This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.
Microwave Caramel Corn is the best and is such an easy caramel corn recipe! In less than 15 minutes you can have crunchy and delicious caramel corn.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
For over 30 years my family has been making this delicious, easy microwave caramel popcorn. I got the recipe from my friend Pam. We totally fell in love with it and have been making it ever since. The fun thing about this recipe is how easy it is! You don’t need a candy thermometer or have to worry about the caramel hitting a certain temperature.
It’s made in the microwave! Other than being delicious, the best thing about this recipe is this homemade caramel corn is made in a brown paper bag in the microwave so clean up is easy too. After you cook the caramel popcorn in the microwave, you spread it out on wax paper on the counter to dry. Then just toss the paper bag!
It’s crunchy! If you are a crunch caramel corn fan, this recipe is for you.
Ingredients Needed
- Popcorn. You will need 16 cups of popped popcorn. I prefer to use my air popper to pop my corn but you can do it on the stove top or use microwave popcorn.
- Brown Sugar. I like to use light brown sugar.
- Butter. I use salted butter but if you are using microwave popcorn that has been salted use unsalted butter.
- Light Corn Syrup. This prevents the caramel from crystallizing.
- Baking Soda. The baking soda is important. It causes a chemical reaction between the acid in the brown sugar and corn syrup and creates little bubbles of carbon dioxide. You will see this reaction as the caramel mixture bubbles.
- Vanilla Extract.
- A large brown paper bag
How do you Make Microwave Caramel Corn?
- Place popped corn in a large brown grocery store bag. Be sure you have removed all the unpopped popcorn kernels.
- Combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter into a microwave- safe bowl, be sure the bowl has higher sides, as the mixture will expand and bubble and you don’t want it to overflow in the microwave.
- Place bowl in microwave and microwave for one minute, remove and stir. Repeat this process for four additional minutes, removing to stir after each minute. You will do this for a total of five minutes. The mixture will get hot and bubbly.
- Remove from microwave and add in baking soda and vanilla, stir until foamy.
- Pour hot sugar mixture into bag over popcorn.
- With a wooden spoon stir mixture to coat popcorn as much as possible. It’s o.k. if it doesn’t get totally coated, it will as it cooks in the microwave.
- Close the bag and fold over the top, make it small enough so that it fits into your microwave.
- Microwave for one minute, remove and shake. Repeat. Microwave for 30 seconds, remove and shake. Repeat. A total of three minutes.
- Pour the caramel corn onto a baking sheet or a piece of parchment paper. Allow it to cool.
Do I have to use a brown paper bag?
If you prefer, you can do the whole process in a microwave-safe bowl while making microwave caramel corn, just stirring the popcorn instead of shaking. The brown paper bag does make clean up a lot easier!
Microwave Caramel Corn Variations
- Snickerdoodle Caramel Corn: add a 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar into the brown bag when you pull it out of the microwave for the last time. Be sure and give it a good couple of shakes to get it evenly distributed. Do it quickly as the caramel sets up quickly and the sugar will not stick to the kernels if it is too dry.
- White Chocolate Caramel Corn: While the caramel corn is cooling on the wax paper, just drizzle melted white chocolate on top. Allow chocolate to set up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not very long at our house! But you can store it in an airtight container or a zippered plastic bag for 5-6 days.
Kettle corn is coated in caramelized sugar. The corn is popped in oil and sugar and the sugar melts and coats the popcorn.After a while, the corn pops and the sugar melts into
Caramel corn is made using a caramel sauce which coats the popcorn. It is sweeter than kettle corn.
If you liked microwave caramel corn, these recipes:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Microwave Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- 16 cups popped corn I used my air popper
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2-1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Pop 16 cups of popcorn and place in a large brown grocery bag
- Cook sugar, syrup and butter in a medium to large glass bowl in microwave on high for one minute
- Stir and repeat for a total of five minutes, should be hot and bubbly
- Add baking soda, vanilla and mix until foamy
- Pour mixture over popcorn in brown paper bag, stir to coat
- Fold bag over and place in microwave.
- Microwave for one minute and shake, repeat.
- Microwave 30 seconds and shake, repeat
- Pour popcorn out onto parchment paper to cool.
Tips & Notes:
- Snickerdoodle Caramel Corn: add a 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon sugar into the brown bag when you pull it out of the microwave for the last time. Be sure and give it a good couple of shakes to get it evenly distributed. Do it quickly as the caramel sets up quickly and the sugar will not stick to the kernels if it is too dry.
- White Chocolate Caramel Corn: While the caramel corn is cooling on the wax paper, just drizzle melted white chocolate on top. Allow chocolate to set up.
Nutrition Facts:
Originally posted March 27, 2014
Theresa Longwell says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have made this many times It is the BEST and easiest way to make it!
Jean says
I need to make it dairy free. Any ideas what to use instead of butter?
I have made this recipe for years. I have found that spraying the inside of the paper bag helps too.
Leigh Anne says
I have never made it without butter so not sure how it would work.