This easy caramel popcorn is a family favorite to munch on while watching a movie! Thanks to your microwave, the simple caramel sauce comes together in a snap! So pull out your popcorn popper and pick out your favorite movie because there's nothing better than an old-fashioned movie night!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This one is for those who don't like soft caramel popcorn but crave that crunchy cracker jack kind with a thin coating of caramel!
- A quick and easy recipe for the entire family to help with!
- Easy to pack up and take with you anywhere since it's not sticky!
- A stovetop and candy thermometer are NOT needed!!!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Corn Syrup - to make this without corn syrup, you can substitute honey or agave if necessary. The purpose of the light corn syrup is to keep the brown sugar from becoming gritty.
- Molasses - regular molasses, not blackstrap or light.
- Popcorn - this recipe is for air-popped popcorn, not microwave popcorn. If you don't have a popcorn popper, see this post on how to make Stovetop Popcorn. If you have the kernels and a brown paper bag, you can even pop the Popcorn in the Microwave!
- Butter - both salted and unsalted butter work for this recipe.
- Baking Soda - sounds weird, but there is a chemical reaction with the brown sugar and corn syrup when you add the baking soda that makes a foam mixture out of the caramel syrup that's essential to this recipe.
How to Make Step-by-Step Instructions
- Allow your oven to preheat to 300 degrees while you prepare the recipe.
- Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with aluminum foil and spraying them lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set them aside.
- Get out your air popper and make some popcorn the old-fashioned way!
- You need approximately 14 cups of popcorn which comes from approximately â…“ cup of un-popped kernels.
- I pop the corn into a large bowl, shake the bowl vigorously to knock the unpopped kernels to the bottom of the bowl, and then transfer the warm popcorn into another large bowl by hand to ensure that all the unpopped and partially popped kernels are removed. (Seriously, there is nothing worse than chomping down on an unexpected hard kernel.)
- Side the popped corn aside for a moment.
- In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, or my preference, a glass 4 cup measuring cup, heat the butter, brown sugar, molasses, salt, and corn syrup, DO NOT ADD THE BAKING SODA YET, just long enough to melt the butter.
- Stir well and put back in the microwave.
- Heat in the microwave for about 3 minutes allowing the mixture to boil for 2 minutes.
- Now you add the baking soda!
- This part is great because it's fun to watch while the mixture foams!
- Pour the caramel mixture over the popped corn and mix well with a silicone spatula instead of a wooden spoon to coat every piece. The caramel won't stick to the silicone, making cleanup easier.
- Divide the caramel popcorn between the two baking sheets, spreading it out into a single layer.
- For a salty snack, sprinkle sea salt over the popcorn before baking.
- Bake each baking sheet in the preheated oven (300 degrees) for 5 minutes.
- Cool at room temperature and break into pieces.
- Store in an air-tight container.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Can I bake this in a large roasting pan?
Yes, make sure to spray the bottom of the roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put the entire batch of caramel popcorn in the roasting pan, bake for 4 minutes, take it out of the oven, stir up well, and bake for another 4 minutes.
Can I add peanuts to this crunchy treat?
Yes, that's a great idea! You can add a cup or two of roasted peanuts, pecans, or cashews to the popcorn before adding the caramel sauce!
How long is caramel popcorn good for?
As long as you store it in an airtight container or ziploc bag, it's good for about 5 days.
Related Popcorn Recipes
Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Cracker Jack Style Easy Caramel Popcorn Recipe
This easy caramel popcorn is great to munch on while watching a movie! Thanks to your microwave, it comes together in a snap! So pull out your popcorn popper and pick out your favorite movie because there's nothing better than an old-fashioned movie night!
Ingredients
- 14 Cups Popped Popcorn this is about a â…“ cup popcorn kernels
- ½ Cup Butter
- ¼ Cup Corn Syrup
- 1 Tbs. Molasses
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
Instructions
- Allow your oven to preheat to 300 degrees while you prepare the recipe.
- Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with aluminum foil and spraying them lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set them aside.
- Get out your air popper and make some popcorn the old-fashioned way!
- You need approximately 14 cups of popcorn, which comes from approximately â…“ cup of un-popped kernels.
- I pop the corn into a large bowl, shake the bowl vigorously to knock the unpopped kernels to the bottom of the bowl, and then transfer the warm popcorn into another large bowl by hand to ensure that all the unpopped and partially popped kernels are removed. (Seriously, there is nothing worse than chomping down on an unexpected hard kernel.)
- Side the popped corn aside for a moment.
- In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, or my preference a glass 4 cup measuring cup, heat the butter, brown sugar, molasses, salt, and corn syrup, DO NOT ADD THE BAKING SODA YET, just long enough to melt the butter.
- Stir well and put back in the microwave.
- Heat in the microwave for about 3 minutes, allowing the mixture to boil for 2 minutes.
- Now you add the baking soda!
- This part is great because it's fun to watch while the mixture foams!
- Pour the caramel mixture over the popped corn and mix well with a silicone spatula instead of a wooden spoon to coat every piece. The caramel won't stick to the silicone, making cleanup easier.
- Divide the caramel popcorn between the two baking sheets, spreading it out into a single layer.
- For a salty snack, sprinkle sea salt over the popcorn before baking.
- Bake each baking sheet in the preheated oven (300 degrees) for 5 minutes.
- Cool at room temperature and break into pieces.
- Store in an air-tight container.
Notes
- You salt the caramel popcorn before baking for a salted caramel flavor.
- You can also add a cup of nuts of your choice before adding the caramel as well!
- Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutrition
Calories: 1698kcalCarbohydrates: 349gProtein: 43gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 311mgPotassium: 1161mgFiber: 49gSugar: 61gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 12mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Jeff
Excellent on movie night!!
Cathleen
I have always wanted to try making caramel popcorn, but I had no idea how easy it was to make! I am definitely giving this a go, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Sharon
I had no idea that making cracker jack at home could be so simple! Now I can have one of my favorite treats anytime I want.
sue
I'm going to date myself but CrackerJack was my favorite as a kid! This is a genius recipe, thanks!
Gina
Great idea for a movie night this weekend!
maryanne
What a fun (and delicious) idea! I am going to try this this weekend, and add peanuts! Thanks for sharing!
Greg
Ate almost all of by myself. Sooo good!!
L.S
This recipe is great! Fast and easy and good.
Sharing a tip we discovered......
We put the popcorn in a big paper sack and poured the caramel stuff over it, rolled down the top and shook vigorously! (Kids love this part) Then pour it in a bowl for sharing.
Throw sack away and done!