Best Nutty Baked Caramel Corn Recipes

OVEN-BAKED CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250° F.
• Spread freshly popped corn (we use this stovetop popper) onto two large rimmed pans. Place in the oven to keep popcorn warm and crisp.
• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir every now and then, dissolving the sugar. Bring mixture to a boil and cook until it reaches the firm ball stage of 248° F, using a candy thermometer. This should take about 5 minutes or so.
• Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Caramel mixture will foam.
• Remove popped corn from oven and pour hot caramel mixture over it, in a fine stream. Fold to mix well. Return pans to oven for 45 minutes, stirring and scraping up caramel from bottom of pans every 15 minutes. Remove pans from oven to a cooling rack. Once caramel corn is cool enough to handle, and not yet hardened, break up any large clumps using your fingers. Then let caramel corn cool completely. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

BAKED CARAMEL POPCORN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250ºF.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, corn syrup, and salt; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture comes to a boil, let it boil for 5 minutes without stirring.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and the baking soda. Be careful - as the mixture will bubble up.
• Gradually pour the caramel over the popped corn, mixing well. (I usually have the popcorn in 2 big bowls to give me enough room to stir to coat it with caramel.)
• Turn the coated popcorn out onto 2 large, shallow baking sheets. I usually use half sheet baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minute, or until fairly dry, stirring twice during baking time. Remove from the pan and break into pieces.
• Store the caramel popcorn in an air-tight container.

NUTTY CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Pour the sugar into the center of a deep saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Carefully pour the water around the walls of the pan, trying not to splash any sugar onto the walls. Do not stir; gently draw your finger twice through the center of the sugar, making a cross, to moisten it. Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring until golden caramel, about 10 to 15 minutes, swirling the mixture occasionally to even out the color.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Add the popcorn, pecans, and cashews. Pour onto a silicone baking mat on the counter, or a marble surface. Let the mixture cool a few minutes; then start breaking it up into clusters, working quickly so it doesn't harden and you don't burn yourself. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Note: I use Black Diamond Popcorn with its petit size "hulless" kernel. To popcorn properly, place the kernels in a heavy-bottomed large pot and cover then with oil. Put the lid on and cook on high until you hear the first pop. Immediately take it off the heat and let it sit 1 minute. Then return it to the heat and finish popping, shaking the pan the whole time. I don't know why this is better but this is what my dad does and his popcorn was always the best.

CRUNCHY BAKED CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Put 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover until popped; add remaining kernels to the saucepan in an even layer. Cover and remove from heat, about 30 seconds. Return to heat and gently shake pan back and forth over the burner until popping slows to several seconds between pops, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
• Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil for 5 minutes more without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and baking soda. Stir well. Pour over the popcorn; mix until evenly coated. Transfer to a shallow oven-safe pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until a cooled piece of popcorn is crunchy, about 1 hour.

OVEN CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200°F. Divide popcorn and pecans between 2 ungreased rectangular pans, 13x9x2 inches.
• Heat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly around edges. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Stir in baking soda.
• Pour mixture over popcorn and walnuts; stir until well coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

CARAMEL PRETZEL NUT POPCORN

Steps:

• Place the pretzels, popcorn and peanuts into a large paper bag or, if you have one, a very large bowl. Set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook, stirring to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar, until the mixture comes to a boil. Once the mixture is at a full boil, continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat, and stir in the salt, vanilla, and baking soda. The mixture will foam up when you add the soda, so use a long spoon to stir. Immediately pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn and pretzels in the bag. Shake until evenly coated. For a crispier treat, boil the sugar mixture longer, or bake the finished mix in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 10 minutes.

BUTTERY SWEET BAKED CARAMEL CORN (EASY)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of large roasting pan with butter flavored cooking spray. Place popped popcorn and nuts, if using, in roaster.
• 2. In medium heavy pan, slowly melt butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Gently heat to a low boil, stirring constantly. Boil on lowest heat possible without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 3. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Gradually, pour over popcorn and nuts, coating evenly. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on lightly sprayed or non-stick foil. Store tightly in ziplock bags

CLASSIC CARAMEL CORN

Steps:

• Spray large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Add popcorn and place in preheated 250 degrees F oven while preparing caramel.
• Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. 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. Remove from oven and spread on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
• Cool; break apart. Store in tightly covered container.

CARAMEL CORN WITH NUTS

Steps:

• Place popcorn in a large bowl; set aside. , In a large heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Cook and stir until candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat; stir in baking soda (mixture will foam). Quickly pour over popcorn and mix well; stir in nuts. , Transfer to two greased 13x9-in. baking pans. Bake at 200° 45 minutes, stirring once. Remove from pans and place on waxed paper to cool. Break into clusters. Store in airtight containers.