Easy Caramel Puff Corn Snack
This easy Caramel Puff Corn is buttery, crunchy, sweet, and completely irresistible. Made with puffcorn and homemade caramel, it's the perfect party snack.
Ingredients
- 6.5 oz puffed corn I use Chesters brand - 2 (3.25oz bags)
- 1.5 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200°F
- Place both bags of puffcorn into a large roasting pan; set aside
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Once it is boiling, keep cooking for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so
- Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla and then stir in the baking soda. The mixture will turn foamy
- Carefully pour the foam over the puff corn and stir until well covered
- Transfer to the oven, and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, or until the puffed corn is nice and crisp
- Use a spatula to immediately place the caramel corn on to a large baking sheet lined with waxed paper and let cool completely
- Break the caramel corn in to bite sized pieces and place in a tightly sealed container to keep fresh
Notes
Tips for the Best Caramel Puff Corn
A few simple tricks will help you get perfectly crisp, buttery Caramel Puff Corn every single time.
- Use fresh puff corn. Fresh puff corn has the lightest texture and holds the caramel coating better. If it's stale, your finished snack won't be as crisp.
- Don't substitute microwave butter or margarine. Real salted butter gives this recipe the richest flavor and helps the caramel set properly. Margarine can make the coating softer and less crisp.
- Don't rush the caramel. Once the caramel reaches a rolling boil, let it cook for the full 5 minutes. This helps it develop the rich caramel flavor and ensures it sets up properly after baking.
- Stir in the baking soda last. The baking soda creates a light, foamy caramel that coats every piece of puff corn more evenly. Don't skip this step—it makes a big difference!
- Work quickly. As soon as the caramel is ready, pour it over the puff corn and stir immediately before it begins to thicken.
- Stir every 15 minutes while baking. This keeps the caramel evenly distributed and prevents large clumps from forming.
- Spread it out to cool. After baking, transfer the caramel puff corn to a wax paper- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Spreading it out helps it cool faster and keeps the pieces from sticking together.
- Let it cool completely. Resist the temptation to dig in right away! The caramel becomes crisp as it cools, giving you that irresistible crunchy texture.
- Store it in an airtight container. Once completely cool, kee