The Best Caramel Popcorn Ever

I would love to share how to make the best caramel popcorn ever! It has a gooey, yummy caramel spread over popcorn or corn pops and stays soft but not drippy. It’s an old favorite that members of our family all love.

I guess that’s how I would describe this caramel treat. I use it for apples in the fall, popcorn in the summer, or anytime in between! This is a family reunion favorite shared treat!

This is so easy to make, and the caramel popcorn is so soft you will love it! It’s one of those treats you can’t stop eating—you have to love it!

Homemade Caramel Popcorn

Items Needed in the Kitchen:

• 2 Stainless Steel Bowls
• Medium Saucepan
• Silicone Spoon
• Measuring cups and Measuring Spoons

The Best Caramel Popcorn Ever Ingredients

• Brown Sugar: is a mixture of granulated white sugar and molasses. It’s added for flavor and to help maintain a moist texture. Brown sugar caramelizes as it cooks, creating a robust, rich flavor that makes this caramel truly incredible!
• Light Corn Syrup: is a mild-tasting sweetener perfect for making caramel popcorn, candy, frosting, and sauces. It is a transparent syrup made by extracting cornstarch with added vanilla flavoring.
• Salted or Unsalted Butter: Salted butter helps prevent the caramel from crumbling. It also prevents the sweetened condensed milk from evaporating, creating moist, soft, and fluffy caramel popcorn. However, salt is already added to ready-made prepackaged popcorn and corn pops, so it is up to you whether you use salted or unsalted butter.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: is milk with sugar added and most of the water removed. It has a delightful, creamy flavor and a syrupy texture.
• Popcorn: is a corn kernel that enlarges and puffs up when heated. It’s perfect for absorbing the luscious caramel in this recipe!
• Corn Puffs: are similar to popcorn but without the kernels! I use Clover Clubs Corn Puffs, which is not the well-known Kellogg’s Corn Pops cereal.

Step One: Gather Ingredients

These are the only ingredients you need. The Karo Syrup does not have High Fructose Syrup in it.

Step Two: Grease Two Large Bowls

The first step is to take a plastic bag with some butter to grease two large bowls. One large bowl for the popped popcorn and another for the corn puffs. These are the bowls I use: Stainless Steel Bowls

PopCorn

Corn Puffs (not the cereal kind)

Step Three: Bring the Brown Sugar and Corn Syrup to a boil.

On the stove, at medium-high heat, bring the brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil.

Step Four: Stir Constantly

I’ve found that if I don’t continue stirring, the mixture can get “burned” on the bottom and stick to the pan. Stirring helps ensure that all the mixture comes to a boil, not just along the edges.

Step Five: Bring Brown Sugar and Corn Syrup to a Boil

Continue stirring constantly over medium heat until you see it start to boil. 

Step Six: Add Butter and Sweetened Condensed Milk

Stir constantly and add the butter pieces and sweetened condensed milk.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Step Seven: Stir Constantly

Again, you need to continue stirring. As the mixture comes to a boil, it becomes lighter in color and thickens. Try to get the boiling mixture to 220 F to 240 F before turning off the heat. I used a candy thermometer, but almost any food thermometers should work fine.

Step Eight: Cook Until the Mixture Forms a Semi-firm Ball

Cook to a semi-firm texture. To test the texture, drop some caramel in a cup of cold water. If it can be made into a semi-firm ball, it’s ready.

Step Nine: Pour Caramel Over Popcorn and Corn Puffs – Stir

Pour the caramel mixture over the buttered popcorn and the corn puffs. Then, stir quickly with a silicone spoon, ensuring the caramel covers the popcorn and corn puffs in each bowl. This will mean bringing the caramel and the corn from the bottom to the top as part of the stirring action. Be careful as you do this since the caramel is hot.

You’re welcome to serve the caramel popcorn and caramel corn puffs right from the large bowls, or you can spread them out on baking sheets or more dressy serving bowls. It depends on how you’d like them to look as you serve them. I wouldn’t put the mixture on a cooling rack as you let it cool off to room temperature like your cookies. It would make more of a mess and make clean-up more difficult.

Finished Product:

The Best Caramel Popcorn Ever Recipe

Can I pop my popcorn instead of buying it?

You are welcome to pop your popcorn. I like the flavor of the buttered pre-made popcorn you can buy at the store. The taste of that popcorn and the caramel in the recipe are unbeatable! Plus, it’s all about simplicity, right? One less step if the popcorn is ready to go!

How do I store the caramel popcorn?

I highly recommend storing the caramel popcorn in an airtight container. If stored properly, it will last about 3-5 days on your countertop. If you want a warm treat, I’d put the caramel popcorn in your microwave for a short period, depending on how much you’re trying to heat up. I wouldn’t try to reheat it in your oven.

What are some variations I could make to this caramel popcorn recipe?

I love this caramel popcorn the way it is! If you’d like to add some ingredients to make some variations to the recipe, I recommend adding some nuts—such as cashews, pecans, peanuts, almonds, or walnuts. You could also drizzle milk or white chocolate over the caramel popcorn.

You could add a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract to the caramel mixture, but I feel that the flavor is perfect and doesn’t need the added flavoring. The options are endless with this recipe!

Some like to add a little baking soda to their caramel popcorn recipes, but I don’t feel that it is necessary for this recipe. The ingredients come together nicely without it.

If you want to make Caramel Apples with the Caramel Sauce

Wash the apples and dry them thoroughly. Put the “Popsicle” sticks in the apples and place the apples on parchment paper in the refrigerator. The caramel sticks to cold apples better than room-temperature apples.

I usually have a small hammer next to the apples because it’s the only way to get the sticks into the crisp apples.

You can roll the caramel apples in mini chocolate chips (let the hot caramel cool down, or they will melt), coconut, or chopped pecans.

Expect two things two to happen after you make and serve these fun treats: (1) your fingers and teeth will get sticky caramel all over them, and (2) your family will beg you to make more batches once these are quickly eaten up. Enjoy!

Final Word

I hope you try making my caramel popcorn recipe; please let me know if you do. It is the best caramel popcorn ever!

The taste of how the brown sugar, light corn syrup, butter, and sweet condensed milk caramelize as they heat is absolutely amazing! The chewiness is the perfect blend of gooey and just the right amount of crunch from the popcorn and corn puffs! You and your guests will go back for one handful after another!

Check for unpopped popcorn kernels, particularly if you pop your corn at home. Biting into one of the kernels can damage your teeth.

It’s great for parties, family reunions, and neighborhood get-togethers. It is also perfect for a snack while watching movies on movie night or for giving to your neighbors as a Christmas gift. May God bless this world, Linda