This Caramel Puff Corn Recipe is everything you love about regular caramel corn, but bigger, puffier, and more butter flavor! It’s simple to whip together, bakes in the oven, and is a wonderful sweet and salty snack.
Caramel Puff Corn Recipe
This caramel corn recipe is great for movie night and can also be packaged as homemade gifts, too! The caramel sauce with the popcorn texture flavor is everyone’s favorite throughout the year. The puffed corn in this recipe makes it even more special!
Ingredients:
- Chester’s Puff Corn – found in the chip aisle at the grocery store
- Brown sugar
- Salted butter
- Light corn syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Baking Soda
Supplies
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons and measuring cups
- Large roasting pan or baking sheets
- Wax paper or parchment paper
- Container for storage
Instructions:
Begin by adding the butter, brown sugar, and light corn syrup to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Melting sugar and butter together makes the kitchen smell so good! At this point, the caramel mixture will be bubbly and the grains of sugar will be dissolved.
Next, add the vanilla extract and baking soda. The baking soda magically makes the caramel mixture puffy! It’s actually really cool to watch.
Pour puff corn into the biggest rectangular baking dish (like a large roaster pan) you have. If you don’t have a large pan, you can also use a couple of cookie sheets!
Pour the hot puffy caramel over the popcorn kernels. Gently mix the caramel puffcorn together in the large saucepan.
Recipe Tip
Don’t worry about getting every kernel covered perfectly in caramel. More stirring is involved during the baking process.
Place the caramel puff corn in the oven preheated to 200 degrees F. Every 15 minutes, mix and stir the popcorn around, continually coating the pieces. In total, the caramel corn will bake for 1 hour.
Empty the caramel puff corn onto a flat surface prepared with wax paper or parchment paper. Separate the kernels into separate pieces. Because the popcorn was baking at such a low temperature, the kernels aren’t too hot so you can separate the pieces by hand.
Recipe Tip
Separating the caramel corn kernels while they are cooling prevents the popcorn from sticking together in giant chunks and makes it easier to eat.
Optional: sprinkle on a little cinnamon or sea salt for extra flavor
Storage: Store the caramel puff corn in an airtight container
This fun treat is so delicious and addicting! It can be served in a large container or a bowl. If you’re giving this away as gifts, consider individual tins or clear treat bags tied with a bow.
More Dessert Ideas
Caramel Puff Corn Recipe
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wooden spoon
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Measuring spoons and measuring cups
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Large roasting pan, baking dish, or cookie sheets
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Wax paper or parchment paper
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Container for Storage
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Preheat oven to 200℉
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Over medium heat, combine the butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar for 10 minutes. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring regularly.
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Remove the pan from the heat
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Add in the vanilla extract and baking soda (and watch the caramel become puffy!)
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Pour puff corn into a large baking dish
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Pour the caramel mixture over the puff corn kernels
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Gently stir and coat the popcorn kernels with caramel (be careful, the caramel is hot!)
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Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes
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Prepare a flat surface with wax paper or parchment paper
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Pour the caramel puff corn onto the wax paper and separate the caramel corn pieces. Because the popcorn is cooking at such a low heat, you should be able to do this by hand, but be aware of the temperature and use utensils if necessary
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Allow the separated caramel popcorn to cool for 30+ minutes, then enjoy!
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Store the caramel puff corn in an airtight container
