Illinois caramel corn, also known as Chicago Mix, is a delectable treat that combines the sweet crunch of caramel-coated popcorn with the savory tang of cheese popcorn. This unique snack has a long and storied history in the Land of Lincoln, dating back to the 1930s. Whether you're a lifelong Illinois resident or just visiting the Prairie State, indulging in a bag of this iconic snack is a must. With its perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors, Illinois caramel corn is sure to satisfy your cravings and leave you wanting more. In this article, we will guide you through the process of creating this delicious treat at home, providing you with a handful of recipes that cater to diverse tastes and skill levels. So, grab your popcorn kernels, sugar, and butter, and let's embark on a culinary journey to recreate this beloved Illinois specialty!
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
CARAMEL CORN
A sweet crunchier version of an all-time favorite snack that's perfect for picnics, family movie nights or gifting.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Gifts & Decor
Time 1h25m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 250°F. Spread popcorn in ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Sprinkle almonds over popcorn.
- In large saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, water, corn syrup and salt; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in baking soda until well mixed. Immediately pour mixture over popcorn and almonds; toss until coated.
- Bake at 250°F. for 15 minutes. Stir; bake an additional 15 minutes. Stir; bake 5 minutes. Immediately spread on foil or waxed paper. Cool 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 380, Carbohydrate 40 g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Fat 4 1/2, Fiber 2 g, Protein 3 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, ServingSize 1 Cup, Sodium 530 mg, Sugar 30 g
CLASSIC CARAMEL CORN
Sweet and crunchy, this caramel corn is easy to make and tastes better than the county fair's.
Provided by Karo Corn Syrup
Categories Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips ARGO®, KARO®, FLEISCHMANN'S®
Time 1h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 8
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 395 calories, Carbohydrate 52.4 g, Cholesterol 30.5 mg, Fat 21 g, Fiber 1.8 g, Protein 16.7 g, SaturatedFat 8.8 g, Sodium 567.3 mg, Sugar 32.3 g
ALMOST-FAMOUS CARAMEL CORN
Baseball and Cracker Jack (yes, it's Jack, not Jacks!) go way back: The caramel popcorn and peanut mix, introduced in 1893, hit the big time in the early 1900s when "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" became baseball's unofficial anthem. Today, baseball fans still sing the song (chanting "buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack") during the seventh inning stretch, and the snack is still sold at stadiums around the country. Frito-Lay keeps the original recipe a secret, but Food Network Kitchens created this great copy.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 35m
Yield About 8 cups
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Put the vegetable oil and a few test popcorn kernels in a large pot. Heat over medium-high heat until the kernels pop, then carefully add the remaining kernels in a single layer. Cover and cook, shaking the pot, until there are several seconds between pops. Transfer the popcorn to a bowl. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
- Wipe out the pot, then add the sugar, corn syrup, molasses, peanut oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the peanuts. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until a candy thermometer registers 290 degrees F, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the popcorn until coated. Transfer the caramel corn to the prepared baking sheet and let cool, then break into small pieces.
THE EASIEST AND BEST CARAMEL CORN I'VE EVER MADE
Oh LORD, have mercy! LOL! This stuff is the kind-of snack you sit down in front of the tv with and you look down and it's all gone! The best part about this recipe is (other than the end product) the fact no candy thermometer is necessary.
Provided by Redneck Epicurean
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 1h10m
Yield 1 1/2 gallon bag
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200°.
- Spray your largest cookie sheets.
- Pop the popcorn in the oil and set aside. I do this in two batches. Place in a very large bowl. (Plastic bowls work really well because the caramel won't stick; you could also spray the bowl with a bit of Pam).
- Over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar, salt and syrup. Bring to a rolling boil.
- When it starts to boil, boil a full 5 minutes stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. (I used a plastic spatula and ended up sacrificing it)
- Remove from the heat and add the soda. Pour caramel directly on the popcorn and stir to coat completely.
- Pour popcorn onto the sheets and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool and break into pieces. Store in zip-top bags.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2664.2, Fat 141, SaturatedFat 80.1, Cholesterol 325.4, Sodium 3554.4, Carbohydrate 369.1, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 311.9, Protein 2.1
CHILI-CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CORN
Warning: It's really hard to walk away from this sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy snack. If you're taking it to a party, consider making a double batch because you won't come home with leftovers. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Snacks
Time 10m
Yield 14 servings (3-1/2 quarts).
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Stir in chili pepper and cinnamon. Drizzle over caramel popcorn with peanuts; toss to coat. Arrange on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until set; break into pieces. If desired, add dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 336 calories, Fat 13g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 6mg cholesterol, Sodium 97mg sodium, Carbohydrate 51g carbohydrate (34g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 5g protein.
ILLINOIS CARAMEL CORN
This snack unites salty and sweet in every heaping handful.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Gluten-Free Recipes
Time 1h
Yield Makes 12 cups
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place popcorn and nuts in a large bowl. Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Raise heat to high; bring to a boil without stirring. Cook until mixture reaches 248 degrees on a candy thermometer, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda.
