Homemade Caramel Corn with Honey and Nuts
Homemade caramel corn is the perfect snack for watching TV, baseball games, or any other sport. It’s easy to make and takes just a few ingredients.
My Mother’s Caramel Corn, Improvised
This started out as a caramel corn treat my mother used to make, but I didn’t have all the ingredients her recipe called for. It was time to improvise, so I came up with my own version with honey and nuts.
Ingredients
- 2 bags (popped) Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Butter popcorn
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup nuts (peanuts, pecans, or both)
Pop the Corn
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Pop the bags of corn in the microwave. I used two regular-size bags, and mine yielded about 5.5 cups each. You could use another brand.
Pour the popcorn into a large bowl, then move it by the handful into a large foil pan, the size you’d roast a turkey in. Transferring it by hand keeps the unpopped kernels, the old maids, out of your caramel corn. Do you know why they’re called old maids? If you do, leave a comment and let me know!
Make the Syrup
Combine the brown sugar, salt, butter, and honey in a saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil, then boil for five minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts. This time I used 1/2 cup of honey-roasted peanuts and 1/2 cup of pecans, but I usually use plain salted peanuts and pecans. Add the baking soda and the mixture will turn light and fluffy.
Bake Low and Slow
Pour the mixture quickly over the popcorn and stir gently to coat it well. Bake for one hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. The slow time in the oven dries the caramel corn out. It won’t be as crisp as store-bought Cracker Jack. It has a softer texture.
Cool and Store
After one hour, spread the caramel corn out on waxed paper, parchment paper, or foil to cool. Once it’s cooled, store it in a zip-top bag or a sealed container.
I served mine with apples slices.
Homemade Caramel Corn with Honey and Nuts
Ingredients
- 2 bags popped Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Butter popcorn
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 ½ sticks butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup nuts peanuts, pecans, or both
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.Pop the popcorn in the microwave. Pour it into a large bowl, then transfer it by the handful into a large foil pan, the size you’d roast a turkey in. This keeps the unpopped kernels out.In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, salt, butter, and honey. Stir and bring to a boil, then boil for 5 minutes.Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts. Add the baking soda and stir. The mixture will turn light and fluffy.Pour the mixture quickly over the popcorn and stir gently to coat it well.Bake for 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes.Spread the caramel corn out on waxed paper, parchment paper, or foil to cool.Once cooled, store in a zip-top bag or sealed container.
Notes
Nutrition
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