Easy Caramel Corn Recipe
Growing up popcorn was a Sunday staple, just like taking Sunday naps. Every once again my mom would sweeten our afternoon treat and turn our popcorn into caramel corn. I now treat my family to caramel corn now and then. This recipe comes together quickly, and doesn’t require you to own a candy thermometer or even know the difference between “soft ball” and “hard ball”. If candy making is intimidating, then this is a great recipe to start with!
First, the popcorn. You’ll need 10 quarts of popcorn. We pop into one bowl and transfer to another to avoid having kernels or “old maids” in the popcorn. Nothing is worse than biting down on one of those when you aren’t expecting it. You’ll need about 10 quarts of popcorn. Just shake the bowl a little to have the kernels fall to the bottom and then lift the popcorn off the top to avoid any jaw breakers.
How to Make Caramel
Besides the popcorn you’ll need Karo syrup, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla.
Add 1 cup Karo syrup and 1 lb. brown sugar (approximately 2 cups) together and bring to a boil.
Stir to keep it from burning and watch scrape the sides to be sure the sugar dissolves.
Add 1/2 cup of butter and 1 can sweetened condensed milk to the sugar mixture and again bring to a boil while stirring.
Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Pour over popcorn and stir well. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl because the caramel likes to hide out down there.
Now step back and watch this disappear! It makes enough you can share with neighbors, or if you want less you can cut the recipe in half.
- 1 c. Karo syrup
- 1 lb. brown sugar (approx 2 c.)
- 1 cube butter
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 10 qts. Popped popcorn
- Add Karo syrup and brown sugar to a pan, stir and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, add butter and sweetened condensed milk. Stir while bringing to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir. Pour over popcorn, stirring until all popcorn is coated in caramel.
More caramel recipes:
10 quarts of cooked popcorn? About how many cups of uncooked popcorn is that?
According to my google search 1/4 c. popcorn kernels pops into 4 qts of popped popcorn. It also had a disclaimer saying that popping size can vary. But if it is right then you’d need 5/8 c. unpopped popcorn to get 10 qts popped.
I love carmel corn and I have a receipe very much like yours except I got lazy making it every year at Christmas so I go to Trader Joes and buy their popcorn in the bag, no cernels and a lot less stuff in the teeth. Having a senior moment can’t remember what they are called.
Is there an easy way to print this recipe? I don’t see a print button or condensed version of recipe anywhere.