- Add caramel to popcorn, and stir to coat. Transfer mixture to a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from oven, and immediately sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let cool. Break into clusters.
CARAMEL CORN
Steps:
- Prepare popcorn in microwave according to package directions. Pour popcorn into 1 or 2 large bowls. (You will need plenty of room to toss with hot sugar mixture.)
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add water, sugar and cinnamon, increase the heat, and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Be careful; the sugar mixture is extremely hot! Pour half of mixture over the popcorn. Carefully stir or toss to combine. Add remaining sugar mixture and combine. Serve.
CLASSIC CARAMEL CORN
This recipe I really liked, but I found it a little sweet for my taste. However, I liked how much corn it covered. Reminded me a little of popcorn balls.
Provided by AmyZoe
Categories Dessert
Time 1h
Yield 16 cups, 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Spray large shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. I used my butter wrappers instead of spraying. Add popcorn and place in preheated 250 degree oven while preparing caramel.
- Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, butter, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. I skipped the salt because I was using salted popcorn, but your personal preference here. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla and mix well.
- Pour syrup over warm popcorn and stir evenly to coat.
- Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and spread on foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I skipped the cooking spray here too).
- Cool and break apart. Store in tightly covered container. (I think the purpose of the tightly covered container is so you can't open and eat it as quickly).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 165, Fat 6.1, SaturatedFat 3.7, Cholesterol 15.2, Sodium 173.8, Carbohydrate 27.9, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 16.3, Protein 1.1
CARAMEL CORN II
We always made this for Christmas. This could be made into 20 popcorn balls if desired.
Provided by Juanita Peek
Categories Desserts Candy Recipes Popcorn Candy Recipes
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Place popped corn into a buttered bowl.
- In a 3 quart saucepan, combine sugar, salt, butter, dark corn syrup, and water. Stir until sugar dissolves. Stir in vinegar. Boil sugar mixture to hard ball stage, 248 degrees F (118 degrees C). Remove caramel from heat. Stir in soda. Beat to thoroughly dissolve the soda.
- Pour hot caramel over popcorn, and quickly stir into popcorn; work quickly for the caramel sets up fast. Spread out on wax paper to cool. Store in a tightly covered container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 243.2 calories, Carbohydrate 47.5 g, Cholesterol 6.1 mg, Fat 6 g, Fiber 2.9 g, Protein 2.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 121.2 mg, Sugar 24.6 g
CARAMEL CORN
Homemade Caramel Corn has never been easier! It's an incredibly addictive snack that is sweet, crunchy, and so easy to make!
Provided by Janelle
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Pop popcorn according to package directions.
- Have two bowls ready.
- Pour popcorn in one bowl.
- Gently Shake the bowl to get the seeds to the bottom of the bowl.
- Remove popcorn slowly into the second bowl leaving seeds in the 1st bowl.
- Toss seeds. Repeat with the second and third bag.
- Prepare 2 baking sheets with a baking mat or parchment paper.
- Preheat oven to 250*F
- In a pot, add butter and cook over medium heat until melted.
- Add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.
- Bring to a boil and cook for an additional 4 minutes, stirring regularly so caramel doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.
- After 4 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pan from heat.
- Add vanilla extract and be prepared for the mixture to spit at you. Stir to incorporate.
- Add baking soda and stir. Mixture will become fluffy and increase in volume.
- Pour caramel mixture over your prepared popcorn.
- Stir well, careful not to touch the caramel mixture to your skin or it will burn you.
- Spread caramel corn on baking sheets, dividing mixture between the two sheets.
- Evenly space the racks in your oven so you can get both in there at the same time, one on top and one on bottom.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove caramel corn, and stir. Place back in oven on the opposite oven shelf.
- Repeat 15 minute baking and stirring intervals until caramel corn has been baked 2 times total.
- Remove from the oven, stir and let cool.
- I like to stir again after caramel corn has been out of the oven for 5 minutes to prevent clumping.
- Serve once cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 462 calories, Carbohydrate 57 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 43 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 26 grams fat, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein, SaturatedFat 13 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 509 milligrams sodium, Sugar 41 grams sugar, TransFat 3 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams unsaturated fat
Tips:
- Use fresh popcorn. Stale popcorn will not coat well with the caramel and will be tough.
- Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before adding the butter. If the sugar is not dissolved, it will crystallize and the caramel will be grainy.
- Cook the caramel over medium heat. If the heat is too high, the caramel will burn.
- Stir the caramel constantly. This will help prevent it from burning.
- Add the baking soda at the end of cooking. This will help the caramel to foam up and become light and airy.
- Pour the caramel over the popcorn immediately. If you wait too long, the caramel will harden and become difficult to mix.
- Spread the caramel corn out on a baking sheet to cool. This will help to prevent it from clumping together.
- Store the caramel corn in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Conclusion:
Illinois caramel corn is a delicious and easy-to-make snack. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a sweet and crunchy treat that everyone will love. Whether you are making it for a party or just for a snack at home, Illinois caramel corn is sure to be a hit.
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