There is one recipe in my mom's arsenal that is the most sought-after of her recipes. This recipe has been so closely guarded by her that my dear husband had to reach the wizened ol' age of 40 before it was entrusted to him. So after much arm-twisting, begging, and maybe a tear drop or two, I present you with our family's super-secret Addictive Caramel Corn recipe!

Now, there are many recipes for caramel corn out there, but you will not likely find one this easy. A few basic ingredients and no candy thermometers needed... perfect for a quick sweet tooth fix or a last-minute gift. We always make a double batch.

Gather Your Supplies

  • Large Roaster Pan
  • Medium Non-stick Saucepan
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons
  • Foil

Gather Your Ingredients

  • 8 Cups Popcorn (popped)
  • 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
  • 6 Tbs Butter (salted is preferred)
  • 3 Tbs Light Corn Syrup
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 Cup Peanuts (optional)

Preparation

Step One: Preheat oven to 300°F. Pop popcorn. Spread a few sheet of foil out on your counter for cooling completed caramel corn.

Step Two: Measure out 8 heaping cups of popped popcorn into a roaster pan. Set aside.

Step Three: Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in the saucepan.

Recipe: 12 Steps to Addictive Caramel Corn

Step Four: Cook and stir sugar mixture over medium heat until it begins to boil.

 

Step 5: Continue cooking at a boil for 5 minutes. Recipe: 12 Steps to Addictive Caramel Corn

Step 6: Remove caramel mixture from heat and pour over popcorn. Toss quickly to coat as much of the popcorn as you can.

Step 7: Bake popcorn (uncovered) in 300° oven for 15 minutes.

Step 8: Take out of oven. Stir the popcorn to more completely coat it with the caramel mixture.

Step 9: Return popcorn to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 10: Remove popcorn from oven and stir a final time. If you have chosen to add peanuts, now is the time to mix them in.

Step 11: Turn popcorn out onto foil. Spread it out and allow it to cool completely.

Step 12: Break apart and store in an airtight container. Try not to eat it all in one sitting. :)

~Tonya - Tyrneathem

Tonya is a stay-at-home mom to a precocious two-year-old son that takes every opportunity to steal the spotlight. She's wife to her romantic knight in mostly-shining armor. They live in Wisconsin in a house ruled by their two crazy cats. Perhaps naming them after goddesses was a bad idea. The family's obsession with dragons inspired the name of Tonya's blog... Tyrneathem means "Children of the Dragons." The cast of characters above are woven through her posts about life, crafts, and whatever else pops into her head.