My easy homemade caramel popcorn recipe is the perfect snack for your next holiday party or family movie night. We love that we can make it at home and it tastes so much better than the store bought stuff.
We make this caramel popcorn every holiday season without fail — it is one of my favorite budget-friendly gifts to give to friends and family and at just a few dollars for a huge batch it is the most impressive looking homemade gift per dollar I have ever found.
My kids love helping stir the popcorn during the baking and the whole house smells incredible for hours.
If you love flavored popcorn, you might also like Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe, Easy White Chocolate Popcorn Recipe, Chocolate Popcorn or Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn Recipe.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract
- Popcorn
For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom for the recipe card.
Variations
We love making variations to this caramel popcorn recipe. Try some of my favorites.
- Add in Nuts – You can easily add in any nuts. Our favorite has been peanuts but almonds would be great as well. For that extra sweet and salty combination use salted nuts.
- Like it extra sweet? – You can use less popcorn and the extra caramel will make it extra sweet.
- Drizzle with chocolate – We just drizzled melted chocolate over the popcorn and it was absolutely delicious! You could even experiment with all sorts of different chocolate. White chocolate would be amazing and you could even mix the two. All of the different swirls of chocolate would look so pretty as well.
- Mix in Mini Marshmallows – When you drizzle the popcorn with chocolate toss in some mini marshmallows.
- Add chocolate chips – Try peanut butter or butterscotch! I think it would be delicious to use several different types of chocolate morsels.
How to Pop Popcorn on the Stovetop
If you prefer to pop your own kernels rather than using microwave bags here is the simple stovetop method:
What you need: ½ cup popcorn kernels and 3 tablespoons of vegetable or coconut oil give you approximately the same amount as 3 bags of microwave popcorn.
Step 1 — Add the oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high heat.
Step 2 — Add 3 test kernels to the oil and cover the pot. When all 3 kernels have popped the oil is hot enough.
Step 3 — Add the remaining kernels in a single layer and cover. Reduce heat to medium.
Step 4 — Once the kernels begin popping shake the pot gently back and forth over the heat every 30 seconds to prevent burning.
Step 5 — When the popping slows to about 2 seconds between pops remove from heat immediately. Leave the lid on for 1 minute to catch any remaining pops.
Step 6 — Pour into a very large bowl and proceed with the caramel sauce recipe. Do not add salt if you plan to use salted popcorn — the caramel sauce already adds significant saltiness.
How to Make the Caramel Popcorn
The caramel is so easy to make. Simple ingredients make it easy to make anytime of the week.
Step 1 – In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
Step 2 – Once butter is melted, stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt until smooth.
Step 3 – Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.
Step 4 – Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place popped popcorn in a very large bowl. If you do not have a large enough bowl, you can use 2 bowls. Immediately pour the caramel sauce over popcorn. Make sure to stir it thoroughly to coat all of the popcorn.
Step 5 – Place in two large shallow prepared baking sheets or dishes. You could even use a disposable baking sheet if you don’t want to mess with clean up.
Step 6 – Next, bake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes during the 40-minute bake time. Baking times can vary. Remove from oven. Let it cool completely before breaking the caramel corn into pieces.
Recipe Tips
- Skillet Recommendation – Use a non-stick skillet to make the caramel. It makes it much easier to clean and you don’t have to worry about the caramel sticking to the pan.
- Spatula – Also use a non-stick silicone spatula if you have one. A silicone spatula which is also naturally tolerant to high heat helps with mixing the caramel. Trust me, this is a must when stirring the caramel sauce.
- Remove Kernels – I love using a cooling rack or a roasting pan to pour my popcorn over. This way the un-popped kernels will fall through the holes keeping the popped corn on top.
- Adding Salt – If you use bagged popcorn that you pop in the microwave, do NOT add any additional salt. If you make your own popcorn from just kernels then the salt will be needed.
- Coating Popcorn – For an easier, less messy way to coat the popcorn, pour it into a large paper grocery bag, add the caramel sauce, fold the top closed, and shake vigorously until evenly coated — many home cooks find this easier than stirring in a bowl.
How to Know When the Caramel Is Ready
The caramel is ready when it has turned a deep amber color — similar to a rich honey color — and coats the back of a spoon without immediately dripping off. If you have a candy thermometer the caramel should reach 250°F which is the firm ball stage. Do not cook past 260°F or the caramel will become too hard and brittle when it cools.
Caramel Popcorn Troubleshooting
- My caramel popcorn is sticky and not crunchy — it did not bake long enough or was not stirred frequently enough during baking. Return it to the oven at 250°F for 10–15 more minutes stirring halfway through
- My caramel turned grainy — the sugar crystallized during cooking. This usually happens if the sides of the pan were not washed down with a wet pastry brush during boiling or if the mixture was stirred during the boiling phase. Always boil without stirring once the mixture comes to a full boil
- My popcorn is burnt — the oven temperature was too high or it baked too long. Always use 250°F and check at the 30-minute mark before the full 40 minutes
How Do You Make Caramel Popcorn Crunchy?
