Easy Homemade Amish Caramel Corn Recipe
Audrey loves creating new flavors by tweaking recipes to include healthier ingredients. But everyone deserves a sweet treat now and then!
Caramel Corn Recipe
Here is a super easy Christmas candy idea that you can make ahead, store in airtight containers, and then incorporate as part of a gift basket or a stand-alone gift in decorative tins or pretty bags!
Ingredients:
- 6-7 quarts (24-28 cups) of freshly popped PLAIN popcorn (I use an air popper)
- 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt if desired
- 1 cup margarine or butter (2 cubes)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the popcorn in two shallow greased baking pans, jelly roll pans, disposable roasting pans, or even a large roasting pan.
- Add the peanuts to the popped corn. Set aside.
- Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter or margarine, cream of tartar (if used), and salt in saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend.
- Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla—you can beat rather vigorously. The mixture will become light and foamy.
- Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pan(s) and stir to coat. (Don't worry at this point too much about getting ALL the corn and nuts coated)
- Bake for 1 hour. Every 15 minutes, remove the pans from the ovens and give them a good stir.
- Line a counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces.
- Allow to cool completely and then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.
Amaretto Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients:
- 3 quarts popped popcorn
- 1 cup unblanched whole almonds
- 1/2 cup margarine or butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup Amaretto
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Arrange popcorn on two jelly roll pans; sprinkle almonds over popcorn.
- In small saucepan, melt margarine over low heat; stir in the brown sugar and Amaretto.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Pour over popcorn; toss until thoroughly coated.
- Bake at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour; spread on foil or wax paper to cool. Store in loosely covered container.
Chocolate Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients:
- 5 quarts popped popcorn
- 1-1/3 cups brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cups butter, divided
- 2-1/2 cups light corn syrup, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
- Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.
- Place the popcorn in the roasting pan and keep warm in the oven.
- In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup corn syrup. Heat, without stirring, to 250 to 265 degrees F or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball. (Suggest using a candy thermometer)
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour syrup over popcorn and stir to coat. Return popcorn to oven.
- In the same saucepan, combine chocolate chips with remaining 1/2 cup butter and 2 cups corn syrup.
- Cook, stirring, over medium heat, until chocolate is melted.
- Remove from heat and quickly pour over popcorn, stirring to coat.
- Return popcorn to oven for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove and pour out onto waxed paper lined sheets to cool completely.
Comments
Rachel on October 19, 2015:
Is it hard to clean the pans when done?
Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on August 09, 2012:
That sounds great, Laura---more good ideas~
lauramaryscott from Boise, Idaho on August 09, 2012:
akirchner, I like to make a four-bean salad. That recipe calls for a small jar of pimientos. Those litte jars I save just for broken-glass candies. I plan to write a HubPage on this in a day or two.
moonlake from America on August 09, 2012:
They all sound so good. Thanks for sharing your recipes. Voted Up.
Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on August 09, 2012:
Thanks for reading all my candy recipes, Laura - it is a great idea putting them in little tiny jars~
lauramaryscott from Boise, Idaho on August 09, 2012:
akirchner, thank you for sharing your recipes. I haven't made broken-glass candy for years. I plan to read that recipe next. One Christmas season when the budget was too lean for gift giving, I made several batches of boken-glass candy; different colors and flavorings. I filled little baby food bottles with the candies and tied ribbons around the neck of the bottles. The different colors in each bottle looked pretty and the contents sparked a lot of chatter and fun for the kids and adults. Thanks for sharing.
Audrey Kirchner (author) from Washington on November 08, 2010:
I don't just because I'm not a spice girl....well, not that way - but I'll have to look into it, Lela!
Lela from Somewhere near the heart of Texas on November 07, 2010:
Do you have a recipe for the red hot popcorn? I love that stuff! I would eat bags of it at airports. The caramel kind is yummy too, but too sweet.
Steve Leveen on October 29, 2009:
I'm gaining weight just reading this. Almost as tempting as malted milk balls.