Caramel Corn & Nuts (Irresistible!)
No, you can't stop at one handful of this homemade caramel corn (aka caramel popcorn). Crunchy popcorn and nuts are coated in a buttery, salted caramel that hits all the sweet-salty notes - worth every calorie!
Servings (change as needed): 9 cups
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup popcorn kernels, Note 1 for shortcut (to make about 8 cups popcorn))
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 2 cups pecans, macadamia, cashews, peanuts and/or almonds
Caramel Coating
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) or salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or less if you use salted butter) (or sub Kosher salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250F/121C. Prepare two baking pans lined with parchment paper.
- MAKE STOVETOP POPCORN: Put 3 kernels and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot with a lid on medium heat When kernels pop, add rest of the kernels. Shake to cover them in oil. Cover pot and let kernels pop. When popping slows, remove from heat and empty popcorn into a large bowl, removing any unpopped kernels. You should have 8-9 cups. Add nuts. Note 1 for shortcut.
- MAKE CARAMEL SAUCE: Bring sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to blend. Leave mixture to boil for 5 more minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Add baking soda and vanilla (be careful, it will foam and bubble up). Stir until well blended.
- STIR AND BAKE: Pour caramel sauce over popcorn and mix well until popcorn is evenly coated. Divide popcorn onto two baking pans. Spread it out as evenly as you can on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 1 hour, stirring 2-3 times to break up clumps and coat popcorn well with caramel. Remove from oven and let popcorn cool completely. If desired, form tennis-size balls while the popcorn is slightly warm.
Notes
- Shortcut for popcorn: I do this all the time. Buy plain non-GMO popcorn (as little as possible added) at your local popcorn kiosk or grocery store. You will need about 8-9 cups. I don't suggest you use microwave popcorn because of the additives, but you can in a pinch. The Kitchn tested 8 ways to pop popcorn if you're interested.
- Substitutions
- Corn syrup substitute: Use honey or maple syrup (texture will be slightly stickier).
- Butter alternative: For dairy-free, use vegan butter or refined coconut oil.
- Variations:
- Chocolate drizzle: Once cooled, drizzle with melted white, milk, or dark chocolate. Messier to eat, though, as chocolate melts in your hands.
- Holiday version: Add festive sprinkles or red-green M&Ms right when popcorn comes out of the oven.
- Spice twist: Add ½ tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the caramel mixture for fall flavors.
- Nut cluster mix: After baking, toss in a few broken pretzels or roasted peanuts.
- Nut-free: Omit nuts or swap with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for crunch.
- To store/freeze popcorn:
- Store completely cooled popcorn at room temperature in an airtight container or large ziploc bags for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw, uncovered, at room temperature. If needed, reheat in a 250°F oven for 5–8 minutes to crisp it again.
Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 327IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg