Do-it-yourself Caramel Corn – My Baking Dependancy

Do-it-yourself caramel corn is the last word movie-night snack! This recipe is good, salty, crunchy, and makes an enormous batch – good for sharing with mates and neighbors or making for a celebration.

Do you say “care-uh-mel” or “car-mull”? After I’m speaking, I all the time say “car-mull” – however generally pronounce it the fancier manner once I learn it in my head.

And contemplating that this web site is my full-time job, I spend plenty of time desirous about caramel. Whether or not it’s salted caramel sauce, salted caramel brownies, or pecan caramel clusters, I positively take into consideration caramel greater than most individuals.

And we will’t overlook in regards to the final movie-night snack: caramel corn.

Basic home made caramel corn

I like caramel corn and I’m not likely choosy about it. I’ll eat a field of Cracker Jack, a bag of Garrett Popcorn once I’m in Chicago, even the stuff that you just get within the large spherical tins at Christmastime. 

However there actually is one thing particular about home made caramel corn. And yeah, okay, it takes a little bit little bit of time to make, however the excellent news is that it makes an enormous batch so there’s lots to go round.

This recipe is fairly easy and makes caramel corn that’s simply the precise steadiness of candy, salty, and buttery. Plus it’s received that good crunch that you really want from the caramel coating. 

make this home made caramel corn

Should you’ve by no means made caramel corn at dwelling earlier than, don’t stress. I do know that making your personal caramel sauce sounds scary, however I’m gonna make this one simple for you. 

Substances you’ll want

To make this basic caramel popcorn, you have to:

• 2 baggage microwave popcorn, popped 
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups evenly packed gentle brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup gentle corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon fantastic sea salt

I like to make use of common ol’ butter microwave popcorn for this recipe. If you wish to use stove-popped or air-popped popcorn, you’ll have to pop about 2/3 cup of popcorn kernels. 

Baking soda may sound like a bizarre ingredient so as to add to caramel sauce, however I promise that it’s essential right here. Don’t skip it!

Including baking soda helps to aerate the caramel so that you get a pleasant crispy crunch within the closing caramel corn, reasonably than a tough, overly chewy texture.

In case you are out of brown sugar, whip up a easy brown sugar substitute to make use of on this recipe as an alternative. In case your brown sugar hardened within the pantry, take a look at my suggestions for softening brown sugar and save your self a visit to the shop. 

Making this recipe

Earlier than you begin making the caramel sauce for the popcorn, go forward and line two giant rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.

Calmly spray a really giant bowl with nonstick spray and add the popped popcorn. 

I like to recommend eradicating any un-popped kernels from the popcorn now, in any other case it will likely be quite a bit tougher to take them out as soon as the caramel is added. And nobody desires to interrupt a tooth on one whereas consuming the completed caramel corn! 

Should you don’t have a bowl that’s large enough to carry all the popcorn and stir the caramel into it, strive utilizing a paper grocery bag (evenly sprayed with nonstick spray) as an alternative.

Lastly, measure out each the vanilla and the baking soda and set these apart. You’ll want to have the ability to seize them rapidly as soon as the caramel is sort of finished.

To make the sauce, add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt to a big saucepan. Convey the combination to a boil over medium-high warmth, stirring continually.

As quickly because the combination involves a gentle boil, set a timer for five minutes. Proceed boiling for the 5 minutes, nonetheless stirring continually.

As soon as the 5 minutes are over, take the pan off the warmth and instantly add the vanilla and baking soda, stirring vigorously to mix. The caramel goes to bubble up and hiss once you add these elements, so be sure you stand again a bit.

Instantly pour the recent caramel over the popcorn. Rigorously stir to coat the popcorn evenly with the caramel, then divide it between the ready sheet pans. 

Unfold the popcorn into even layers on the pans as finest you may. A few of it’ll nonetheless clump collectively – that’s okay.

Bake at 200°F for 45 minutes, stirring each quarter-hour.

Let the caramel popcorn cool on the baking sheets, breaking up any giant clumps because it cools. Retailer in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as every week.

Recipe substitutions and variations

I like to make use of basic butter microwave popcorn for this recipe. If you wish to use stovetop popcorn or air-popped popcorn, you have to to pop ⅔ cup kernels. Should you depart the popcorn unsalted, enhance the salt within the caramel recipe.

Honey works properly within the caramel sauce rather than the corn syrup, and provides a little bit of a special taste to the caramel corn.

For a richer taste, strive utilizing darkish brown sugar as an alternative of sunshine brown sugar, or swap out the fantastic sea salt for a flavored salt, like my buddy Megan does in her smoked salt caramel corn.

For added crunch, you may add as much as 1 cup of dry roasted peanuts (or your private favourite nuts) to the popcorn earlier than including the caramel sauce. 

Different mix-ins, corresponding to M&Ms, are enjoyable as properly. However wait so as to add something that may soften, corresponding to chocolate, till after the caramel corn has cooled.