Caramel Popcorn

Made with basic ingredients in 15 minutes or less, and in only one pan, this Caramel Popcorn recipe is the BEST caramel corn recipe!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Caramel Corn, Caramel Popcorn

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 218kcal

Author Chrissie

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil or use vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 cup granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1-2 teaspoons flaky salt or use whatever salt you have on hand

Instructions

Prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set it aside.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the oil and a couple of popcorn kernels. You'll know your oil is hot enough when they pop.
Add the popcorn kernels to the hot oil and shake well. Put the lid on (a glass lid is preferable) and watch the popcorn kernels carefully - once they begin to pop shake the pan back and forth on the stovetop to prevent burning. Turn the heat down to medium and lift the lid a little (1 inch on one side) every now and then to release the steam.
When you can't hear any more popping within 1-2 seconds, remove the pan from the heat, shake well (some kernels might continue to pop at this stage), remove the lid and pour the popcorn onto the prepared baking sheet to cool.
Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and place the pan back onto the stove over medium to medium low heat.
Add the sugar and the water to the pan and let them melt. There's no need to stir the sugar at this stage, but watch it carefully as it turns golden brown.
Once the sugar has turned golden brown and is mostly liquified (at least 60-70%), stir it gently with the silicone spatula until all the sugar crystals have disappeared.
Lower the heat to the lowest setting and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well with a silicone-coated whisk until it melts and incorporates completely.
Gently stir in the heavy whipping cream.
Once the caramel mixture is smooth and combined, drizzle the caramel sauce over the popcorn on the baking sheet. Add the flaky salt on top. Toss the popcorn gently with a spatula, as the caramel sauce coats the popcorn, making sure every piece is coated.
Let the caramel popcorn cool on the baking sheet and serve, or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make this caramel popcorn up to 5 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Nutrition