Homemade Caramel Corn
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Skip the line at the candy shop and whip up your own batch of irresistibly sweet and crunchy caramel corn right in your kitchen. This old-fashioned treat is surprisingly simple to make—no fancy gadgets or candy thermometers required.
When we visit my parents in Sarasota, our evenings often include a stop at Kilwin’s, a beloved ice cream and candy shop on Lido Key. The scent of freshly made waffle cones and the sight of candy-makers mixing fudge right in the front window is part of its charm, and it’s hard to pass by without stopping in. The best part? Sampling different sweets while waiting in line. We all love the sweet, crunchy caramel corn, so I thought it would be fun to recreate it at home.
Turns out, homemade caramel corn is surprisingly easy to make and doesn’t require any fancy equipment, not even a candy thermometer. But be warned: it’s habit-forming. Seriously, don’t make this stuff unless you have the willpower of a saint or many friends to share it with!
Table of Contents
“Another recipe that hit it out of the park! I knew going in I was going to need a lot of willpower to keep my fingers out of it….and I was right. I added dry roasted peanuts. This is such a winner, completely YUM.”
What You’ll Need To Make Caramel Corn
- Vegetable Oil: Used to pop the popcorn kernels. It has a high smoke point, making it ideal for high-heat cooking without imparting much flavor.
- Popcorn Kernels: It’s easy to make homemade popcorn on the stovetop, but if you’d like to use plain microwave popcorn or air-popped popcorn, note that 2/3 cup kernels makes about 16 cups popcorn.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the caramel sauce.
- Light Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness and a slight molasses flavor to the caramel.
- Light Corn Syrup: The corn syrup helps to prevent the caramel sauce from crystallizing, which results in a smooth texture (sugar crystals make caramel grainy).
- Maple Syrup: Adds a unique, rich flavor to the caramel different from traditional recipes. It gives a subtle maple undertone that pairs well with the buttery caramel.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of the caramel and popcorn, and balances the sweetness.
- Baking Soda: Reacts with the acidic components in the caramel to create tiny air bubbles, making the caramel lighter and more aerated so it’s not rock-hard when you bite into it. This reaction also helps ensure the caramel spreads more easily over the popcorn.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the popcorn. Heat the vegetable oil in a very large pot over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn kernels, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
Wait for the popcorn to start popping, then shake the pan gently every now and again to keep the kernels moving. When the popping slows to 2-3 seconds apart, remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl, making sure to leave any unpopped kernels behind. (Alternatively, you can leave the popcorn in the pot for mixing; just be sure you don’t have any unpopped kernels or burnt pieces at the bottom.)
Set the popcorn aside and make the caramel. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup and salt.
Stir until the sugar dissolves. Stirring occasionally, boil the syrup over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda. Stir well as the mixture turns foamy.
Immediately (and carefully — it’s very hot!) pour the syrup over the popped corn in three separate additions, stirring as you go.
Gently toss until the popcorn is evenly coated.
Spread the caramel corn into even layers on parchment-lined sheet pans.
Bake at 200°F for one hour. The caramel will be a little soft at this point; let it cool completely to crisp up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can add nuts such as almonds, pecans, or peanuts to boost the flavor and crunch. However, to maintain the balance of flavors and textures, reduce the amount of popped kernels by the same volume of nuts added.
Store caramel corn in an airtight container at room temperature to keep it fresh and crunchy. Avoid storing it in the refrigerator, as the humidity can make it soft.
While you can use alternatives like honey or maple syrup, they won’t prevent crystallization like corn syrup, which will affect the texture of the caramel corn. For the best texture and consistency, I recommend sticking with corn syrup.
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Homemade Caramel Corn
Skip the line at the candy shop and whip up your own batch of irresistibly sweet and crunchy caramel corn right in your kitchen. This old-fashioned treat is surprisingly simple to make—no fancy gadgets or candy thermometers required.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup popcorn kernels (see note)
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°F and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a very large pot over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn and shake the pan to coat the kernels with oil. Cover with a tight fitting lid (alternatively, cover tightly with foil). Wait for the popcorn to start popping, then shake the pan gently every now and again to keep the kernels moving. When the popping slows to about 2 seconds apart, remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl, making sure to leave any unpopped kernels behind.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup and salt and stir until the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture come to a gentle boil. Stirring occasionally, boil the syrup over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda. Stir well as the mixture turns foamy.
- Immediately and carefully (it's very hot!) pour the syrup over the popped corn in three separate additions, stirring gently as you go, until the popcorn is evenly coated. (If at any point the caramel stiffens and becomes difficult to pour, you can rewarm it gently on the stove.)
- Spread the caramel corn into even layers on prepared pans. Bake at 200°F for one hour. The caramel will be a little soft at this point; let it cool completely to crisp up. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Note: If you want to use microwave (be sure it's plain) or air-popped popcorn, note that ⅔ cup popcorn kernels makes 16 cups.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 2 cups
- Calories: 326
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 163 mg
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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How do you store it or package it for gifting? What type of packaging works best?
Hi Jessie, any kind of airtight container would work for storing/gifting the popcorn.
Jessie, Kilwin’s packages theirs in cellophane bags. One place to buy things like that is Paper Mart (online ordering, wide variety).
The caramel corn is so yummy. Could this recipe work for making caramel candies? Any adjustments?
Glad you like the popcorn! I don’t think this recipe would be appropriate for caramel candies. Instead I’d look for a recipe that’s specifically designed for candy.
Ina Garten has an excellent recipe for caramels on the Food Network website.
Wow! This is a great recipe. The flavor is fantastic, and no vanilla. The maple syrup does the trick. My entire family loved it.
Does this Carmel corn package well for holiday gifts? If so, any suggestions on packaging?
Hi Karen, This keeps will for 3 – 4 days so it would work for holiday gifts if you feel confident it will be eaten in that timeframe. It needs to be stored in an airtight container, so anything decorative and also airtight will work. Hope your recipients enjoy! 🙂
The flavor was good but it turned out a little too sticky for me.
Hi Jenn! Just made this for our guests who are staying with us this weekend! Side note- their was a Kilwins down the street from where I went to college and it was always a treat to stop by and get something during finals week. The smell and taste of this popcorn brings me back to my college days! Thank you! Always stunning recipes!
I have made this popcorn many times and it’s always a HUGE hit! Just wanted to hop on and make a comment about substituting the maple syrup though – today I wanted to make it but didn’t have any maple syrup. I subbed honey as someone suggested above and while it turned out ok texture-wise and everything, it wasn’t nearly as good. I was really surprised what a huge difference in taste there was. The honey comes through really strong which is a bit odd for a caramel corn. All that to say, for those of you scrolling through looking to see if you can sub out the maple syrup for something else, DON’T. Just drive yo’self to the store, pick up the syrup, and make it right!
I’ve made caramel corn in the past, without corn syrup, and the caramel doesn’t hold up as well as this caramel. This is a great recipe and I will come back to it again!
Was the perfect caramel taste! Popcorn was crunching and sweet. My grandchildren was licking the bowl!
What can I use instead of corn syrup?
Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work without the corn syrup – sorry!