Home » Holiday Recipes » Caramel Corn

Caramel Corn

This post is brought to you by Karo ® Corn Syrup

 Buttery and sweet Caramel Corn is a completely addictive year-round treat. At the holidays, it’s fun to put a bit of a twist on classic caramel corn with the addition of salted peanuts and a decadent drizzle of two kinds of chocolate. It’s ideal for packaging in festive tins or cellophane cones tied with pretty ribbons, then shared as an edible gift for the holidays. The simple preparation brings huge rewards.

Caramel Corn

Easy Caramel Corn Recipe is a Holiday Tradition

Karo ® Corn Syrup is not only my go-to ingredient but, it’s irreplaceable when making classic caramel corn. It gives the caramel coating the smooth texture and ooey gooey consistency that we love. To me, homemade caramel corn is the epitome of fun snacking and we’re especially partial to munching on it warm, straight from the oven, on family movie night. While it’s difficult to improve on a tried and true classic, I do love taking it up a level with nuts and a delectable white chocolate and milk chocolate drizzle for the holidays. That being said, this recipe is ideal any time of year when sweet snacks are on the menu. Ingredients to make easy Caramel Corn in the oven:

  • Popcorn – Lightly salted popped popcorn, salted peanuts, ight brown sugar, Karo® Light Corn Syrup, butter, salt, baking soda and vanilla extract.
  • Chocolate Drizzle – Milk chocolate chips and solid vegetable shortening.
  • White Chocolate Chips – White chocolate chips and solid vegetable shortening.
ingredients to make Caramel Corn

How to Make the BEST Caramel Corn Recipe

You may see varying amounts of Karo ® Corn Syrup used in recipes given the volume of popcorn that’s being prepared, but it all results in rich sweet, buttery caramel corn. When you make it yourself,  you get the added pleasure of making sweet memories with your loved ones which is one of life’s priceless treasures.

  • Kitchen tools you’ll need to make homemade Caramel Corn: 4 quart heavy bottomed saucepan, large rimmed baking sheets ro disposable pans, large spoon or silicone spatula for stirring. measuring cups and spoons and wax paper.
  • Please note: Making caramel corn can be a deliciously sticky project. I find it helpful to use non stick silicone or a large spoon coated with cooking spray to stir the caramel corn at 15 minute increments.
  • If you prefer popcorn with no peanuts you can omit them with no other adjustments made.
  • When light corn syrup is referenced it’s referring to the color, not the calorie count.
  • It’s highly recommended to use a larger saucepan for making the caramel coating. When you add the baking soda it will foam up and you don’t want it to overflow.
  • Spread a large area on your counter with wax paper to spread the caramel corn to cool.
  • Store Caramel Corn in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
Caramel Corn with Karo

More Holiday Desserts and Sweet Treats to Make

chocolate drizzled Caramel Corn

Thanks for visiting come back soon!

Disclosure ~ If  a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Helpful Kitchen Items:

Disclaimer ~ This post is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Karo® Corn Syrup. The opinions and text are all mine.  Thank you for being supportive and allowing me to share products with you that I enjoy. 

Caramel Corn

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: caramel-corn
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 4 quarts lightly salted popped popcorn
  • 1 cup salted peanuts
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2/3 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 tsp solid vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 tsp solid vegetable shortening

Instructions

  • Spray x-large roasting pan with cooking spray. Mix together popcorn and peanuts on pan. Place in 250°F oven while preparing caramel glaze.
  • In a heavy bottomed 2-quart saucepan. combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. 
  • Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to medium-low boiling or 5 minutes WITHOUT STIRRING.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla and mix well. (Mixture will foam) Pour syrup over warm popcorn mixture, stirring to evenly coat.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and spread on wax paper or foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool completely.
  • In 2 separate microwave safe bowls, melt milk chocolate chips with 1 1/2 tsp shortening and white chocolate chips with 1 1/2 tsp shortening. Melt each on 50% power at 20 second intervals or using the melt function on the microwave. Stop at regular intervals to stir. Repeat process until smooth. Drizzle over the caramel corn.
  • Allow to dry completely then break apart. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

May use 1 Tbsp heavy cream in place of 1 1/2 tsp solid vegetable shortening, if desired
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

 

9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I brought this to my pokeno group, and they could not believe it was homemade 😉 Two of the ladies asked for the recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    This is the perfect snack for these cold winter evenings while we are watching movies by the fire place. Kids love it. Thanks for such a great recipe.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating