Caramel popcorn is pretty much my ultimate weakness. And we don’t really have a shortage of caramel popcorn recipes on Our Best Bites–there’s regular caramel popcorn and there’s cinnamon bun popcorn that is always a HUGE hit, plus a whole bunch of things like Jello popcorn (it’s a thing and it’s delicious) and candy coated popcorns, so if popcorn is your thing, just head over here for a little while.

I love, love, love Sara’s caramel popcorn recipe–it’s so easy and ooey-gooey and amazingly delicious. But. This is the popcorn I grew up on–dark corn syrup, dark brown sugar, crispy texture, and some honey roasted peanuts thrown in for good measure. Kind of like homemade Cracker Jacks.

I originally got this recipe years ago from my friend Lisa and have since tweaked things a little (added vanilla, baking soda, a little more salt, and the honey roasted peanuts) because I’m incapable of leaving recipes alone. It’s a favorite at our house, a staple of family movie and game nights.

You’re going to need 2 bags of microwave popcorn (or 8 cups of popped popcorn), 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup dark Karo syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. You’re also going to need baking soda, kosher salt, and honey roasted peanuts, but they were late to the photoshoot.

Place the popped popcorn in a very large bowl and set aside.

If you want peanuts in your popcorn, toss them in with the popcorn.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, dark brown sugar, and dark Karo syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly and adjusting the heat as necessary to keep it from boiling over. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Carefully pour the hot caramel over the popcorn

and stir quickly to coat the popcorn evenly.

If you didn’t add your peanuts before, add them now. Also, don’t be like me and almost forget the peanuts.

Spread the popcorn evenly over the baking sheet

and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely, then break it apart and serve.

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