Old Fashioned Caramel Corn Recipe

A wooden spoon in a batch of caramel popcorn.

Old Fashioned Caramel Corn Recipe

Sweet, buttery, and perfectly crisp, this easy caramel corn recipe is the cozy, old-fashioned treat you didn’t know you needed. Made with simple ingredients and baked to golden perfection—no candy thermometer, no drama.

Course Appetizer/Snack

Cuisine American - Vintage

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 266kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

1 ½ cups sugar
½ cups brown sugar
¾ cup butter
¼ cup bacon fat may use more butter
1 cup light corn syrup
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
6.6 ounces plain microwave popcorn No salt or butter. 2 bags, 23-24 cups popped

Instructions

Pop the popcorn and pour it out on two rimmed baking pans.
Keep warm in a 250F oven.
Meanwhile, add the sugar, the brown sugar, the butter, bacon fat, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy saucepan.
Use a candy thermometer and bring the mixture up to 265F to 275F. It scorches very quickly so watch it carefully. Don't stir.
When it reaches temperature add the vanilla and baking soda, stir, and remove from the heat.
Pour the caramel carefully over the popcorn and stir well.
Put the pans in the oven bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring every few minutes until the popcorn is thoroughly coated.
Spread the popcorn on waxed paper or parchment and let cool completely.
It will crisp as it cools.

Notes

Storage:

Store cooled caramel corn in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks - do not refrigerate or freeze.

Tips:

Use fresh-popped plain popcorn. Stale popcorn makes sad caramel corn, and we don’t do sad snacks.
If using micowave popcorn make sure that it's not buttered or coated in any way.
The caramel is HOT. Be very careful when pouring.

Nutrition