Honey Caramel popcorn is a sweet treat for kids of all ages. At Halloween I love to bag it in special treat bags and hand it out to Trick or Treaters that I know… but we also make it up for Movie Night, School Carnivals and any time we want a sweet crunchy snack.
In my opinion, it is a perfect snack. I absolutely adore it. And I feel there is no need to go messing around with it by adding nuts. When I was younger, and I had Cracker Jack, I’d pick out the nuts and throw them at people (especially at the movie theater when no one could see….). Sadly, others in my family feel that nuts add that certain something…. so.. half the time I make it plain, and half the time I make it with nuts (and pick those little buggers out).
WARNING- This is not a Recipe to Make WITH kids, but a great recipe to make FOR kids… hot sugar is REALLY HOT! and can burn little fingers.
Quick Look at Contents
Honey Caramel Popcorn Recipe
This is a great recipe for Honey Caramel Popcorn. It’s not too complicated, but it does use a few special tools.
Read through the recipe and instructions before starting!
Make sure that you have all of your ingredients and tools set and ready. You don’t want to have boiling sugar, and realize that you need to make popcorn! Just have everything ready, then you can go step by step.
Before you know it, you’ll be munching away on Honey Caramel Popcorn….and if you want to…. you can add nuts..
Serves: me.. but I’ll share
Prep Time: 20- 25 min
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
approx.12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Honey
1 cup Butter
**optional- 1 cup nuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
Fill a cup with ice water… set a pastry brush in it.
Pull your candy thermometer out of the back of the utensil drawer and dust it off.
Put some sheets of aluminum foil on your table or counter… large enough to spread the caramel popcorn out a bit when hot.
Pick the Grannies (unpopped corn kernels) out of the popcorn as you pour it into 2 large baking pans.
**if you plan to add nuts… now’s the time
Set the pans of popcorn in the oven to keep warm.
Put the sugars, honey and butter in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Try not to splash. Stir until sugars are completely dissolved. If you tap the bottom of the pan, you will feel if the sugar is still grainy.
From time to time, wash the walls of the bowl down with the pastry brush dipped in ice water.
When the sugar is completely dissolved… this could take 7 to 10 minutes…. wipe the walls one last time.
Clip the candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
Raise heat to medium.
Stir only occasionally, very carefully so you don’t splash.
(Pull the popcorn pans out of the oven… set them aside on hotpads)
Cook until thermometer reads 255 degrees F.
Remove from heat.
Pour the caramel over popcorn… stir well… stick popcorn in oven
Bake 10 minutes
Stir again
Bake 5 more minutes
Dump out on to foil… and spread out a bit
Cool completely before eating.
Store AIRTIGHT.
What Kind Of Nuts?
Well…For this particular batch, I used Honey Roasted Almonds.
But you can try…
Honey Roasted Peanuts
Cashews
Salted Peanuts
Roasted Almonds
Shelled pumpkin seeds
Macadamia Nuts
Or Whatever…
Step By Step Instructions with Photos
for Honey Caramel Popcorn Recipe
Start Cooking Your Sugars, Honey and Butter
Use a Big Enough Saucepan… that Distributes Heat Well
Your Saucepan makes a difference. Make sure it has a thick bottom to distribute heat evenly. It should be large enough to hold all of the ingredients with room to spare. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Use a Pastry Brush to get the Sugar off of the Sides
Dip the Pastry Brush in Ice Water
Clean the sides of the pan. Sugar left on the walls of the pan will interfere with the creation of the caramel. You want that sugar melted.
Clip a Thermometer to the Side of the Pan
See the Clean Walls
Once the sugar has melted, clip a candy thermometer to the wall of the pan. Watch it carefully. You can stir occasionally if you feel like it. DON”T SPLASH. When the temperature hits 255 degrees F. Take it off the heat, and pour it over the popcorn.
Set up the Popcorn in Baking Pans
add Nuts if you want
Carefully Pour the Caramel Over the Popcorn
IT”S HOT! BE CAREFUL!!
Please be careful when pouring the caramel over the popcorn. It’s really, really, really, really HOT.
And sticky.
You don’t want Hot Sticky Molten Sugar burning you. It hurts. Trust me.
Then give the popcorn a stir to distribute it. Hold the popcorn pan with a hot pad… it’s hot too.
Bake the Popcorn a while Longer
After you’ve baked it 10 minutes, stirred, then baked it another 5 minutes…
Pour the caramel corn out onto sheets of Aluminum Foil. Spread it out a bit to cool.
Pour Out Onto Aluminum Foil
Spread it Out a Bit
It’s ok to sneak a few of the pieces that are off on the side…
When cool… store airtight.
Warning, nuts may seem soft until they are completely cool.
The Best Popcorn Maker
My Whirley Pop Popcorn maker gets a workout every week. We are huge popcorn eaters.
Sturdy, well made, fun to use, and holds up to the workout we give it.
The Original Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper Theater Style Popcorn Set
Serve Your Honey Crunch Popcorn in Cute Treat Bags
