Microwave Caramel Corn Recipe

2 Microwave Caramel Corn is the best and easiest way to make caramel corn!  In a matter of minutes you can have crunchy and delicious caramel corn.

We are big popcorn eaters at our house.  Some of our other favorite ways to enjoy popcorn are this Peanut Butter Popcorn.  Key Lime Popcorn almost tastes as good as the pie and this Nutella Marshmallow Popcorn is to die for!  And how fun is this Popcorn Cake, perfect any celebration.

For over 30 years my family has been making this delicious microwave caramel popcorn.  I got the recipe from my friend Pam.  We were in a mom’s group together and each month we took turns putting together a lesson, visual aids and a treat idea for everyone that could be used  with their family.

One month Pam shared her family’s microwave caramel corn recipe for the treat.  We all 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.  The whole recipe is made in the microwave!

Easy Caramel Corn

Besides being easy, what I love about this microwave caramel popcorn recipe is that it makes a dry, crunchy caramel corn.  I know there is a divided camp on caramel corn.  Some like it gooey and sticky and some like it dry and crunchy.  I’m a dry and crunchy caramel corn girl!

The other great thing about this recipe is the caramel corn is made in a brown paper bag 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!

How to Make Microwave Caramel Corn

• You will need 16 cups of popped popcorn, be sure and remove the unpopped kernels. Place in a large brown grocery store bag.

• 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 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 to cool.

Caramel Corn Flavor Variations

It is easy to dress this caramel popcorn up too.

Snickerdoodle Caramel Corn: just add a couple 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.  The white chocolate caramel corn  was a HUGE hit at a party I took it to and everyone kept asking me where I bought it.  No one could believe I actually made it!  One of our friends even suggested that maybe I should go into business and sell it.  It is easy to make, but I would rather share the recipe so you can make your own microwave caramel popcorn to enjoy!

Here are some other fun flavor caramel corn combinations I have put together.

• S’more Caramel Corn
• Gingerbread Caramel Corn
• Peppermint Bark Caramel Corn
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Caramel Corn

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Did you know I wrote a cookbook?  Check out the Holiday Slow Cooker Cookbook for 100 delicious recipes.

Microwave Caramel Corn Recipe

4.5 from 2 votes

Microwave Caramel Corn

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes

 Microwave Caramel Popcorn is the best and easiest way to make caramel corn!  In a matter of minutes you can have crunchy and delicious caramel corn.

serves: 16 cups

Prep:10 minutes

Cook:5 minutes

Total:15 minutes

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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.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 161kcal (8%) Carbohydrates: 26g (9%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 6g (9%) Saturated Fat: 4g (25%) Cholesterol: 15mg (5%) Sodium: 98mg (4%) Potassium: 54mg (2%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 18g (20%) Vitamin A: 199IU (4%) Calcium: 15mg (2%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.

Course:Candy

Cuisine:American

Keyword:microwave caramel corn

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Originally posted March 27, 2014

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