This is my late grandmother’s recipe for homemade caramel corn. Brimming with buttery flavor, sweet crunch, and from-scratch caramel, each handful (you’ll want to eat it that way!!) is undeniably irresistible. You’ll make the 6-ingredient caramel sauce on the stove, and while a candy thermometer is helpful, you certainly can get by without one. The recipe below is for plain caramel popcorn, but if you want to dress it up, go ahead and add nuts, melted chocolate, and/or a dash of cinnamon.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos, helpful success tips, and I have scaled down the amount of air-popped popcorn, so every piece is generously coated.
Every holiday season when I was growing up, my late grandmother made a double batch of this beloved homemade caramel corn. Friends and family would flock to the sweet and salty snack, and it never lasted more than a couple of days. Grandma was happy to repeat the process; serving it brought her so much joy.
I started this website 2 weeks after she passed away back in 2011, and I originally published this recipe a few years later. I also included a variation of it in two of my published cookbooks (Sally’s Baking Addiction and Sally’s Candy Addiction).
One reader, Gina, commented: “I don’t usually leave reviews, but this recipe is too amazing not to! I have made 4 batches already, and I am about to make my 5th and 6th. It is SO AMAZING. Recipes from grandparents are always the best, and this one is no exception! Thank you so much for sharing such a special family recipe that is going to become one of my family’s recipes as well. ★★★★★”
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Caramel Corn
- Just 7 ingredients
- Salty, buttery, sweet
- Nothing beats the homemade flavor
- The caramel is chewy-crisp, not a break-your-teeth situation 😉
- Enjoy plain or add some flair with nuts, chocolate, or spices
- A make-ahead dessert recipe or sweet snack; the caramel corn keeps for days (if taste testers can resist!)
I cannot make this stuff fast enough. It’s INCREDIBLY irresistible, and a great holiday snack. In fact, it’s been tradition in our family to serve it along with a batch of spicy honey chex mix or seasoned pretzels as we decorate Christmas sugar cookies. Just a suggestion if you’re hosting a cookie decorating day and need some snack ideas!
Grab These 7 Ingredients:
- Popcorn: I find that 10–11 cups of air-popped popcorn is the perfect amount for the quantity of caramel you’ll have.
- Brown Sugar: For that essential brown sugar flavor and softness. Typical homemade caramel is made from regular granulated sugar, and brown sugar is usually saved for homemade butterscotch sauce. For caramel corn, however, you want a softer caramel texture, and brown sugar helps achieve that.
- Light Corn Syrup: This is an imperative ingredient that gives the caramel a softer, chewier consistency. Also, and more importantly, corn syrup helps prevent the cooking caramel from crystallizing into a gritty, grainy texture. It’s necessary when making soft caramel candies and homemade marshmallows, too
- Butter: A main ingredient in caramel candies and caramel sauces.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar, an acid, will help prevent crystallization as the caramel cooks. If you don’t have any, you can leave it out. Corn syrup does the same job. I still like to include it, so the caramel says nice and smooth.
- Salt: To balance the sweet.
- Baking Soda: Arguably the most important ingredient! The purpose of baking soda in the caramel is to react with the acidic ingredients (brown sugar, cream of tartar, and corn syrup), which creates tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles. You’ll notice the caramel froths up when you add it. Once the caramel has cooled on your popcorn, the air bubbles inside the caramel create a softer texture. The softer texture means you won’t be biting into hard-as-cement caramel. Rather, the caramel is melt-in-your-mouth chewy and only slightly crunchy.
Do not accidentally use baking powder. I repeat: do not use baking powder.
Use Air-Popped Popcorn
For best results, I recommend air-popped popcorn. I use this popcorn maker to pop the corn kernels. Obviously not everyone has a popcorn maker, but it’s a fun kitchen tool to have if you enjoy popcorn on the regular. If using microwave popcorn, look for a variety that’s pretty plain, without butter, and not overloaded with salt. If you don’t want to use store-bought microwave popcorn, try this handy trick:
- Easy Air-Popping Method: Add 3 Tablespoons of popcorn kernels to a standard lunch brown paper bag. Seal the bag tightly by folding over the top 2 times. Microwave the kernels for approximately 1 minute 45 seconds on high, or up to 2 minutes depending on your microwave. This DIY air-popped popcorn method makes 5 cups of popcorn. You’ll have to do it twice to get 10 cups, which is what our caramel corn recipe calls for.
Once you have your popcorn ready, start the caramel sauce.
Caramel Coating for Caramel Corn
The caramel is a little different from my salted caramel sauce recipe, which is more like drizzle or garnish. Today’s caramel, however, is a caramel sauce that has some elasticity (thanks to the corn syrup), and holding power. Meaning it can cling nicely to the popcorn, and not melt off.
Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and cream of tartar together in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Cook and stir over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbling around the edges, let it boil for around 4 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer (I use and love this one), use it here. Cook the mixture until it reaches 234–235°F (112–113°C).
As soon as the caramel comes off the heat, stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble up, almost double in volume, and appear frothy on the surface as you stir; this is normal and expected:
Pour over the popcorn, gently stir to combine, and then spread out onto a lined baking sheet:
Bake at 200°F (93°C) for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Baking the caramel corn is imperative and helps the caramel set evenly over the popcorn.
This recipe will not work without corn syrup; it’s a crucial ingredient that helps to prevent crystallization in the cooking caramel, and keeps the caramel soft and chewy. As an alternative, try my peanut butter caramel corn recipe instead.
If using microwave popcorn, look for a variety that’s pretty plain, without butter, and not overloaded with salt. Buttered popcorn makes greasy caramel corn, and the caramel may not set.
Yes. Baking the caramel-coated popcorn helps to set the caramel sauce. By skipping this step, the caramel corn will become soggy.
Caramel corn will taste soft and chewy right out of the oven. Give it some time to cool. If it’s still tasting soggy after 1–2 hours of cooling at room temperature, you may have under-baked the caramel corn. 1 hour in the oven is usually plenty. Additionally, be sure to cook the caramel on the stove for long enough. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you’ll want to keep an eye on the clock—once it’s bubbling, let it boil for 4 full minutes.
A candy thermometer isn’t necessary for this recipe, but it’s certainly helpful, as it gives the most accurate results. A candy thermometer shouldn’t scare you away from a recipe; in fact, it’s your biggest helper when it comes to candy recipes because it ensures precise results. If you have one, I recommend using it.
Yes, absolutely. You can add 1–2 cups of your favorite salted or unsalted nuts such as peanuts or cashews to the popcorn before you stir in the caramel sauce. To add chocolate, I recommend drizzling melted chocolate or white chocolate on the cooled caramel corn. You do not want to bake the caramel corn with the chocolate on top.
Bring to bake sales, tote along on road trips, or serve as a simple finger food at holiday parties—everyone loves this stuff. It’s also a wonderful option if you’re ever in need of gluten free dessert recipes.
Homemade Caramel Corn
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: 10-11 cups
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Brimming with buttery flavor, sweet crunch, and from-scratch caramel, each bite of this homemade caramel corn is undeniably irresistible. You’ll make the 6-ingredient caramel sauce on the stove, and while a candy thermometer is helpful, you certainly can get by without one. The recipe below is for plain caramel popcorn, but see Notes for other variations. This is a great make-ahead recipe for a party, bake sale, or gathering, and can easily be doubled.
Ingredients
- 10–11 cups (about 70–75g) air-popped popcorn*
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (80g) light corn syrup*
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar*
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Line 1 or 2 12×17-inch baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Pour the popcorn into the largest bowl you have, or spread it onto the prepared baking sheets. (Either way is fine.)
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly as the butter melts and mixture comes to a simmer. Once simmering around the edges, allow to bubble, without stirring, for 4 minutes. (If you have a candy thermometer, the caramel should reach 234–235°F (112–113°C).)
- Remove caramel from heat and immediately stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble up, almost double in volume, and appear frothy on the surface as you stir; this is normal and expected. Be careful, it’s very hot.
- Pour the caramel over the popcorn and, with a large spoon or spatula, stir gently until all of the popcorn has been coated. Go slowly here and have patience; it requires quite a few turns of the spatula/spoon as the caramel begins to harden. If it’s not already, spread the popcorn evenly onto prepared baking sheet(s).
- Bake for 1 hour, gently stirring every 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool on the pan for at least 30 minutes. The caramel hardens as it cools. Once cool enough to handle, you can break apart any large clusters.
- Cover the popcorn tightly once cooled. This caramel corn stays fresh for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container, so it’s a great recipe to make ahead of time.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Popcorn Maker | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Medium Saucepan | Candy Thermometer
- Popcorn: You need about 1/3 cup of kernels to yield 10–11 cups of popcorn. If you do not have a popcorn maker at home, you can simply add 3 Tablespoons of popcorn kernels to a brown paper bag. Seal the bag tightly by folding over the top. Microwave the popcorn for approximately 1 minute, 45 seconds on high power, or up to 2 minutes, depending on your microwave. This method will make 5 cups, so you’ll have to do it twice. Alternatively, you can use store-bought natural-style microwave popcorn that has no butter added to it. If you use buttered popcorn, the caramel may not set and the caramel corn will be greasy.
