If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a jar of Jane’s (#5) Caramel Corn, you’re feeling special and you’ve got a tight grip on it. Yes, it’s fabulous! I’m from a popcorn loving family so it only makes sense that someone in our family would perfect a Caramel Corn recipe. Jane has been making it for years and being the foodies that we are, we savor every bite. Growing up in a large family, popcorn was the snack of choice. And even though most people snacked on popcorn before the junk food craze, I’m glad this healthy snack was and is a part of my crunchy and salty cravings. I know – caramel corn healthy? Well, of course it is!
This really is Jane’s recipe. It may have started many moons ago on a jar of Karo syrup, but she has added steps and tweaked it to perfection. It was fun to watch her make it and I was amazed that a candy thermometer or a soft boil test was not necessary. The steps are easy to follow and here are a few highlights that I think make for an out-of-this-world Caramel Corn.
- The popcorn and nuts are warmed in the oven before the caramel is added. The warming helps the caramel cover the popcorn and nuts.
- The caramel and popcorn portions are spot on.
- When the syrup reaches a boil it is timed. The 5-minute mark is the exact time for the caramel topping.
- Mixing the popcorn and the caramel in a plastic bowl makes for easy clean up and you aren’t leaving a lot of caramel stuck to the bowl.
In the picture above you see Jane stirring the caramel and popcorn mixture. I know it seems a little elementary, but it’s important to bring the mixture from the bottom up, which helps cover the popcorn. Once the mixture is evenly coated, it’s placed in the oven for an hour. YUM!
I hope you’re hungry for caramel corn after reading this and seeing the pictures. It really is fun to make and it’s a great gift for any occasion. This recipe was included in my e-cookbook, 5 Easy Party Recipes. Join the Sock Box 10 newsletter and receive updates and the free e-cookbook. To join, just click here.
Thanks for stopping by, Rose
More recipes from Jane and both are great to make all year round.
- 4 quarts unsalted popped popcorn
- 3 cups pecans (more if you prefer)
- 1 cup of packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup of light Karo syrup
- 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) salted
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
- Pop 4 quarts of unsalted popcorn
- Spread the popped popcorn onto 2 cookie sheets
- Spread the pecans over the popcorn.
- Place the two cookie sheets in the oven. Warming the popcorn and nuts help the caramel sauce adhere and spread evenly.
- While the corn and nuts warm in the oven make the caramel sauce.
- Place brown sugar, Karo syrup, butter and salt in a medium-sized heavy saucepan
- Bring to a boil.
- When the top is completely covered in small boiling bubbles begin to time it for 5 minutes.
- At the 4 minute mark, remove the popcorn and nuts from the oven and place in a large plastic bowl.
- A plastic bowl is used because the caramel sauce does not stick to it and it's easy to clean.
- At the 5 minute mark, add the vanilla and baking soda and stir.
- The mixture will begin to foam and that's what you want.
- Remove the caramel sauce from the stove and pour over the popcorn and nuts.
- Slowly stir the mixture scooping from the bottom up to make sure the popcorn and nuts are coated.
- Return the popcorn mixture to the cookie sheets.
- Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour.
- At 30 minutes, turn popcorn on each cookie sheet and switch racks.
- At one hour remove from the oven and transfer the caramel corn to wax paper for cooling.
- Break the caramel corn into bite sized pieces.
- Store in containers with tight fitting lids.
- This is a great treat to make for gift giving. Fill holiday containers or glass jars and get creative!
- Enjoy!
Looks great and easy thanks
Thanks, Vicky! The recipe is very doable and you are going to love the flavor. Just let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again, Rose