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!

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.

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Comments

Angie M.
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October 20, 2010 at 10:03 am

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
- Jill
  October 20, 2010 at 12:30 pm
  
  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
  - Susie
    September 25, 2021 at 12:37 am
    
    Is that in Volume 1 or 2?
    Reply
    - Jill
      September 25, 2021 at 9:25 am
      
      It is in volume 1 Susie
      Reply
grandma
October 20, 2010 at 1:06 pm

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
sheila
October 21, 2010 at 6:47 am

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.
Reply
See Also
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JANIS NEILL
July 5, 2011 at 9:40 am

DO YOU HAVE RECIPES FOR HOT AND SPICEY POPCORN????
Reply
- Jill
  July 5, 2011 at 9:47 am
  
  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
Clay Blacklock
March 8, 2014 at 12:42 pm

Would like to see more tips on saving money at the grocery store
Thanks
Reply
- Jill
  March 8, 2014 at 2:20 pm
  
  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
Mary Jane
October 11, 2014 at 10:09 am

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
Kerry
October 27, 2017 at 5:23 pm

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
Susan Buchanan
October 23, 2019 at 9:42 pm

I’m trying this tomorrow. Love your show and all the demos. Kitchen looks great also.
Reply
Dawn M Curtis
October 24, 2019 at 8:22 am

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
Kathy Bullmer
September 22, 2021 at 3:37 pm

I think this would make a great Christmas gift and you could add a prize to it just like cracker jacks. 😋
Reply
- Jill
  September 23, 2021 at 10:20 am
  
  Yes cute idea Kathy to add the prize.
  Reply

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The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade caramel corn soggy? ›

Baking the caramel-coated popcorn helps to set the caramel sauce. By skipping this step, the caramel corn will become soggy.

Tell Me More ›

Why is my caramel corn chewy? ›

Perhaps you have some granules of sugar that are 'un-melted'. It could be that your corn syrup (if used) is reacting in some way. Now to the second - chewy. Try heating your sugar syrup for a little longer.

Discover More ›

How to make caramel popcorn Martha Stewart? ›

In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil, stirring constantly. Working quickly, drizzle popcorn with sugar syrup, and toss. Spread popcorn evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden and shiny, about 40 minutes.

Get More Info ›

What does cream of tartar do in Carmel? ›

You can also use a pinch in whipped cream to help avoid it from deflating. Cream of tartar is used in caramel sauces and fudge to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing while cooking. It also prevents cooling sugars from forming brittle crystals, this is why it's the secret ingredient in snickerdoodles!

Get More Info Here ›

Why isn't my caramel corn shiny? ›

A granule of sugar, over-mixing, or uncooperative clumps of sea salt can turn caramel from a glossy, shiny confection into a dull grainy heap of chewy, brown sugar crystals. Candy making, or in this case caramel popcorn making, involves a significant amount of chemistry.

Read The Full Story ›

What thickens homemade caramel? ›

To thicken a caramel sauce, use one tablespoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch (sometimes known as tapioca flour) and one tablespoon of water per cup of caramel. Then simmer the caramel, stirring it constantly with a wooden spoon until it becomes thick.

How do you fix soggy caramel corn? ›

If you like gooey/sticky caramel corn, give it a sprinkle with a good pinch of kosher salt, let it cool and start eating! If you like it crunchy, keep going. To make crunchy caramel popcorn, pour it (pile it) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe! (2024)

The BEST Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe!

Peanut Caramel Popcorn
(just like Cracker Jacks)

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Popcorn