- Corn Syrup: Use light corn syrup, not dark corn syrup. This recipe will not work without this ingredient; it’s crucial to help prevent crystallization in the cooking caramel, and keeps the caramel soft, stretchy, and chewy. As an alternative without corn syrup, try my peanut butter caramel corn recipe instead.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar helps to prevent crystallization in the cooking caramel. If you’re all out, you can make the caramel corn without it. Just know that its acidity helps to prevent crystals from forming in your caramel. Corn syrup does the same job, too.
- Add Nuts, Chocolate, or Spices: You can add 1–2 cups of your favorite salted or unsalted nuts such as peanuts or cashews to the popcorn before you stir in the caramel sauce in step 5. To add chocolate, I recommend drizzling melted chocolate or white chocolate on the cooled caramel corn. You do not want to bake the caramel corn with the chocolate on top. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and/or 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg to the caramel after you take it off heat, when you stir in the baking soda.
- How to double: Double all of the ingredients. In step 3, let the caramel bubble for 7 minutes, or use a candy thermometer. The candy thermometer temperature remains the same. The bake time also remains the same. Do not over-crowd the baking sheets; you’ll likely need 3.
Originally published in 2014, and also published in Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I was craving your caramel corn recipe today. I’ve made it several times and it is still my go-to recipe. But today I didn’t have any corn syrup. I used real maple syrup instead and followed the directions as stated. I used a candy thermometer to make sure the caramel was at the correct temperature. I baked and stirred every 20 minutes. I have to tell you – I love the results! The caramel did crystallize a little, but I don’t care about that. It was so crunchy and the maple syrup gave it a darker and richer taste. I couldn’t stop eating it!
Side note for those that need it lactose free – you can use 1 stick (½ cup) Country Crock plant butter in place of real butter. Yes, it is better with real butter but when you can’t have it this is a good replacement.
Can we use glucose syrup instead of corn syrup as that is much easier to get
Hi Janis, that should be fine!
BEST POPCORN EVER
you have to try this recipe. I was looking for something to do, looked up baking then this popped up I wanted to try it so I did… BEST POPCORN I have ever made.
Can this be frozen and retain crunch?
Hi Vivian, You can freeze this for longer storage. We haven’t personally tried this, but after you thaw it if you find the caramel has softened you should be able to spread it back out on your baking sheet and place it back in the oven to crisp it up again.
I make this recipe in Massachusetts and I have no issues. Everytime I make it in Florida it comes out extremely sticky and it’s not even edible! I don’t know if it is the humidity in Florida or what? Any suggestions?
Hi Jeanne, yes, that sounds like humidity is the likely culprit there! Unfortunately, we don’t have an easy fix for this, but maybe a reader who has experience making this in a humid climate will reply here with some tips!
Thanks for another great recipe! Easy to make and so tasty. I’ve already made 2 batches. Sallys recipes are always reliable.
This is yummy! The flavor is perfect and not overly sticky. I added nuts and it is better than store bought. Grammas recipes are the best
So easy and delicious! This was my first time making homemade caramel corn. I don’t have a popcorn maker so I used un-buttered microwave popcorn and it turned out perfect…not soggy at all. I didn’t really measure my popcorn, just went by what the box said, but I think I had a little more than the recipe called for because mine wasn’t as fully coated as I would like… but really so close. That’s no fault of the recipe of course…it still tastes delicious. I left half the batch as is and took the other half and drizzled with a little chocolate and christmas m&ms…yum! I will definitely make this again. So much better than store bought.
So good! Perfect texture! Easier than expected!
Hello,
This recipe is a masterpiece in simplicity and results! I am reaching out for a bit of guidance, though.
My first three batches were perfect. My family wiped out the caramel corn in one evening.
However, my next two batches yielded product that is a bit soft and sticky, almost like chewing a caramel candy. I followed the recipe exactly as written, including the cream of tartar.
After reading the FAQs, I cooked the next batch a little bit longer and also left in the oven an extra 15 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes). I got the same soft and sticky result.
Do you have any other suggestions? I need to make a few more batches for holiday gifts and am running out of ingredients and time.
Many thanks!
Hi Thom, we’d be happy to try to troubleshoot. What changed between the first 3 batches and the most recent batches that yielded a different result? Did you change the brand of any of the ingredients, by chance? Is the weather especially humid when it wasn’t before?
I have found that if I leave it uncovered, it sucks up the humidity and gets soft and sticky. Best to cover tightly as soon as it has cooled.
