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Old Fashioned Caramel Corn

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Enjoy a taste of the fair at home with this crunchy, sweet, and salty caramel corn perfect for a summer snack or your next movie night!

Old fashioned caramel corn isn't just for the fair anymore! Make this super easy caramel corn at home and enjoy a sweet snack any time.

A few weeks ago my roommates took me to the local Tulip Time arts and crafts festival.  A HUGE vendor event with hundreds of booths selling art, crafts, food, and souvenirs.  Ever since we spent a lazy Sunday wandering between the booths, enticed by the smell of kettle corn and candied nuts I’ve been craving caramel corn.  Not sure why since no one was actually selling caramel corn but it’s been teasing my taste buds for weeks.

Lucky for me Nicole from Little Blog on the Homestead has a recipe for the most amazing caramel sauce.  She also has this pretty fantastic stove top popcorn popper.  I haven’t made popcorn outside of a microwave in forever so even though it’s a bit more labor intensive turning that hand crank it really does taste so different!  Sorry, Mom for all those times I told you microwave popcorn was the same as the good stuff.

Old fashioned caramel corn isn't just for the fair anymore! Make this super easy caramel corn at home and enjoy a sweet snack any time.

So, I popped some popcorn and pulled together this amazing caramel sauce.  My mouth literally watered as I combined the two, drizzling the caramel over the buttery popcorn and then gently stirring it to coat every single nook  and cranny of those crunchy popcorn kernels.  Then I promptly spread it out to set up.  Cause that’s what you do with any other kind of coated popcorn, right?  When it still hadn’t set a few hours later I blamed it on the humidity in the house and lack of AC.  {More about freakish yankees who live without heat, later}

Until my roommate walked by and asked me if I was going to pop it into the oven so it would set up, harden, and get crunchy.  Wait, what?  That’s a thing?  I didn’t think it would work but frankly I was impatient and wanted my popcorn NOW so I shoved the tray into the oven, set it as low as it would go and waited to see if it would work.  And it did!  So she was right.  But don’t tell her I said that 😉

Old fashioned caramel corn isn't just for the fair anymore! Make this super easy caramel corn at home and enjoy a sweet snack any time.

Do you have a favorite fair or carnival food you like to recreate at home?

Meaghan

Old fashioned caramel corn isn't just for the fair anymore! Make this super easy caramel corn at home and enjoy a sweet snack any time.

Old Fashioned Caramel Corn

Yield: 5 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 5 cups popped popcorn
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat add butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream.
  2. Whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to boil for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Pour 1½ cups of caramel sauce over the popped popcorn and stir gently to coat.
  4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and spread popcorn in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for one hour, stirring after 30 minutes.
  5. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

 

Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

Sunday 19th of July 2015

Oh My Goodness!!!! YES!!!!

Yummy!!!!! Can't wait for movie night so we can try this.

Just YUM!

Meaghan

Sunday 19th of July 2015

We have some sitting in the fridge right now and this is sooooo happening here this week. Probably in a gigantic double batch!

~Meaghan

Tina Marie

Tuesday 30th of June 2015

This is some amazing popcorn!

Meaghan

Tuesday 30th of June 2015

It's my new favorite snack! Someone above suggested a quick fix and setting the caramel in the microwave instead of the oven if you can't wait. It's a great trick!

~Meaghan

Tara

Friday 29th of May 2015

Every year my family travels down to my parents vacation home in Florida and there is a flea market near by on weekends. The best part of the entire flea market is the carmel corn! I never even thought about trying to make it at home! I plan on giving this recipe a try the next time my parents come for a visit-it would be like a little piece of vacation at home!

Meaghan

Saturday 30th of May 2015

What a great idea! I love fair food and vacation. Especially when you can have a little bit of vacation at home :)

~Meaghan

Nicole @Little Blog on the Homestead

Friday 29th of May 2015

Guess who's the smartest roommate in the world ;-) lol love you girl, and this stuff is DELICIOUS

Meaghan

Friday 29th of May 2015

I'll give it to you this time ;) Seriously, it was so good. Which is why I ate all of it without sharing!

~Meaghan

Erin

Friday 29th of May 2015

I am absolutely addicted to this stuff! Thank you for the awesome recipe, I am definitely going to have to try this.

Meaghan

Friday 29th of May 2015

Add it to your list of sweet successes! Right up there with the oreo truffles ;)

~Meaghan