Homemade Salted Caramel Popcorn Recipe

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A salted caramel popcorn recipe that is truly unforgettable! Crunchy popcorn is covered with a homemade caramel sauce and baked in the oven. A generous drizzle of melted chocolate makes this treat extra special.

On occasion, I make baked goods for my personal chef clients. Banana Bread Muffins, Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies and Sugared Shortbread are are just some of the treats I bake and share with my client families.

salted caramel popcorn recipe

But when the end of the year rolls around, there is only one special gift I make for my clients. Over the past 15 years, I have made quarts and quarts and quarts of this Salted Caramel Popcorn recipe to gift my client families. It has just the right amount of sweet, crunch, salt and chocolate to be the perfect nibble.

the ingredients

• salted butter
• light brown sugar
• light corn syrup
• kosher salt
• baking soda
• vanilla extract
• popped popcorn
• semi sweet chocolate chips

It’s a 3 step process to make this salted caramel popcorn recipe.

• Make the caramel sauce
• Bake the caramel covered popcorn
• Drizzle the baked caramel popcorn with melted chocolate

The first step of making the caramel popcorn is the sauce. As the sauce can be a little temperamental, it requires the most attention. Overcooking the sauce can cause it to crystallize and become grainy. A smooth, light brown and syrupy sauce is the result you are after.

The best caramel popcorn starts with freshly popped popcorn. Follow this simple recipe for perfect popcorn.

my cooking videos ~ recipe details

how to make the best homemade popcorn

• Heat a large pot (at least an 8 quart stock pot) over medium high heat.
• Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 3/4 cup corn kernels to the pot.
• Cover the pot with a lid.
• When the popping begins, give the pot a shake.
• When the popping slows down, turn off the heat.
• Remove the lid and pour the popcorn into a large bowl.
• Or use my favorite popcorn popper ~ it’s super fun!!

suggestions and tips

• Have all the ingredients prepped before starting the caramel popcorn recipe. This includes popping the popcorn. The first step of making the sweet and buttery caramel sauce comes together quickly so having the ingredients measured and ready makes the recipe go smoothly.
• The most crucial step for this recipe is making the caramel sauce. Be careful not to overcook the sauce or it will crystallize. This will result in a grainy, sugary coating for the popcorn. Even though it will still be delicious, a smooth caramel coating makes for the best caramel popcorn.
• Freshly popping corn gives the caramel corn the best crunch.
• Be sure to quickly pour the hot caramel sauce over the popped popcorn. Stir to coat the popcorn with the caramel sauce.
• A large roasting pan (without the rack insert) is best for baking a batch of this caramel popcorn recipe. The straight sides hold the popcorn in as it is baked and stirred.
• Make sure not to package the caramel popcorn before it has completely cooled and the chocolate drizzle has hardened. Placing warm caramel popcorn in an airtight container, will result in soggy popcorn.

just one more thing

If you make these deliciously decadent salted caramel popcorn recipe, I’d love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories and videos, cooking tips, and recipes.

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