The two main reasons that the caramel popcorn stays crunchy is because of the baking soda and baking it at a low temperature.
Just before the caramel sauce is poured, we put a little baking soda in. Adding baking soda causes the caramel sauce to get bubbly and foamy. Which allows the caramel sauce to be evenly poured over the popcorn.
While the caramel popcorn is cooling, the texture becomes soft which means you won’t be biting into hard caramel. It also helps baking the popcorn on very low temperature and stirring often.
This allows the caramel sauce to melt and thin so it coats every piece evenly. Baking the caramel popcorn makes it crispy so it stays fresher longer. While baking, the popcorn will become less sticky and will be easily separated.
Chewy or Crunchy — How Do You Like Your Caramel Popcorn?
The great caramel popcorn debate — chewy or crunchy? Both versions use the same base recipe with one key difference in the baking step.
For crunchy caramel popcorn — bake at 250°F for the full 40 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. The low and slow bake dries out the caramel coating completely so every piece snaps cleanly when you bite into it. This is what this recipe is written for and what most people think of as classic caramel corn.
For chewy caramel popcorn — skip the baking step entirely. Pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn stir to coat thoroughly then spread on a baking sheet and let it cool completely at room temperature. The caramel stays soft and sticky giving you that satisfying chewy pull in every bite. If you want it slightly less chewy bake for only 15–20 minutes instead of the full 40.
Which is better? Crunchy caramel corn lasts longer — up to 2 weeks stored properly. Chewy caramel corn is best eaten within 2–3 days before it starts to get sticky. If you are making a big batch for gifting go crunchy. If you are eating it the same day go chewy.
How to Store
This is the perfect snack to make a big batch at the first of the month. If stored properly the caramel popcorn will last for two weeks.
It can easily be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also place the caramel popcorn in gallon size ziplock bags once it has cooled.
More Easy Caramel Desserts
We love caramel desserts at our house. Here are some of our favorites:
- Caramel Apples – No need to wait for the state fair. You can make them right at home.
- Caramel Cheesecake – We love cheesecake and adding caramel just makes it so much better.
- Caramel Apple Nachos – This is the perfect game day snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
We used microwave popcorn, but feel free to make your own on the stovetop. Y
ou can also use store bought popcorn, but we recommend the popcorn be plain. I use 3 bags of microwave popcorn. If you use kernels to make your own popcorn, make about 2 cups kernels.
If stored properly, this popcorn will last up to 2 weeks. It usually only lasts a few days with my large family.
Baking soda is the secret — stirred in right before pouring the caramel over the popcorn it causes the hot caramel to bubble and foam which thins it just enough to coat every single kernel evenly instead of clumping in thick sticky patches.
If using microwave popcorn do not add any additional salt — the caramel sauce already contains salt and microwave popcorn is pre-salted. If popping from raw kernels on the stovetop add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the caramel sauce recipe as directed — no additional salt on the popcorn itself is needed.
Yes — substitute the corn syrup with an equal amount of pure maple syrup or honey for a different but equally delicious caramel flavor. Maple syrup gives a warm earthy sweetness while honey gives a slightly floral result. The texture may be slightly different from the corn syrup version but both work well.
More Quick and Easy Snack Recipes
- Double Chocolate Chip Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn
- Brownie Cookies Recipe
- Zebra Popcorn Recipe
- Strawberry Pinch Cookies
We love hearing from you. If you make this easy caramel popcorn recipe, make sure to leave us a comment or a star review.
Caramel Popcorn Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt (if you use bagged popcorn that you pop in the microwave, do NOT add additional salt. If you make your own popcorn from just kernels then the salt will be needed.)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 bags Popcorn, popped (I used 3 bags of popcorn that I got for FREE. If you use kernels to make your own popcorn, make about 2 cups kernels -YES, it is a lot)
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Pop your Popcorn
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place popped popcorn in a very large bowl (I used 2 large bowls because I didn’t have big enough bowls).
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Then stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then boil without stirring for approximately 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and then stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract.
- Then pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn and stir it to coat all the popcorn with the caramel sauce.
- Then place the popcorn in two large shallow baking dishes/ or pans and bake in preheated oven, for approximately 40 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes during the 40-minute bake time.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.
- Store in an airtight container. I placed them in gallon size ziplock bags.
Am I suppose to boil the butter, sugars and syrup for a few minutes then add the rest or am did I miss some part of the recipe?
I’m sorry for the confusion. I corrected the recipe card so that it’s more clear.