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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 recipe. 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. There is no baking, no oven, no stovetop required.
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 crunchy 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.
- 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
- 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
How To Make Microwave Caramel Corn
- Place popped corn in a large brown paper grocery bag. Be sure you have removed all the unpopped 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 paper grocery 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 cookie sheet or a piece of parchment paper. Allow it to cool.
Tips from Leigh Anne
- 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!
- You can dress up your carmel corn by adding a 1-2 tsps of cinnamon sugar to the bag when you pull it out of the microwave. Give it a good shake and you have snickerdoodle caramel popcorn.
- While the caramel corn is cooling on the wax paper, drizzle melted white chocolate on top for white chocolate caramel corn.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will microwave caramel corn last?
Not very long at our house! But you can store it in an airtight container or a zippered plastic bag for 5-6 days.
What is the difference between caramel corn and kettle corn?
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.
Can I add nuts into this caramel corn?
If you like nuts in your caramel corn, add them into the bag with the popcorn after the final time in the microwave and before pouring it onto the cookie sheet. I recommend using peanuts.
Check out more of my favorite popcorn recipes:
Be sure and follow me over on YouTube for weekly cooking demos.
Microwave Caramel Popcorn
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:
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Nutrition Facts:
Leigh Anne says
irish_425 »
Not a dumb question – sorry I wasn’t more specific. I use light corn syrup.
Stephanie says
I just got done reading your blog (don’t know if you saw my first comment on your Cafe Rio page).
Anyway, I see that you are a huge lemon fan like myself! Thought I’d share with you a great recipe that I made last week. It is gluten free (wheat/barley/rye/oat free), but I’m sure you could easily make it with regular flour. Just omit the xanthan gum.
Here’s the recipe: Lemon Cream Coffecake
http://nograinnopain.blogspot.com/2008/09/successful-summer-recipes-its-been-too.html
I also just made this great “Garden Party Lemonade” today that I will probably post tomorrow, and I’m sure you would love it!
Thanks for sharing all your delicious recipes! I’m excited to start trying them.
Stephanie 🙂
irish_425 says
Dumb question?……..Dark or white karo syrup? Love your blog. Enjoy your recipes the best.
LuAnne says
All I can say is – Yum!
I am going to try this.
We enjoy popcorn and MM’s at our house
just like I enjoyed with your family from way
back in the day. Chocolate
is so good with salted popcorn!
Rebecca says
I never would have believed that chocolate would be good on popcorn and I love chocolate and kettle corn. Awhile ago Dale and Thomas Popcorn gave away free samples…and I was sold! I’ll have to try this recipe. It would be a fun one to give to VTing sisters.