Vanilla Caramel Corn Crunch

This recipe is a great way to upgrade the standard stovetop or microwave popcorn. Baking the popcorn before and after drizzling the caramel sauce on top makes this treat super crunchy, just like the classic caramel corn found at county fairs and baseball games. Adding vanilla bean paste to the caramel adds an extra layer of complexity and sweetness as well as the visual appeal of vanilla bean specks, which rounds out the flavors in this caramel corn recipe and makes it the perfect snack.
Learn more about the basics of caramelizing sugar here, or check out our how-to video.

Ingredients

USMetric

12 oz. air-popped popcorn, or 4 (3 oz.) bags natural microwave popcorn
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
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1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Pop the popcorn using your desired method, discarding any unpopped kernels. Arrange the popcorn evenly in a large roasting pan, or two baking sheets. Place in the oven to warm while the caramel sauce is being made.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla paste and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly, being careful to not burn the mixture. Stir in the baking soda and cream of tartar, which will cause the sugar mixture to rise. Pour over the warm popcorn, stirring until coated.

Bake for 1 hour, removing from the oven and stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Notes

You can use Pure Vanilla Bean Paste in place of Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste for a more classic, but equally delicious, flavor profile. If you only have vanilla extract on hand, the same amount of extract can be substituted for paste as well.

340 g air-popped popcorn, or 4 (85 g) bags natural microwave popcorn
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
400 g firmly packed dark brown sugar
120 ml corn syrup
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
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1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 120°C. Pop the popcorn using your desired method, discarding any unpopped kernels. Arrange the popcorn evenly in a large roasting pan, or two baking sheets. Place in the oven to warm while the caramel sauce is being made.

Bake for 1 hour, removing from the oven and stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.