Homemade Caramel Corn
Homemade Caramel corn is warm, crisp, and addictively great! Follow my simple steps to get you to a bowl of crisp, crunchy caramel corn that you can eat warm or make-ahead.
- Prep time
- 14 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3/4 cup pop corn ((unpopped))
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola)
- 2 cups light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 8 oz. butter
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (sea salt or table salt)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- 1
Arrange two racks in the upper and lower positions in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200℉.
- 2
In a large, deep pan, heat the oil and pop the popcorn. Spread the popcorn on two baking sheets, leaving any unpopped kernels behind.
- 3
In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- 4
Remove from heat and add the baking soda; the mixture will puff up as the baking soda is stirred into it.
- 5
Immediately pour the caramel evenly over the popped corn and immediately mix thoroughly with a large metal spoon or plastic spatula.This is more of a folding motion than stirring to coat the popcorn with the caramel.
- 6
Place both pans in the oven on middle shelves and bake for 1 hour (this is what crisps up the caramel corn), rotating the pans to opposite shelves half way through the baking time and turning the caramel corn over with a spatula every 20 minutes for even baking.
- 7
Immediately turn the caramel corn out onto sheets of waxed paper and when cool enough to handle, break into pieces. Serve immediately, or once fully cooled. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.