If you're in the mood for a sweet and crunchy treat, homemade caramel corn is a fantastic choice! We recently made a batch, and it turned out absolutely irresistible.

The buttery caramel coating on fresh popcorn is a perfect combo for movie nights or just a snack. Here’s a simple recipe so you can whip up your own batch of this delicious treat!

Ingredients:

• For the Popcorn:

1/2 cup (120ml) popcorn kernels (about 12 cups popped popcorn)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil

• For the Caramel Sauce:

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter

1/4 cup (60ml) light corn syrup

1/4 cup (60ml) water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Popcorn:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add a few popcorn kernels to test if the oil is hot enough; they should pop within a few minutes.

Once the oil is hot, add the remaining popcorn kernels. Cover the pot with a lid and shake occasionally to ensure even popping. Continue cooking until the popping slows down. Remove the pot from heat and pour the popcorn into a large bowl. Discard any unpopped kernels.

2. Make the Caramel Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, butter, corn syrup, water, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to boil.

Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil until it reaches 300°F (150°C) on a candy thermometer, which is the hard crack stage. This should take about 10-12 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Quickly stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda. The mixture will bubble up, so be careful.

3. Coat the Popcorn:

Immediately pour the hot caramel sauce over the popped popcorn. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently toss and coat the popcorn with the caramel sauce. Make sure the popcorn is evenly coated.

4. Bake the Caramel Corn:

Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C).

Spread the caramel-coated popcorn in an even layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure the caramel coating is evenly distributed and crisped up.

5. Cool and Enjoy:

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the caramel corn cool completely. As it cools, it will become crispy.

Once cooled, break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Lykkers, we hope you enjoyed making this delicious caramel corn as much as we did! How did your batch turn out? We’d love to hear about any tips or variations you tried. Share your thoughts and photos with us—we can't wait to see your sweet creations!