The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2024)

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This is the BEST homemade caramel corn recipe! This caramel popcorn is so much cheaper and fresher than the store bought kind and my kids and family love it! It’s great for parties and after school snacks

The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2)

The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe!

Below are some great snacks for any holiday party, football get together or just curled up on the couch watching TV.

Peanut Caramel Popcorn
(just like Cracker Jacks)

1 cup margarine
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
6 qts. popped corn
1/2-1 cup peanuts

Melt margarine in large saucepan. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Gradually pour over popped corn and peanuts. Mix until coated. Makes 6 quarts.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Popcorn

1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup peanuts
8 cups of popped corn

In a microwave container, melt butter and add sugar and spices. Add nuts and coat well. In a large bowl place popped corn and pour in butter and nut mix, tossing to coat everything well.

For more quick and easy recipes like this homemade caramel corn recipe, check out our cookbooks!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (7)Angie M.

    I tried this last night. My two kids and I needed a treat for watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”. This hit the spot. I only had butter flavored microwave popcorn, so I popped a bag of that. The recipe calls for 8 cups of popped popcorn. According to the nutrition facts on the microwave popcorn, one bag makes 10 cups so I used 5 tablespoons of butter (recipe calls for 4 tablespoons) and a pinch more brown sugar. I decided to leave out the cinnamon and nutmeg this time. It was SO yummy! The microwave popcorn was a little salty and we LOVE sweet/salty popcorn. I was afraid that since the microwave popcorn was butter flavor it might be too buttery…but it wasn’t. It turned out really good. The kids said it reminded them of kettle corn and it kind of did…better I thought! We loved it and will be making it again. I will try popping plain popcorn sometime and add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the butter/brown sugar. Thanks Tawra and Jill for another yummy recipe!!!

    Reply

    • The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (8)Jill

      Thanks for letting us know how that worked with microwave popcorn so now we will know how to do it. For you or anyone else who happens to have Dining and like seasoned popcorn check out pages 316-317 and it is all popcorn recipes – different spices and flavors to add, barbecue, spiced and there is a too simple recipe for Kettle corn too.

      Reply

      • The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (9)Susie

        Is that in Volume 1 or 2?

        Reply

        • The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (10)Jill

          It is in volume 1 Susie

          Reply

  2. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (11)grandma

    I did this using brown sugar splenda and it had a nice mapley flavour. I also add a fair bit of salt since Don likes sweet and I like salty so it pleased both of us.

    was going to post on baked potatoes but there is no place to post a comment.

    Reply

  3. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (12)sheila

    This is the first time I have commented on anything, but I was fixing oatmeal the other day, and I wanted to flavor it somehow. I usually add butter and sugar to mine. Well I had purchased some hazelnut coffee creamer, the powered kind. I added about 4 T. of it to the oatmeal, and it was delicious. I was just thinking, when I read your popcorn/kettlecorn post, that instead of brown sugar, you may can add the hazelnut coffee creamer. I will try this later and let you know. Great website.

  4. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (13)JANIS NEILL

    DO YOU HAVE RECIPES FOR HOT AND SPICEY POPCORN????

    Reply

    • The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (14)Jill

      Yes Janis we do. One of our many popcorn recipes in Dining on a Dime is
      Spiced Popcorn
      1 tsp. paprika
      1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
      1/2 tsp. ground cumin
      1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
      1/4 cup butter, melted

      Mix together and pour over popcorn.

      Reply

  5. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (15)Clay Blacklock

    Would like to see more tips on saving money at the grocery store

    Thanks

    Reply

    • The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (16)Jill

      Clay we have many many posts on that subject plus Dining on a Dime is packed and we have a whole e book set on it. Here is a link to many of the posts – you can scroll down and start picking out which ones you would like to read – don’t forget the boxes at the bottom to take you to even more.
      Saving Money on Groceries posts

      For more here is our whole set of grocery saving e books

      Reply

  6. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (17)Mary Jane

    Years ago, a neighbour got us hooked on garlic and onion flavoured popcorn, on movie night. (The things you learn in the dead of winter, and town is 15 miles away on dark, snowy roads!) Just butter your popcorn as usual, then experiment with 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder, or onion powder and add to it to suit your taste. The only advice I have is to avoid what those same neighbours did….don’t have a garlic popcorn night when all of you have dental appointments first thing the next morning.

    Reply

  7. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (18)Kerry

    I just made this for my grandkids trick or treat this afternoon. I’ve this same recipe – sans nuts – for years,but my directions say that once thoroughly mixed, dump coated popcorn onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (I use my roaster) and bake at 200* for 1 hr. It crisps the outside coating without altering the flavor of the buttery caramel. Oven toasted or not, this is the easiest, yummiest caramel corn!

    Reply

  8. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (19)Susan Buchanan

    I’m trying this tomorrow. Love your show and all the demos. Kitchen looks great also.

    Reply

  9. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (20)Dawn M Curtis

    My recipe for caramel corn involves baking for an hour at 250 and stirring every 15 minutes. This looks way, way easier. Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

  10. The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (21)Kathy Bullmer

    I think this would make a great Christmas gift and you could add a prize to it just like cracker jacks. 😋

    Reply

    • The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (22)Jill

      Yes cute idea Kathy to add the prize.

      Reply

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The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why is my caramel corn not crunchy? ›

→ The exact cooking temperature isn't critical with this recipe, but ideally you want the sugar mixture to reach between 250°F and 300°F. The longer you cook the syrup, the crunchier it will be. For very crunchy popcorn (my favorite!), stop cooking when you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the sugar mixture.

Why is my caramel corn so grainy? ›

Why is my Caramel Corn Grainy? Grainy caramel (or crystalized caramel) happens when the sugar crystals in the caramel seize up or cling together.

Why shouldn't you stir sugar when making caramel? ›

Like dry caramel, you want to gently move the sugar mixture in that same side-to-side paintbrush-like fashion until the sugar dissolves. Then, as soon as the mixture comes to a boil, it should not be stirred, as the agitation can cause crystallization.

What happens if you forgot the baking soda in caramel corn? ›

Baking soda is what makes caramel corn chewy with a bit of crunch and gives it the classic brittle texture. The baking soda also helps the mixture to increase in volume which ensures it covers all of the popcorn. It's an essential ingredient and without it you'll likely find the texture of the caramel corn to be off.

Why did my caramel corn come out chewy? ›

Once the caramel has cooled on your popcorn, the air bubbles inside the caramel create a softer texture. The softer texture means you won't be biting into hard-as-cement caramel. Rather, the caramel is melt-in-your-mouth chewy and only slightly crunchy.

How do you reduce bitterness in caramel? ›

One option would be to try masking the bitterness of burnt caramel by incorporating instant coffee into the mix. There is something comforting about this flavor combination, plus with an extra jolt of caffeine, the only tears shed over this concoction will be tears of joy.

How do you make caramel not gritty? ›

Add Moisture: If the sugar is melted but you still see a few crystals- sometimes adding some liquid like water or heavy cream to the mixture can help dissolve any sugar crystals that have formed and promote a smoother texture.

Why is my caramel not thickening? ›

Add more sugar to the sauce.

Most caramel sauces are made by caramelizing sugar and adding milk and a little salt. If you increase the amount of sugar in the recipe you'll end up with a thicker caramel. Try increasing the sugar by about 1/3.

What can go wrong when making caramel? ›

Don't Be Intimidated by Homemade Caramel Sauce, Just Avoid These Common Mistakes
  1. Using the Wrong Pot. You can't make a caramel sauce with a thin or flimsy pot. ...
  2. Dumping in All of the Sugar at Once. ...
  3. Not Setting up Your Mise en Place. ...
  4. Pulling the Caramel too Soon. ...
  5. Trying to Multitask.
Nov 11, 2015

What are the two methods for making caramel? ›

What Are The Two Methods for Making Caramel? Wet vs. Dry Caramel
  1. Wet caramel is the most common method for making caramel at home. ...
  2. Dry caramel is the more challenging method. ...
  3. Be prepared. ...
  4. Use a light-colored pot. ...
  5. Add corn syrup. ...
  6. Don't mix. ...
  7. Warm the cream. ...
  8. Keep your butter cold.
Mar 24, 2023

What does baking soda do to cornbread? ›

Baking powder and baking soda – They make the cornbread nice and fluffy. Almond milk – For moisture. If you don't keep almond milk on hand, feel free to substitute a different type of milk. My homemade oat milk or regular cow's milk would work here too.

What is the purpose of baking soda in candy? ›

The Purpose of Baking Soda in Brittle Recipes

Baking soda helps to neutralize the acidity in the candy, and in some cases makes it lighter.

What can I use instead of baking soda in caramel? ›

The Best Baking Soda Substitute: Baking Powder

Baking powder is, without a doubt, the best baking soda substitute you can find. They're not the same thing (baking soda is about three times stronger), but they are both leavening agents that work in similar ways.

What happens when you add baking soda to melted sugar? ›

When the baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is mixed into the hot sugar, another chemical reaction occurs. The baking soda breaks up, or decomposes, into sodium carbonate, water, and carbon dioxide. The water vapor and carbon dioxide gases get trapped in the sugary mixture, leaving behind these bubbles.

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