Homemade Caramel Corn Popcorn with Cashews and Pecans
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Homemade Caramel Corn Popcorn has been a holiday tradition in my kitchen since the early ’90s, ever since I clipped the original recipe from Southern Living and tucked it into my old recipe box. Tossed with buttery caramel, cashews, and pecans, it’s a sweet-and-salty snack no one can resist — and once you gift it, friends will ask for it year after year!
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot for Caramel Corn
Crunchy caramel corn is one of my favorite old-fashioned recipes and one that’s been a family tradition for a long time now — make it a tradition for your family, too!
It all started as a homemade gift for co-workers, teachers, and neighbors, packaged in small bags tied with ribbon. The funny thing is, once someone received a bag, they expected it again the next year!
Later, my daughters began requesting their own batches to take back to their college dorms, and now that they have families of their own, they start dropping hints for “Nana’s Caramel Corn” before pumpkin spice season even hits.
Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make this recipe practically foolproof. Follow the steps exactly and the caramel turns out perfect every time.
Just be ready to work quickly since the caramel sets fast, and always use a large pot (it bubbles up when you stir in the baking soda!). Avoid glass baking dishes — a sturdy roasting pan works best for even baking and easy cleanup.
If you love homemade treats like this one, try my Oreo Cookie Popcorn with Peppermint, classic Cheddar Cheese Popcorn, and this Puppy Chow — all easy snacks that are perfect for gifting and sharing.
Ingredient Notes
- Popcorn | You’ll need some freshly popped corn ready to go! Measure out 1 cup of un-popped kernels or 24 cups of popcorn already popped. See below for the best ways to pop your popcorn.
- Nuts | Adding pecan halves and cashews is totally optional, but they do make this caramel corn extra special!
- Butter | Use unsalted butter because we will also add a bit of salt to the recipe.
- Brown sugar | The best caramel starts with brown sugar! You can use light brown sugar or dark depending on how much molasses flavor you want.
- Corn syrup | Light corn syrup is the ingredient that helps the caramel not become grainy.
- Salt | I like to use unsalted butter and add the salt separately so I have complete control of the overall saltiness of the caramel corn. However, if you use salted butter, you don’t need to add the extra salt.
- Baking soda | Add a little baking soda to create air bubbles in the caramel, so it’s easier to coat the popcorn and helps keep it from becoming too hard.
- Vanilla extract | As a final touch, add vanilla to give the homemade caramel more flavor and richness.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chocolate Caramel Popcorn. For a tasty addition to the recipe, add milk, white, or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Maple Caramel Corn. Replace about half of the corn syrup with maple syrup for a hint of maple flavor.
- Go Nuts! Swap out the pecans and cashews for your favorites, like almonds, peanuts, or walnuts. Or combine them all for extra texture and flavor.
How to Make Caramel Popcorn Recipe
Movie night just got even better with this easy and absolutely delicious caramel popcorn from scratch!
PREHEAT THE OVEN AND POP THE CORN. First, preheat the oven to 225 degrees f and start popping one cup of popcorn kernels — using whatever method you prefer — to make a total of 6 quarts of popped corn.
- STOVETOP POPCORN. Growing up, we always made stovetop popcorn and that’s exactly what I did for this recipe. To pop corn on the stove top, heat up oil (coconut, canola, peanut, or vegetable oil) in a large heavy pot, add the kernels, cover with a lid, and shake until the popcorn is done.
- EASY MICROWAVE METHOD. You can also use microwave popcorn for homemade caramel popcorn. Just be sure to choose the kind without butter or salt.
- USE A POPCORN MAKER. If you have one, pop the popcorn kernels in an air popper or another specialized popcorn maker.
COMBINE POPCORN AND NUTS. Remove any unpopped kernels before adding the popped popcorn to a large roasting pan — you don’t want to bite into a caramel coated kernel later! Then stir in the pecans and cashews.
START THE CARAMEL SAUCE. Melt a cup of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.
BOIL THE CARAMEL AND ADD BAKING SODA. Bring the caramel mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Then, boil for 5 more minutes without stirring. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will foam up — this is a normal chemical reaction between the baking soda and the hot caramel ingredients.
COAT THE POPCORN WITH CARAMEL. Pour the caramel over the popped corn and nuts and stir well with a silicone spatula.
BAKE AND STIR. Now, it’s time to bake the caramel corn for 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring the popcorn with a rubber spatula every 15 minutes.
COOL AND STORE. Remove the caramel corn from the oven and let cool completely. Then, break it into pieces and store it in an airtight container or dig in while it’s fresh!
More Recipe Success Tips
Storage Tips
- When stored in an airtight container, homemade caramel corn will remain fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.
- Be sure to wait to store it until it comes to room temperature so the texture remains fresh until the next time you’re craving the buttery caramel sweetness!
Frequently Asked Questions
Both kettle corn and caramel corn are salty and sweet but very different. For caramel corn, you cook the caramel (butter, brown sugar, and white corn syrup), then pour over popcorn and bake. Kettle corn is made entirely on the stove by popping popcorn with white sugar and does not require baking.
Caramel corn must bake low and slow to help crisp up the caramel. Baking for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes, should result in crunchy caramel. Doing so helps the corn become crunchy and stay fresh longer.
Not really. Corn syrup is essential for preventing crystallization and keeping the caramel soft. Without it, the texture won’t be as smooth and silky as desired.
Yes, you need to bake the caramel corn. Baking helps set the caramel and prevents it from becoming soggy.
Looking for More Gift Giving Recipes?
My Thumbprint Cookie Recipe with caramel filling is always a hit during the holidays, as are these Peppermint Cookies and my Sand Tarts (pecan butter cookies). But if you’re looking for something fun that is not the classic tin of cookies, try this super easy chocolate chip Cookie Mix in a Jar!
What to Serve With Caramel Corn Popcorn
This recipe makes the perfect holiday gift for friends and family. It’s also a great way to thank teachers or friendly neighbors around Thanksgiving time.
Whether you go with clear treat bags or a simple brown paper bag tied up with a festive bow, this salty-sweet treat makes for an adorable gift. Plus, you can access printable gift tags in my subscriber library by subscribing to my newsletter (see the form below), where you’ll find these and other fun food gift printables!
Add some classic cookies, like Christmas Pinwheel Cookies, to the gift, or complete it with something for the recipient to sip on, like my Chai Tea Drink Mix.
And if you’re not serving the popcorn as a gift, toss the batch into a large bowl, gather around, and enjoy it with your loved ones for a movie night or as a fun holiday snack.
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Homemade Caramel Corn Popcorn with Cashews and Pecans
Ingredients
- 6 qts. freshly popped corn 1 cup unpopped
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. In a large roasting pan, combine the popped popcorn, pecans, and cashews.
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then boil for 5 more minutes WITHOUT stirring.
- Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will foam up — this is normal!
- Pour the caramel over the popped corn and nuts and stir well with a silicone spatula.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring the popcorn with a rubber spatula every 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Homemade caramel corn will remain fresh for 2 to 3 weeks when stored in an airtight container.
- Always use a metal pan. DO NOT bake the caramel corn in a GLASS roasting pan or baking dish because when the caramel cools, it will be difficult to remove from the pan.
- Stir the caramel corn with a silicone spatula for easier clean up and less sticking.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