Caramel Corn awesome recipe, doubled, very good
Hello! I would love to make the popcorn as gifts for Christmas. Would it be a good recipe for this purpose?
Hi Jennifer, yes, what a thoughtful gift idea!
This is Sooo delicious! Would it be possible to form popcorn into balls before baking to achieve popcorn balls?
Popcorn balls are made with butter, corn syrup, sugar, salt, and vanilla (if you choose). You’ll notice it’s clear, no brown sugar, baking soda, etc. I think popcorn balls are better using the sugar base.
Would it be possible to add bacon bits?? I have to go to a bacon-based party and I thought making popcorn balls would be good…thoughts??
Can’t see why not!
Can I use dark corn syrup instead?
Added cashews. Delicious!
I seem to making this once a week for my family and neighbors. It’s a hit! I also add whole cashews. They taste great. I keep everything on hand to make it. The oven time is important. The corn syrup is crucial. Best recipe!
Hi,
Is there anything to substitute the butter with to make it non-dairy? Perhaps would coconut oil work?
Hi Malks, We haven’t made that swap, as non-dairy butter has different cooking properties than regular butter. We aren’t sure how the caramel will cook, set, and coat the popcorn. Let us know if you try it.
I have tried this recipe with “vegan butter” from Target. It worked perfectly.
I have your Baking Addiction cookbook (just love it) and see the instructions in the book ( which I followed) are different from those above. The caramel was too thick to coat the popcorn and all hardened into clumps. I am going to try again using the above instructions. Any other hints?
Hi Joann! We recently updated this recipe this past holiday season, so we would recommend following these instructions for best success. These instructions will also help with any thickening issues. Hope this helps and that you love the popcorn!
This is absolutely the best Caramel Corn I have ever made…….and I have made a ton of it!!!
I make caramel popcorn quite a lot to sell at craft fairs, etc. I am looking forward to making this recipe. It differs a bit from mine. The first thing I notice is this uses half the butter, cooks in the oven at a lower temperature – I use 250 for an hour. I wonder if the difference is the use of less butter? Anyway, thanks for an alternative if I don’t want use all the butter in the store!
Found another use for the turkey roasting pan! Could not spread it out at the end to cool so I just stirred it in the same pan. Tasted great!
It tastes so good! But I think I might have done something wrong with the caramel because its really tough and chewy. Is there a way to fix this?
Thanks!
Hi DJ, did you bake the caramel corn long enough? It should be a little crisp, and still a bit chewy.
Hi Sally, I love all of your recipes that I’ve tried! A question about this one: a relative makes chocolate caramel corn by adding cocoa powder to the ingredients she cooks on the stove. Can I do the same with your recipe, and if so, how much cocoa powder do you think I should add? Thanks!
Hi Linda, we haven’t tried this with cocoa powder, but please let us know how it turns out if you do!
Hi I chose this one for a birthday present, (recipe) so I will share with you tomorrow how good a
result I got!
I’ve been making this recipe for 40 years. My kids, grandkids and now great grands love it. As Sally mentioned, mixing in different nuts is good too, but I hadn’t thought of using pretzels and am looking forward trying that. My friends and neighbors look forward to getting little bags of this every Christmas.
I love your website and use it all the time! Just made this popcorn, substituting corn syrup with golden syrup and it worked beautifully. This recipe is amazing. One question: Can I add mini pretzels (the hard kind) to the popcorn? If yes, what changes need to be made?
Hi Alex, we’re so glad you enjoyed this one! You could try adding some pretzels to the mix, although you may want to cut back on the popcorn just a bit. It will take some tinkering to find your desired ratio, but let us know what you try!
Sally this is the best caramel corn recipe!! I have made it several times and it turns out perfectly every time. My roommate absolutely loves it as do I! Thank you for a great recipe
This is fantastic and so easy to make, even without a candy thermometer, as I tried mine and there wasn’t enough in the pan to register properly. So I just cooked it about 5 minutes after it boiled. Followed the recipe exactly (which I rarely do!) but used microwave popcorn from Aldi after burning my first try of air popped kernals in a brown paper bag. It still turned out just perfect, added about a cut of roasted unsalted almonds. YUMMY!
Absolutely delicious caramel corn, Sally! The caramel reached 234–235°F after only about 2 1/2 minutes (on a gas stove), so I’m glad I checked that a bit early. Definitely making a double batch next time!
I don’t usually leave reviews but this recipe is too amazing not to! I have made 4 batches already and I am about to make my 5th and 6th. It is SO AMAZING. Recipes from grandparents are always the best and this one is no exception! Thank you so much for sharing such a special family recipe that is going to become one of my family’s recipes as well <3