I get very nostalgic when it comes to homemade caramel corn. Memories of my dad whipping up a big batch as soon as the leaves started to change. Melting it all low-and-slow, and then shake-shake-shaking the mixture in a big paper bag before spilling out the warm, sweet, crunchy goodness on the table for Mom and me to devour until we literally made ourselves sick.
Being one of my favorite fall treats, I wanted to try my hand at making homemade caramel corn myself this year. It seemed simple enough…traditional stovetop popcorn (which in my humble opinion is the only way to make popcorn) + pecans + candy corn + homemade caramel sauce. And it really is simple as long as you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Tricks I’ve finally perfected after a few trial and error test batches.
First, you’ll logically want to put the candy corn directly into the popcorn, pecan, and caramel sauce mixture before baking it all together in the oven. Don’t. Since candy corn is essentially all sugar what ends up happening is the candy corn pieces completely melt leaving you with patches of yellow and orange dotted throughout your mixture. Instead, you’ll want to sprinkle on the candy corn pieces right when you bring the mixture out of the oven when it’s still warm. That way, they stick in the mixture but don’t melt.
Second, line your oven with aluminum foil to catch any rogue drips of caramel sauce. If you’re heavy-handed with the caramel sauce like me, then your sauce will likely bubble over during baking. Trust me when I say, sticky caramel sauce on the bottom of your oven is a major pain to clean up.
Lastly, when making the caramel sauce, constant stirring and timing really is everything, so make sure you read the recipe at least twice before beginning and DO NOT walk away from the sauce. It can all go terribly wrong in less than 30 seconds, just trust me on this! Happy fall y’all! Truly, MKR
P.S. When the homemade caramel corn comes out of the oven, it’s my favorite time to indulge since it’s so warm, gooey, and not too hard, but try to show a little self-restraint and set some aside to package up for neighbors, teachers, and coworkers! xo
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- 5 QUARTS POPPED POP CORN COOLED (1 PREFER STOVETOP, BUT MICROWAVE WILL WORK AS WELL)
- 1 BAG OF CANDY CORN
- 2-3 CUPS OF PECAN HALVES
- 2 CUPS BROWN SUGAR
- 1 CUP LIGHT KARO CORN SYRUP
- 1 CUP ORGANIC BUTTER UN SALTED
- 1 TEASPOON SALT
- 1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
- 1 TABLESPOON VANILLA
- NON-STICK COOKING SPRAY
- INSTRUCTIONS
- PREHEAT OVEN TO 250 DEGREES.
- SPRAY LARGE SHALLOW TURKEY ROASTING PAN WITH COOKING SPRAY. ADD POPPED POPCORN AND PLACE IN PREHEATED 250 DEGREES F OVEN WHILE PREPARING CARAMEL.
- IN A LARGE HEAVY SAUCEPAN OR DUTCH OVEN MIX BROWN SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, BUTTER AND SALT. STIRRING CONSTANTLY, BRING TO A BOIL OVER MEDIUM HEAT.
- BOIL 5 MINUTES WITHOUT STIRRING. REMOVE FROM HEAT. STIR IN BAKING SODA AND VANILLA; MIX WELL.
- POUR SYRUP OVER WARM POPCORN, STIRRING TO COAT EVENLY.
- BAKE FOR 45 MINUTES, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY. DURING YOUR LAST STIR ADD PECANS.
- REMOVE FROM OVEN AND SPREAD ON PARCHMENT PAPER. SPRINKLE IN CANDY CORN AND MIX LIGHTLY.
- LET COOL THEN BREAK APART AND STORE IN TIGHTLY COVERED CONTAINER.
- NOTES
- CHECK POST ITSELF FOR PLENTY OF TIPS TO MAKE SURE YOUR BATCH TURNS OUT PERFECTLY.
- BY WAITING ON MARTHA
This is something interesting and new! I already imagine how I will watch my favorite films on the weekend with a bowl of this delicious home-made popcorn. Thank you for the original idea, I will definitely try to make it. I hope will I succeed!