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Homemade caramel corn is the ultimate movie-night snack! This recipe is sweet, salty, crunchy, and makes a huge batch – perfect for sharing with friends and neighbors or making for a party.
Do you say “care-uh-mel” or “car-mull”? When I’m talking, I always say “car-mull” – but sometimes pronounce it the fancier way when I read it in my head.
And considering that this website is my full-time job, I spend a lot of time thinking about caramel. Whether it’s salted caramel sauce, salted caramel brownies, or pecan caramel clusters, I definitely think about caramel more than most people.
And we can’t forget about the ultimate movie-night snack: caramel corn.
Classic homemade caramel corn
I love caramel corn and I’m not really picky about it. I’ll eat a box of Cracker Jack, a bag of Garrett Popcorn when I’m in Chicago, even the stuff that you get in the big round tins at Christmastime.
But there really is something special about homemade caramel corn. And yeah, ok, it takes a little bit of time to make, but the good news is that it makes a huge batch so there’s plenty to go around.
This recipe is pretty simple and makes caramel corn that is just the right balance of sweet, salty, and buttery. Plus it’s got that perfect crunch that you want from the caramel coating.
Why do you bake caramel corn?
Like many homemade caramel corn recipes, this one is made in two stages: You coat the popcorn in a homemade caramel sauce, then bake it low and slow in the oven.
If you’re wondering why you have to bother with baking it, the answer is simple: Baking caramel corn helps set the caramel sauce, making it crunchy and less sticky.
Yes, it adds an extra 45 minutes onto the recipe, but I promise it’s totally worth it.
How to make this homemade caramel corn
If you’ve never made caramel corn at home before, don’t stress. I know that making your own caramel sauce sounds scary, but I’m gonna make this one easy for you.
Ingredients you’ll need
To make this classic caramel popcorn, you will need:
- 2 bags microwave popcorn, popped
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
I like to use regular ol’ butter microwave popcorn for this recipe. If you want to use stove-popped or air-popped popcorn, you’ll need to pop about 2/3 cup of popcorn kernels.
Baking soda might sound like a weird ingredient to add to caramel sauce, but I promise that it’s necessary here. Don’t skip it!
Adding baking soda helps to aerate the caramel so you get a nice crispy crunch in the final caramel corn, rather than a hard, overly chewy texture.
If you are out of brown sugar, whip up a simple brown sugar substitute to use in this recipe instead. If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, check out my tips for softening brown sugar and save yourself a trip to the store.
Making this recipe
Before you start making the caramel sauce for the popcorn, go ahead and line two large rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.
Lightly spray a very large bowl with nonstick spray and add the popped popcorn.
I recommend removing any un-popped kernels from the popcorn now, otherwise it will be a lot harder to take them out once the caramel is added. And no one wants to break a tooth on one while eating the finished caramel corn!
If you don’t have a bowl that’s big enough to hold all of the popcorn and stir the caramel into it, try using a paper grocery bag (lightly sprayed with nonstick spray) instead.
Finally, measure out both the vanilla and the baking soda and set these aside. You’ll need to be able to grab them quickly once the caramel is almost done.
To make the sauce, add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt to a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
As soon as the mixture comes to a steady boil, set a timer for 5 minutes. Continue boiling for the 5 minutes, still stirring constantly.
Once the 5 minutes are over, take the pan off the heat and immediately add the vanilla and baking soda, stirring vigorously to combine. The caramel is going to bubble up and hiss when you add these ingredients, so make sure you stand back a bit.
Immediately pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Carefully stir to coat the popcorn evenly with the caramel, then divide it between the prepared sheet pans.
Spread the popcorn into even layers on the pans as best you can. Some of it will still clump together – that’s ok.
Bake at 200°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Let the caramel popcorn cool on the baking sheets, breaking apart any large clumps as it cools. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Recipe substitutions and variations
I like to use classic butter microwave popcorn for this recipe. If you want to use stovetop popcorn or air-popped popcorn, you will need to pop ⅔ cup kernels. If you leave the popcorn unsalted, increase the salt in the caramel recipe.
Honey works well in the caramel sauce in place of the corn syrup, and adds a bit of a different flavor to the caramel corn.
For a richer flavor, try using dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar, or swap out the fine sea salt for a flavored salt, like my friend Megan does in her smoked salt caramel corn.
For additional crunch, you can add up to 1 cup of dry roasted peanuts (or your personal favorite nuts) to the popcorn before adding the caramel sauce.
Other mix-ins, such as M&Ms, are fun as well. But wait to add anything that can melt, such as chocolate, until after the caramel corn has cooled.
Homemade Caramel Corn
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bags microwave popcorn popped (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Lightly spray a very large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Add the popped popcorn. Set aside.
- Measure out the vanilla and baking soda and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. As soon as the mixture is at a steady boil, set a timer for 5 minutes. Continue to boil, stirring constantly.
- When the timer goes off, remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the vanilla and baking soda and stir vigorously to combine. The mixture will bubble up and hiss when you add these ingredients, so stand back a bit.
- Immediately pour the hot caramel over the popcorn and carefully stir to coat the popcorn with the caramel. Once the popcorn is well coated, divide it between the two prepared baking sheets, spreading into an even layer. Some of the popcorn will clump together – that’s ok. Just spread it out as best you can.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Let the caramel corn cool on the baking sheets, breaking apart any large clumps as it cools.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family loved this!