Best 7 Old Fashioned Caramel Corn Recipes

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Old fashioned caramel corn, a classic treat enjoyed by people of all ages, is a delicious and easy-to-make snack that can be enjoyed at home or on the go. Made with simple ingredients like popcorn, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract, this sweet and crunchy snack is a perfect combination of flavors and textures. Whether you're looking for a nostalgic treat or a fun activity to do with family and friends, old fashioned caramel corn is sure to be a hit.

Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!

CLASSIC CARAMEL CORN



Classic Caramel Corn image

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

Mazola Pure® Cooking Spray
4 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
½ cup butter OR margarine
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract

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

OLD FASHIONED CARAMEL POPCORN



Old Fashioned Caramel Popcorn image

This is so yummy, an old family recipe. I use it at christmas as gifts. I place it in old but decorated coffee tins and give it to teachers and bus drivers as gifts, not to mention my Mom, brother and Grandma who wait for it. My kids love this stuff and it makes a great Friday night movie treat it you want to try something different. You can add nuts, but I never do!!

Provided by Erica_Hildebrand

Categories     Dessert

Time 30m

Yield 2 ice cream pails worth

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 1/3 cups butter
3 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 bags of popped microwave popcorn

Steps:

  • In a saucepan mix butter brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil.
  • Boil for 5 to 6 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda until the mixture has puffed up.
  • Allow 1 minute to rest.
  • Placed popped popcorn in a large baking dish.
  • (I use my very large turkey roasting pan without the lid.) Pour mixture over popcorn and stir until well coated.
  • Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes.
  • Stir well to make sure the bottom doesn't burn, Bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Pour onto a large surface to cool.
  • (I cut a green garbage bag in half and cover my dining room table with it before pouring out the popcorn onto it. It saves on clean up.) Break apart to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 3999.9, Fat 138.8, SaturatedFat 80, Cholesterol 325.3, Sodium 1660.1, Carbohydrate 675.9, Fiber 51.4, Sugar 348.3, Protein 47.1

MY AMISH FRIEND'S CARAMEL CORN



My Amish Friend's Caramel Corn image

This recipe comes from an Amish family who package this treat for gifts to friends and neighbors every Christmas. It is truly the tastiest, easiest, and most foolproof caramel corn recipe you'll ever find!

Provided by ANITALOUISE

Categories     Desserts     Candy Recipes     Popcorn Candy Recipes

Time 1h15m

Yield 28

Number Of Ingredients 8

7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps:

  • Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
  • Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.
  • Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 238.4 calories, Carbohydrate 21.9 g, Fat 16.3 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 3.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.6 g, Sodium 387.6 mg, Sugar 12.2 g

OLD FASHIONED MOLASSES "CARAMEL" CORN



Old Fashioned Molasses

Back in the day, down South, cooks didn't have corn syrup on their shelves, they had sorghum molasses as it was cheaply and locally produced. It's an old fashioned taste I love and candy made w/ molasses is far more flavorful than candy made w/ corn syrup. My Granny cooked her candy till 'hard crack' on the stovetop and poured it over the corn, but doing it that way takes a lot more babysitting and using this method you won't burn or undercook it because it hardens in the oven.

Provided by Weewah

Categories     Candy

Time 1h15m

Yield 14 Ziplock sandwich bags, 14 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

6 quarts popped popcorn (for me it was 1 cup, unpopped)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup molasses
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Spanish peanut (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda

Steps:

  • Pre-heat oven to 250 deg.
  • Place butter in a medium pot, on medium heat.
  • While the butter's melting, pop the corn and put it in a large roasting pan. I used a disposable aluminum pan and a hot air popper (you won't need to butter the pan).
  • Keep an eye on the butter and add the sugar, molasses, and salt to it as soon as its melted.
  • Bring the candy to a boil and stir and cook it only till the sugar melts and the butter blends in entirely - just a couple minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and stir the vanilla and peanuts into the candy.
  • Quickly add the baking soda and stir untill it's well mixed. It foams to make a lighter, more delicate candy.
  • Pour the candy over the popcorn and toss untill it's evenly coated.
  • Put the popcorn in the oven for 1 hour, tossing every 15 or 20 minutes.
  • Let it cool completely before breaking up and putting into an airtight container.
  • I developed this recipe by hacking others because I couldn't find another to suit me. I made this for Christmas treats and it was INHALED, you'll find it tastes like Cracker Jack; that candy is made with molasses, not corn syrup, I got a box yersterday to compare.
  • You can easily double this, but double the baking time too.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 312.9, Fat 10.5, SaturatedFat 6.3, Cholesterol 26.1, Sodium 359.4, Carbohydrate 55, Fiber 2, Sugar 40.7, Protein 1.9

OLD-FASHIONED CARAMELS



Old-Fashioned Caramels image

Before I was married, my future father-in-law would fix these creamy caramels at Christmas and send me some. The recipe has been in my husband's family for decades...so, when we got married, I learned to make them, too.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 50m

Yield 2 pounds.

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 tablespoon plus 1 cup butter, divided
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups light corn syrup
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Steps:

  • Line an 11x7-in. pan with foil; grease with 1 tablespoon butter and set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and remaining butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil gently for 4 minutes without stirring. , Remove from the heat; stir in cream. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), stirring constantly., Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and pecans if desired. Pour into prepared pan; cool. Using foil, lift candy out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut candy into 1-in. squares.

Nutrition Facts :

OVEN CARAMEL CORN



Oven Caramel Corn image

This classic caramel corn is perfect as an everyday snack or packaged as a homemade gift for your favorite foodie.

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Gifts & Decor

Time 1h25m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 7

12 cups popped popcorn
1 1/2 cups walnut or pecan halves or 1 1/2 cups unblanched whole almonds
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 310, Carbohydrate 32 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Fat 4, Fiber 2 g, Protein 3 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 220 mg

CARAMEL CORN



Caramel Corn image

For years I've taken this snack to our church retreat in two containers-one for each night-so it doesn't all disappear the first night. Other church members tell us that if we can't attend, we should just send the caramel corn. -Nancy Breen, Canastota, New York

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Snacks

Time 1h10m

Yield 12 quarts.

Number Of Ingredients 6

12 quarts plain popped popcorn
1 pound peanuts
2 cups butter, cubed
2 pounds brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup molasses

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 250°. Place popcorn in 2 large bowls. Add 1/2 pound peanuts to each bowl. In a Dutch oven, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir 5 minutes. , Pour half of the syrup over each bowl of popcorn and stir to coat. Transfer to large roasting or 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes., Remove from oven and break apart while warm. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 267 calories, Fat 15g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 20mg cholesterol, Sodium 189mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (22g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

Tips For Making The Best Caramel Corn

  • Use a large pot: This will give the caramel plenty of room to bubble and expand, and it will also make it easier to stir.
  • Use a heavy-bottomed pot: This will help to prevent the caramel from burning.
  • Use a candy thermometer: This is the best way to ensure that the caramel reaches the correct temperature.
  • Cook the caramel over medium heat: This will help to prevent it from burning.
  • Stir the caramel constantly: This will help to prevent it from crystallizing.
  • Add the popcorn to the caramel as soon as it reaches the correct temperature: This will help to ensure that the popcorn is evenly coated.
  • 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: This will help to keep it fresh and crunchy.

Conclusion

Caramel corn is a delicious and easy-to-make snack that is perfect for parties, picnics, and movie nights. By following these tips, you can make the best caramel corn that you've ever tasted.

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