This homemade baked caramel popcorn is SO much better than store-bought. It’s crispy, sweet, buttery perfection that you can bake in your home oven. Plus, old-fashioned caramel corn makes a great holiday gift!
Each Christmas season, my friend and co-worker Ann would gift a big bowl of her homemade Oven-Baked Caramel Corn to our office. It was most definitely the best caramel popcorn I had ever experienced. I never found so many excuses to visit the office kitchenette, to replenish the snack supply at my desk! Now, more than 20 years after my first bite of Ann’s baked caramel corn, I can still say it’s the best I’ve ever had. Go on. Treat yourself. Treat your friends – because this crispy, buttery caramel corn makes a FABULOUS gift!
Why You’ll LOve This Caramel Corn Recipe
- 6 ingredients. You probably have them in your pantry already!
- Buttery, crisp perfection. The caramel glaze is not too thick, not too thin. It bakes up crispy and has a wonderful buttery flavor. Better than any store-bought version I’ve tried.
- Baked in the oven. After preparing the easy homemade caramel sauce on the stovetop, all you do is drizzle that over the popcorn, toss, and bake. It’ll bake for about 45 minutes – this is what gives the caramel corn its delightful light, crispy texture.
- Addictively delicious. I will give you one warning. Do not eat a single piece of this caramel corn unless you’re prepared to indulge in a whole lot more. It is the highest level of addictive!
Try my microwave caramel popcorn or marshmallow popcorn balls for more easy homemade popcorn treats. And then, make this cinnamon caramel corn that’s spiced perfect for fall!
“Truly THE best caramel corn that I have ever tasted. SO delicious and perfectly crisp and extremely addictive. I’m going to be making this over and over again”
Paula
Ingredients You’ll Need
This old-fashioned caramel popcorn recipe is an easy one, leaving you with a nice big batch in about an hour’s time. Plus, the ingredients are super simple. Here are some notes. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the exact ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Popped popcorn – Air-popped popcorn is best. Our family makes popcorn two to three times a week using a stovetop popper. I always use white popcorn kernels – not only do I like the texture, but I also love how the pure white color stands out beneath the caramel.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted.
- Brown sugar – This gives a warmed, wonderful flavor and sweetness.
- Light corn syrup – This is an essential ingredient in making caramel. It gives the finished caramel a chewier, softer consistency. This caramel corn recipe won’t work without corn syrup, so don’t skip it!
- Salt
- Baking soda – Make sure not to use baking powder, which isn’t the same thing. Baking soda is key to perfect homemade caramel corn, see below.
Why Do You Add Baking Soda to Caramel Corn?
So, there’s a little science involved in making caramel corn. The baking soda reacts with the acidity in the brown sugar and corn syrup, creating tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles. These bubbles aerate the caramel, making it smoother and easier to coat the popcorn. It also prevents the caramel from becoming rock-hard once it cools.
How to Make Caramel Corn
These are the easy steps to make deliciously buttery, sweet, and crispy baked caramel corn. Scroll to the printable recipe card for the full instructions.
- Warm the popcorn. Spread the popped corn onto two large rimmed pans and keep it warm and crisp in a 250°F oven.
- Make the caramel. In a saucepan on the stovetop, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring it to a boil. When the temperature reaches 248°F (this usually takes about 5 minutes), remove the pan from the heat and stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam and turn lighter in color.
- Coat the popcorn. Drizzle the hot caramel mixture over top of your warmed popcorn. Fold to coat as evenly as you can. Don’t fret if it’s not coated quite as well as you’d like, as you’ll fold the caramel corn 3 more times before it’s finished baking.
- Bake. Place the caramel corn back into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, folding every 15 minutes. Done! You are now the proud maker of the best caramel corn on earth!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Don’t overheat the caramel. Even with the corn syrup and baking soda working together to soften it, overcooked caramel will turn rock hard after it’s cooled. Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature and take it off the heat once it hits 248°F.
- Toss the popcorn well. Make sure every popped corn kernel is well coated. But know that you will see some bare white popcorn. This is one of the reasons I like this recipe so much – the caramel is not overwhelmingly thick.
- Bake the popcorn. It might seem obvious, but yes, you need to bake your caramel popcorn! Baking is key to crisping up the outside and hardening the caramel just enough that it sets. If you don’t bake it, the caramel corn will be soggy.
- Let it cool. This caramel corn is softer and chewier when it’s fresh from the oven, so be sure to let it cool before you dig in. It crisps up perfectly once cooled.
- Add spice. Sprinkle in cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or give your caramel corn some kick with cayenne pepper.
- Add mix-ins. Toss your caramel corn with nuts, chocolate chips, M&Ms, or other candies. I also sometimes mix in salted popcorn pieces for a sweet-salty mix.
How to Store Caramel Corn
To keep your homemade caramel corn as fresh as possible, store it in an airtight container, or a large zip-top bag with the excess air pressed out. Properly stored, caramel corn will last 2-3 weeks!
More Homemade Treats
Homemade Baked Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- 6 quarts popped corn (I like to use these white popcorn kernels. I think the white popped corn is prettier and I like the texture better)
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Spread freshly popped corn onto two large rimmed sheet pans. Place in the oven to keep popcorn warm and crisp.
- In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir every now and then, dissolving the sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until it reaches the firm ball stage of 248°F, using a candy thermometer. This should take about 5 minutes or so.
- Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Caramel mixture will foam.
- Remove popped corn from oven and pour hot caramel mixture over it, in a fine stream. Fold to mix well. Return pans to oven for 45 minutes, stirring and scraping up caramel from bottom of pans every 15 minutes. Remove pans from oven to a cooling rack. Once caramel corn is cool enough to handle, and not yet hardened, break up any large clumps using your fingers. Then let caramel corn cool completely. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
This post was previously published in 2010. Photographs and text were updated in 2019.