Easy Caramel Popcorn

Whip up a batch of this sweet and buttery caramel popcorn!

Looking for a simple snack to share with the family? This recipe couldn't be easier, and you probably already have all of the ingredients at home! Caramel Popcorn is a special snack my family loves to make for movie parties, road trips, and rainy Sunday afternoons. My daughter loves cooking in the kitchen together, and I enjoy creating these special memories with her.

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Pop the popcorn according to package directions and cook up the caramel from our recipe. Pour the popcorn out on a baking sheet and drizzle the hot caramel overtop.

Next, bake the popcorn for a perfectly crunchy coating! After baking, pour the popcorn into a bowl to cool, and then enjoy with the whole family! 

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:
1 bag (about 12 cups) microwave popcorn, popped
¼ cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
½ cup of light brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
⅛ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300º. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Pop popcorn according to package directions and pour it onto the baking sheet. Remove any un-popped kernels.
3. Melt the butter in medium pot on medium heat.
4. Add in brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until sugar dissolves.
5. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
6. Turn off heat and stir in salt, baking soda and vanilla extract.
7. Drizzle the caramel over the popped popcorn. It will be very hot, so be careful! It's okay if you end up having large clumps of caramel on the popcorn. The caramel hardens quickly as it cools.
8. Place the pan of popcorn into the oven.
9. Bake the caramel popcorn for 15-20 minutes. The caramel will melt again as it heats up, so use a spatula to stir the popcorn and distribute the caramel about every 5 minutes. The finished caramel on the popcorn will have a deep golden/amber color.
10. Remove the popcorn from the pan and pour it into a bowl. Stir it around and let the caramel corn cool. Store in an airtight container.

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What's your favorite movie night snack?