – Get your chocolate fix with lots of dark and white chocolate combined to form zebra stripes coating this batch of caramel corn.
—Peppermint Crunch – The ultimate Christmas Caramel Corn. This caramel corn has peppermint chips (soft peppermint-flavored white chocolate chips) sprinkled throughout, with a bonus of crushed crunchy candy canes added. All this deliciousness is then drizzled with melted dark chocolate. HEAVENLY!!!
Storing the Caramel Corn:
Store the caramel corn in an airtight container. A ziplock bag works great.
I don’t make Caramel Corn from March to September because it is too humid. Caramel corn will absorb moisture from the air, losing the crunchy texture.
Give soft caramel corn that crunch back by re-drying it in a 225-degree oven for 30 minutes.
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FAQ for Caramel Corn Cookies
Why is my Caramel Corn Chewy?
If your caramel corn is turning out chewy instead of crunchy, there could be a few reasons for this. One possibility is that the caramel was not cooked to the right temperature. Caramel needs to reach a certain temperature to set properly, and if it doesn’t reach that temperature, it can result in a chewy texture. Another reason could be that the caramel coating was not evenly distributed over the popcorn. If there are areas where the popcorn is not fully coated, those areas may end up being chewy. It’s also possible that the caramel corn was not baked for long enough or at the right temperature. Baking helps to dry out the caramel, giving it a crispy texture. If the caramel corn is not baked for long enough, it may still have some moisture, resulting in a chewy texture.
How do I fix Grainy and Chewy Caramel Corn?
Grainy and chewy caramel corn can be a disappointment when you were hoping for a crispy and smooth treat. Fortunately, there are a few ways to fix this issue and achieve the desired texture. One common reason for grainy caramel corn is that the sugar wasn’t fully dissolved when making the caramel. To fix this, you can try cooking the caramel for a longer period of time, ensuring that all the sugar crystals have melted. Another possible cause of chewy caramel corn is not reaching the correct temperature during the cooking process. Using a candy thermometer can help you monitor the temperature and ensure that you reach the desired level of doneness. Over cooking the caramel may also result in a grainy texture. Adjusting these factors should help you achieve the perfect batch of caramel corn.
Salted Caramel - Caramel Corn
Equipment
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- Large metal mixing bowl. Big enough to hold 6 quarts of popcorn.
Ingredients
- 6 quarts popcorn extra butter microwave popcorn
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- ½ cup Corn syrup Karo Light
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp Salt 2 tsp if you use unsalted popcorn
- ½ tsp. baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Prewarm the popcorn mixing bowl to keep the caramel from sticking to the bowl.
- Add brown sugar, corn syrup, butter to a kettle. Use a heavy bottom kettle if possible.
- Cook until the mixture reaches 250°F with an instant-read thermometer or candy thermometer.
- Remove kettle from the heat and add the salt, vanilla, and baking soda. The caramel sauce will foam up. Stir until the sauce stops foaming.
- Spray the prewarmed mixing bowl with a little nonstick cooking spray and add the 6 quarts of popcorn to the bowl. Pour the caramel over the popcorn. Stir to evenly coat the popcorn. (see notes for making popcorn balls)
- Spread the caramel-coated popcorn on two large baking sheet pan.
- Dry the caramel corn in the oven for 1 hour. (see notes) Every 20 minutes, stir the caramel corn on the sheet pans and rotate the pans, top to bottom.
- Let caramel corn cool and place in airtight containers for storage. (see notes)
Best snack ever!!! Also can be a great gift!!!