This easy to make homemade caramel popcorn recipe is a family favorite that you will want to try. If you love caramel like I do then you will enjoy this tasty treat.
Growing up, often on Sunday evenings my older sister would make this caramel popcorn. We would sit in front of our small basement tv watching Murder She Wrote while munching away! Every time I make this recipe it makes me think of her and those happy memories of all of us siblings still at home, spending time together.
Start With the Popcorn
You will want to pop your corn kernels first. I use an electric air popper. Once you have about 24 cups of popped corn you will want to remove all of the un-popped kernels…….. because that’s about the worst thing ever when you chomp down on one of those up-popped puppies!
Caramel
In a sauce pan add 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar along with a stick of butter. Then, add a 1/2 cup of milk and a 1/2 cup of dark corn syrup. Finally, add 1/2 tsp of salt.
Before you start cooking the caramel, put some water with a few ice cubes into a small bowl and place it next to the stove. You will use this a little later in the recipe to test if the caramel is done.
Place the saucepan over high heat, stirring the caramel continuously.
Keep stirring the caramel while it bubbles away and starts smelling delicious.
After 4 or 5 minutes, take the saucepan off of the stove and spoon a teaspoon or so of the caramel into the the bowl with the ice water. Allow the caramel to cool. Using your fingers try to form the caramel into a soft ball. If the caramel falls apart place the saucepan back on the stove and continue cooking for another minute or two before testing again. Remember to keep stirring.
If the caramel stays together then you know it is done. Next stir in 1 tsp of vanilla.
Now it’s time to carefully pour the caramel over the popcorn. Slowly pour it over the popped corn. Stop often and stir the corn to make sure each piece gets covered!
Finally……it’s time to eat!!! I hope you enjoy this homemade caramel popcorn as much as I do. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Tips
- I use a heavy bottom 4 quart pan. While cooking the caramel it will bubble so you will want a taller pan.
- Salted or unsalted butter will work. I usually use salted just because that is what I have on hand. If using unsalted you may want to add a little more than the 1/2 tsp called for in the recipe.
- When measuring the dark corn syrup make sure you don’t skimp on the 1/2 cup measurement. If you do your caramel might turn grainy.
- You can overcook the caramel making it really hard to chew when it cools. Test it in the ice water often.
- Pop more or less popcorn depending on how caramelly you want your homemade popcorn to be.
Homemade Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup (dark corn syrup adds more caramel flavor but light corn syrup will work too)
- ½ cup milk
- 1 stick butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Pop the kernels until you have 24 cups of popped corn. Separate the un-popped kernels and discard.
- Fill a small bowl with some ice water and set next to the stove top.
- In a large sauce pan combine white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, milk, butter, and the salt. Place over high heat stirring constantly.
- Once the caramel comes to a boil, cook for another minute or two and then remove from heat.
- Spoon a teaspoon or so of the caramel into the bowl with the ice water. Try to form the caramel into a ball. If it holds together it is done cooking. If the caramel falls apart return the sauce pan to the heat and continue cooking, stirring continuously for another minute or two before testing again.
- Once the caramel reaches soft ball stage remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp. of vanilla
- Carefully pour the caramel over the popped corn.
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