That is my late grandmother’s recipe for home made caramel corn. Brimming with buttery taste, candy crunch, and from-scratch caramel, every handful (you’ll need to eat it that means!!) is undeniably irresistible. You’ll make the 6-ingredient caramel sauce on the range, and whereas a sweet thermometer is useful, you actually can get by with out one. The recipe beneath is for plain caramel popcorn, however if you wish to gown it up, go forward and add nuts, melted chocolate, and/or a touch of cinnamon.
Each vacation season after I was rising up, my late grandmother made a double batch of this beloved home made caramel corn. Family and friends would flock to the candy and salty snack, and it by no means lasted greater than a few days. Grandma was completely happy to repeat the method; serving it introduced her a lot pleasure.
I began this web site 2 weeks after she handed away again in 2011, and I initially revealed this recipe a couple of years later. I additionally included a variation of it in two of my revealed cookbooks (Sally’s Baking Habit and Sally’s Sweet Habit).
Over time, I’ve scaled down the quantity of air-popped popcorn, so every bit is generously coated. In the present day I’m sharing some new step-by-step pictures, and a video tutorial is coming quickly!
Right here’s Why You’ll Love This Caramel Corn
- Simply 7 components
- Salty, buttery, candy
- Nothing beats the home made taste
- The caramel is chewy-crisp, not a break-your-teeth state of affairs 😉
- Get pleasure from plain or add some aptitude with nuts, chocolate, or spices
- Make-ahead; the caramel corn retains for days (if style testers can resist!)
I can’t make these things quick sufficient. It’s INCREDIBLY irresistible, and an ideal vacation snack. In actual fact, it’s been custom in our household to serve it together with a batch of spicy honey chex combine or seasoned pretzels as we embellish Christmas sugar cookies. Only a suggestion if you happen to’re internet hosting a cookie adorning day and want some snack concepts!
Seize These 7 Elements:
- Popcorn: I discover that 10–11 cups of air-popped popcorn is the proper quantity for the amount of caramel you’ll have.
- Brown Sugar: For that important brown sugar taste and softness. Typical home made caramel is created from common granulated sugar, and brown sugar is often saved for home made butterscotch sauce. For caramel corn, nevertheless, you need a softer caramel texture, and brown sugar helps obtain that.
- Mild Corn Syrup: That is an crucial ingredient that offers the caramel a softer, chewier consistency. Additionally, and extra importantly, corn syrup helps stop the cooking caramel from crystallizing right into a gritty, grainy texture.
- Butter: A foremost ingredient in caramel candies and caramel sauces.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar, an acid, will assist stop crystallization because the caramel cooks. In case you don’t have any, you possibly can depart it out. Corn syrup does the identical job. I nonetheless like to incorporate it, so the caramel says good and easy.
- Salt: To stability the candy.
- Baking Soda: Arguably an important ingredient! The aim of baking soda within the caramel is to react with the acidic components (brown sugar, cream of tartar, and corn syrup), which creates tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles. You’ll discover the caramel froths up if you add it. As soon as the caramel has cooled in your popcorn, the air bubbles contained in the caramel create a softer texture. The softer texture means you received’t be biting into hard-as-cement caramel. Quite, the caramel is melt-in-your-mouth chewy and solely barely crunchy.
Don’t by accident use baking powder. I repeat: don’t use baking powder.
Use Air-Popped Popcorn
For greatest outcomes, I like to recommend air-popped popcorn. I exploit this popcorn maker to pop the corn kernels. Clearly not everybody has a popcorn maker, nevertheless it’s a enjoyable kitchen device to have if you happen to get pleasure from popcorn on the common. If utilizing microwave popcorn, search for a spread that’s fairly plain, with out butter, and never overloaded with salt. In case you don’t need to use store-bought microwave popcorn, do this useful trick:
- Simple Air-Popping Technique: Add 3 Tablespoons of popcorn kernels to an ordinary lunch brown paper bag. Seal the bag tightly by folding excessive 2 occasions. Microwave the kernels for roughly 1 minute 45 seconds on excessive, or as much as 2 minutes relying in your microwave. This DIY air-popped popcorn methodology makes 5 cups of popcorn. You’ll must do it twice to get 10 cups, which is what our caramel corn recipe requires.
Upon getting your popcorn prepared, begin the caramel sauce.
Caramel Coating for Caramel Corn
The caramel is slightly completely different from my salted caramel sauce recipe, which is extra like drizzle or garnish. In the present day’s caramel, nevertheless, is a caramel sauce that has some elasticity (due to the corn syrup), and holding energy. That means it could cling properly to the popcorn, and never soften off.
Mix the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and cream of tartar collectively in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Prepare dinner and stir over medium warmth. As soon as the butter has melted and the combination is effervescent across the edges, let it boil for round 4 minutes. If in case you have a sweet thermometer (I exploit and love this one), use it right here. Prepare dinner the combination till it reaches 234–235°F (112–113°C).
As quickly because the caramel comes off the warmth, stir within the baking soda. The combination will bubble up, nearly double in quantity, and seem frothy on the floor as you stir; that is regular and anticipated:
Pour over the popcorn, gently stir to mix, after which unfold out onto a lined baking sheet:
Bake at 200°F (93°C) for 1 hour, stirring each 20 minutes. Baking the caramel corn is crucial and helps the caramel set evenly over the popcorn.
This recipe is not going to work with out corn syrup; it’s an important ingredient that helps to stop crystallization within the cooking caramel, and retains the caramel smooth and chewy. Instead, attempt my peanut butter caramel corn recipe as an alternative.
