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Our Easy Homemade Caramel Corn is a family favorite. It is super yummy and super easy. And you don’t need Corn Syrup for this recipe.

Closeup on a white serving bowl filled with a batch of Easy Homemade Caramel Corn.

We’ve tried a lot of recipes looking for good, Easy Homemade Caramel Corn that doesn’t use corn syrup.  We’ve finally found one that we love.  This popcorn tastes amazing … buttery and caramel-y just the way it should.  And no corn syrup required!  And it could not be easier to make.  It has quickly risen up the list of most requested family treats!

Ingredients You Will Need

All the ingredients you will need to make Easy Homemade Caramel Corn including popcorn, butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt and baking soda.

Preparing the Popcorn

Collage image showing the steps for making homemade popcorn for the Easy Caramel Popcorn.

Step 1: You will need 10 cups of popcorn. We pop our popcorn on the stove (you can find our directions on How to Make Perfect Popcorn here) but you can use air-popped or microwave. 
Step 2: After the popcorn is popped, make sure to remove all of the un-popped kernels.  You don’t want to bite down on one of those! 
Step 3: Once you have made the popcorn, add some salt.  Sweet and salty is a great combination and it goes especially nicely with the caramel.

How to Make the Caramel Mixture

Collage image showing the steps for melting the butter and adding in the brown sugar to make the caramel mixture.

Step 4: Melt 1 cup of butter in a medium saucepan over low/medium heat. It should be hot enough to melt the butter but not too hot or the butter will burn (or turn into brown butter.)
Step 5: Add 1 cup of light brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar and the melted butter are thoroughly mixed.
Step 6: If you can see a thin layer of butter on the surface of the butter/brown sugar mixture (as shown in the picture above) continue to stir on low heat. The butter and brown sugar will come together so continue to stir until thoroughly combined.
Step 7: When the butter and sugar are completely combined, increase the heat to medium-low, just high enough to bring the caramel mixture to a low boil. When the surface starts to bubble, set the timer for 4 minutes and stop stirring.

Collage image showing the steps for cooking the caramel mixture.

Step 8: When the 4-minute timer goes off, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla to the mixture.
Step 9: Set the timer for 1 additional minute and stir the vanilla into the caramel mixture.
Step 10: When the 1-minute timer goes off, add the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and mix.
Step 11:  This will cause the caramel to change colors and foam up a bit. This is the chemical reaction that you want. The bubbling effect of the baking soda will aerate the caramel and make it lighter and smoother and therefore easier to coat the popcorn. Take the caramel mixture off the heat.

Putting It Altogether

Collage image showing the steps for adding the caramel mixture to the popcorn to make the caramel corn.

Steps 12-15: Drizzle the caramel mixture over the popcorn a bit at a time.  Use a spoon to gently fold the popcorn with the mixture until all the kernels are covered.

Closeup on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and filled with a batch of cooling Caramel Corn.

Step 16: Pour the popcorn out onto a cookie sheet covered with, parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a silpat liner. Allow the homemade Caramel Corn to cool prior to serving. Our family loves this popcorn so it has never lasted longer than a day at our house.  This popcorn definitely tastes best right after it is made but will keep for a few days in an airtight container. 

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

What kind of popcorn should I use?

We make our popcorn from scratch on the stove – nothing is better than that in our opinion.  You can find all the tips and tricks you need to make the perfect popcorn right here.  You can also use Microwave popcorn but you should use a type that has no butter flavoring added. 

How much salt should I put on the popcorn?

The contrast of sweet and salty in this popcorn recipe is super yummy.  To get that combination you should lean towards over-salting the popcorn.  We try to salt the popcorn as soon as it comes out of the pan so that salt sticks to the hot popcorn.

How long will the popcorn last?

Our family loves this popcorn so it has never lasted longer than a day at our house.  This popcorn definitely tastes the best right after it is made but will keep for a few days in an airtight container

Overhead closeup on a white serving bowl filled with Easy Homemade Caramel Corn sitting next to a bowl of brown sugar, a stick of butter and a red towel.

Other Caramel Recipes You Will Love

Easy Homemade Caramel CornPrint

Easy Homemade Caramel Corn

Yield 10 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Our Easy Homemade Caramel Corn is a family favorite. It is super yummy and super easy. And you don't need Corn Syrup for this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 10 Cups Popped Popcorn
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1 cup Butter (Sweet Cream Salted)
  • 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Instructions

  1. You will need 10 cups of popcorn. We pop our popcorn on the stove (you can find our directions on How to Make Perfect Popcorn here) but you can use air-popped or microwave. 
  2. After the popcorn is popped, make sure to remove all of the un-popped kernels.  You don’t want to bite down on one of those! 
  3. Once you have made the popcorn, add some salt.  Sweet and salty is a great combination and it goes especially nicely with the caramel.
  4. Melt 1 cup of butter in a medium saucepan over low/medium heat. It should be hot enough to melt the butter but not too hot or the butter will burn (or turn into brown butter.)
  5. Add 1 cup of light brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar and the melted butter are thoroughly mixed.
  6. If you can see a thin layer of butter on the surface of the butter/brown sugar mixture (as shown in the picture above) continue to stir on low heat. The butter and brown sugar will come together so continue to stir until thoroughly combined.
  7. When the butter and sugar are completely combined, increase the heat to medium-low, just high enough to bring the caramel mixture to a low boil. When the surface starts to bubble, set the timer for 4 minutes and stop stirring.
  8. When the 4-minute timer goes off, add 2 teaspoons of vanilla to the mixture.
  9. Set the timer for 1 additional minute and stir the vanilla into the caramel mixture.
  10. When the 1-minute timer goes off, add the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and mix.
  11. This will cause the caramel to change colors and foam up a bit. This is the chemical reaction that you want. The bubbling effect of the baking soda will aerate the caramel and make it lighter and smoother and therefore easier to coat the popcorn. Take the caramel mixture off the heat.
  12. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the popcorn a bit at a time.  Use a spoon to gently fold the popcorn with the mixture until all the kernels are covered.
  13. Pour the popcorn out onto a cookie sheet covered with, parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a silpat liner. Allow the homemade Caramel Corn to cool prior to serving. Our family loves this popcorn so it has never lasted longer than a day at our house.  This popcorn definitely tastes best right after it is made but will keep for a few days in an airtight container. 

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Popcorn