The caramel popcorn is an absolutely irresistible sweet snack, which usually greets us with its intoxicating smell as soon as we step through the cinema doors or enter a fair or amusement park. Preparing cinema-style caramel popcorn at home is very easy and thanks to a secret ingredient, you can achieve crispy and crumbly caramel popcorn like those made with special machines, using just a pot and a spoon!
To ensure the caramel spreads well over all the popcorn and doesn’t harden immediately, it needs to be fluffy and dense enough. The secret ingredient that allows us to prepare a similar mixture and achieve perfect caramel popcorn is baking soda, which when combined with butter, honey, and sugar allows the caramel to inflate and become almost foamy, enabling us to distribute it evenly over all the popcorn. Caramel popcorn is perfect for snacking in front of the TV, as a surprising dessert, or to brighten up a birthday party.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 119.72 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.02 (g) of which sugars 13.32 (g)
- Proteins 0.26 (g)
- Fat 7.44 (g) of which saturated 3.42 (g)of which unsaturated 3.93 (g)
- Fibers 0.11 (g)
- Sodium 93.87 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 1 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for approximately 7 oz of caramel popcorn
If you are celiac you can safely prepare caramel popcorn with this recipe; just be careful with the corn kernels: if the label says “may contain traces of gluten-containing cereals,” simply sift through the kernels and discard any foreign grains.
- 1/4 cup corn (kernels (NOT microwaveable))
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup honey (wildflower, acacia…)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (about half a teaspoon)
Tools
- 1 Pan with high edges and thick bottom with lid
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Wooden Spoon
How to Make Sweet Caramel Popcorn
To make caramel popcorn, the first step is to pop the popcorn. We can’t use pre-popped bagged popcorn, as it’s generally salted. So, place a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan and spread the corn kernels.
Cover with a lid and turn the heat to medium, waiting a couple of minutes for it to pop (1). Then transfer it to a large bowl. At this point, prepare the caramel: in a pan, pour the honey along with the butter and brown sugar (2).
Turn the heat to low, and when the butter begins to melt, stir with a wooden spoon (3).
When bubbles start to form on the surface (4), add the baking soda (5) and stir immediately. You’ll notice the caramel starting to inflate (6).
At this point, remove it from the heat and, being careful not to burn yourself, pour it over the popcorn in several stages (7). Immediately mix them with a wooden spoon to distribute the caramel well (8).
If you want to make some sweets to give away or to put in the Befana stocking, as soon as the caramel has cooled, form small clusters with your hands and place them on paper cupcake liners (9). Let them dry for a few hours.
You can enjoy your caramel popcorn immediately, freshly made they are truly irresistible even if the caramel is still slightly sticky.
If you want, you can spread them on a tray lined with parchment paper and let them dry completely at room temperature for a few hours, or in a warm oven at 250°F for about ten minutes, stirring often and making sure they don’t darken, otherwise the caramel will become bitter.
A video recipe for caramel popcorn is also available, follow me on my YouTube channel!
Notes
Storage
You can store caramel popcorn for 4 or 5 days in a tin box without a lid.
Tips and Variations
Making caramel popcorn at home is very simple: even preparing this caramel sauce is easier and quicker than classic caramel, which easily burns. Always stir it and add the baking soda only when you see many bubbles have appeared on the surface.
If you love this type of sweets, you must try praline almonds and honey candies.
Can I make caramel popcorn using white sugar?
If you want to use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar, 70 grams will be enough.