If utilizing microwave popcorn, search for a spread that’s fairly plain, with out butter, and never overloaded with salt. Buttered popcorn makes greasy caramel corn, and the caramel could not set.
Sure. Baking the caramel-coated popcorn helps to set the caramel sauce. By skipping this step, the caramel corn will develop into soggy.
Caramel corn will style smooth and chewy proper out of the oven. Give it a while to chill. If it’s nonetheless tasting soggy after 1–2 hours of cooling at room temperature, you might have under-baked the caramel corn. 1 hour within the oven is often loads. Moreover, make sure to cook dinner the caramel on the range for lengthy sufficient. In case you don’t have a sweet thermometer, you’ll need to control the clock—as soon as it’s effervescent, let it boil for 4 full minutes.
A sweet thermometer isn’t obligatory for this recipe, nevertheless it’s actually useful, because it provides probably the most correct outcomes. A sweet thermometer shouldn’t scare you away from a recipe; the truth is, it’s your greatest helper relating to sweet recipes as a result of it ensures exact outcomes. If in case you have one, I like to recommend utilizing it.
Sure, completely. You’ll be able to add 1–2 cups of your favourite salted or unsalted nuts reminiscent of peanuts or cashews to the popcorn earlier than you stir within the caramel sauce. So as to add chocolate, I like to recommend drizzling melted chocolate or white chocolate on the cooled caramel corn. You don’t want to bake the caramel corn with the chocolate on prime.
Carry to bake gross sales, tote alongside on street journeys, or function a easy finger meals at vacation events—everybody loves these things. It’s additionally a beautiful possibility if you happen to’re ever in want of gluten free dessert recipes.
Selfmade Caramel Corn
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Prepare dinner Time: 1 hour
Whole Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Yield: 10-11 cups
Class: Snacks
Technique: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
Brimming with buttery taste, candy crunch, and from-scratch caramel, every chew of this home made caramel corn is undeniably irresistible. You’ll make the 6-ingredient caramel sauce on the range, and whereas a sweet thermometer is useful, you actually can get by with out one. The recipe beneath is for plain caramel popcorn, however see Notes for different variations. This can be a nice make-ahead recipe for a celebration, bake sale, or gathering, and may simply be doubled.
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Line 1 or 2 12×17-inch baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Pour the popcorn into the biggest bowl you might have, or unfold it onto the ready baking sheets. (Both means is ok.)
- Mix the sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan over medium warmth. Stir continually because the butter melts and combination involves a simmer. As soon as simmering across the edges, permit to bubble, with out stirring, for 4 minutes. (If in case you have a sweet thermometer, the caramel ought to attain 234–235°F (112–113°C).)
- Take away caramel from warmth and instantly stir within the baking soda. The combination will bubble up, nearly double in quantity, and seem frothy on the floor as you stir; that is regular and anticipated. Watch out, it’s highly regarded.
- Pour the caramel over the popcorn and, with a big spoon or spatula, stir gently till the entire popcorn has been coated. Go slowly right here and have persistence; it requires fairly a couple of turns of the spatula/spoon because the caramel begins to harden. If it’s not already, unfold the popcorn evenly onto ready baking sheet(s).
- Bake for 1 hour, gently stirring each 20 minutes.
- Enable to chill on the pan for no less than half-hour. The caramel hardens because it cools. As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, you possibly can break aside any giant clusters.
- Cowl the popcorn tightly as soon as cooled. This caramel corn stays contemporary for as much as 2 weeks in an hermetic container, so it’s an ideal recipe to make forward of time.
Notes
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Popcorn Maker | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Medium Saucepan | Sweet Thermometer
- Popcorn: You want about 1/3 cup of kernels to yield 10–11 cups of popcorn. In case you should not have a popcorn maker at dwelling, you possibly can merely add 3 Tablespoons of popcorn kernels to a brown paper bag. Seal the bag tightly by folding excessive. Microwave the popcorn for roughly 1 minute, 45 seconds on excessive energy, or as much as 2 minutes, relying in your microwave. This methodology will make 5 cups, so that you’ll must do it twice. Alternatively, you need to use store-bought natural-style microwave popcorn that has no butter added to it. In case you use buttered popcorn, the caramel could not set and the caramel corn will likely be greasy.
- Corn Syrup: Use mild corn syrup, not darkish corn syrup. This recipe is not going to work with out this ingredient; it’s essential to assist stop crystallization within the cooking caramel, and retains the caramel smooth, stretchy, and chewy. Instead with out corn syrup, attempt my peanut butter caramel corn recipe as an alternative.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar helps to stop crystallization within the cooking caramel. In case you’re all out, you can also make the caramel corn with out it. Simply know that its acidity helps to stop crystals from forming in your caramel. Corn syrup does the identical job, too.
- Add Nuts, Chocolate, or Spices: You’ll be able to add 1–2 cups of your favourite salted or unsalted nuts reminiscent of peanuts or cashews to the popcorn earlier than you stir within the caramel sauce in step 5. So as to add chocolate, I like to recommend drizzling melted chocolate or white chocolate on the cooled caramel corn. You don’t want to bake the caramel corn with the chocolate on prime. It’s also possible to add 1/2 teaspoon of floor cinnamon, and/or 1/4 teaspoon of floor nutmeg to the caramel after you are taking it off warmth, if you stir within the baking soda.
- The right way to double: Double the entire components. In step 3, let the caramel bubble for 7 minutes, or use a sweet thermometer. The sweet thermometer temperature stays the identical. The bake time additionally stays the identical. Don’t over-crowd the baking sheets; you’ll doubtless want 3.
Initially revealed in 2014, and in addition revealed in Sally’s Baking Habit.
Key phrases: home made caramel corn
