Name: Caramel Corn, Kitchen-made Style
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 20 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup white popcorn kernels; 2 cups dark brown sugar; 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks); 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup corn syrup (can be swapped for 1/4 cup of maple syrup instead); 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanuts (optional) (more or less)

From-scratch Caramel Corn! Great as a sweet snack or packaged as a gift! You will flip with how straightforward and savory this caramel corn is.

Is it fall yet?

You probably want to strangle me for typing that. I get it. It’s the last day of August and still technically summer with autumnal equinox only twenty-something days from now. However, isn’t summer considered over once the school supplies show up at Target? I’m simply sayin’.

Because it certainly feels like fall. Not weather wise, of course, but back-to-school wise. Checks are being written left and right, two different orientations to attend, my daughters “need” new clothes (<—who started this trend? I wanna know!) and the schools have handed out supply lists a mile long. Yup, fall.

So with all that “fun stuff” going on it’s got me excited to have my days to myself which leads me longing for crisp cool days, flannels and woolly socks. I am so ready to embrace the fireside. I’m so ready, that I plan to braise a large hunk of meat this week (I’m not even sorry about it) and I made caramel corn.

From-scratch caramel corn, that is. It’s truly straightforward, you don’t need any special candy thermometer and you will immediately fall in love with it. It’s SO satisfying my 15-year-old-soon-to-be-sophomore agreed to model it for you. 😉

It all starts with popcorn.

Have I ever told you that one my go-to Christmas gifts ever is my air popper? We are popcorn people, so I make it all the time. I’ve never genuinely been a fan of microwave popcorn and it’s fake butter, but real popcorn drizzle with real butter? Big fan. HUGE.

But what’s better than butter loaded popcorn? From-scratch caramel corn. Air-popped popcorn tossed with an unfussy from-scratch caramel consisting mainly of butter, brown sugar, and both maple syrup and corn syrup.

After tossed in that rich concoction, the sticky popcorn is baked low and slow in the oven until the caramel becomes one with the popcorn. A sugary shell if you will. It’s the absolute go-to smelling thing to come out of my oven this year.

Better than store bought. It’s sweet, crunchy and addicting. If you want to sprinkle with a little bit of flaked salt afterwards when it’s still a little warm, then that would make it dreamy.

chocolate popcorn
white chocolate peppermint popcorn
dark chocolate seas salt toasted coconut popcorn

This makes a lot so package it up in small snack bags to pack in school lunches, give to friends, neighbors or stash it inside your bedside table for late night munchies.

Enjoy! And if you give this From-scratch Caramel Corn recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

Home Kitchen From-scratch Caramel Corn

Better than store bought. It's sweet, crunchy and addicting. If you want to sprinkle with a little bit of flaked salt afterwards, then that would make it dreamy. This makes a lot so package it up in small bags to pack in school lunches, give to neighbors or stash in you bedside table for late night munchies.

Serves 20 servings

Prep 10 minutes

Cook 1 hour

Total 1 hour