Soft Caramel Popcorn

There have been so many times I have made dinner or a dessert and I've wanted to put pictures and a recipe up on the blog. But my pictures just haven't been great, so I always put it off. Now that time is over, thanks to my new camera!

This popcorn is so soft, gooey, and addicting! And since it's so gooey, once you grab a handful...you're committed! The bad part is, it makes a lot. Better watch out if you're watching a movie and not paying attention, you'll eat the whole bowl before you know it! (At least that's what we did!)

 The original recipe says that a good heavy saucepan and a high quality rubber spatula really make a difference when making this recipe.

Soft Caramel Popcorn

3 bags microwave popcorn, popped

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Pop popcorn according to package directions and make sure you get rid of any unpopped kernels. We prefer the movie theater popcorn, but it’s good with really any kind of popcorn. This seems like a lot of popcorn (and it is!) but trust me, it will get eaten! Place popcorn in a large bowl… larger that you think you will need.

In a large saucepan, melt together the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Bring mixture to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce to low/medium heat and add the can of sweetened condensed milk. With the rubber spatula, stir constantly for 5 minutes scraping the sides and especially the bottom of the pan to prevent any burning. The longer you cook it, the firmer the caramel will be. I like to cook it right around 5 minutes, so it’s still a little soft.

Pour caramel over popcorn and stir until it's coated. This will take a lot of stirring to get it all incorporated.

It's great warm or at room temperature. Feel free to add M&Ms, nuts, or drizzle it with chocolate. For an extra treat, grind coarse salt over the top while it's still hot to make a salted caramel treat. This is our favorite way, and oh so classic. Enjoy!

When we made it, I used all the popcorn, but not quite all the caramel. So we saved the extra for a special ice cream treat one of these days! Mmm, so good! Or you could also make soft, formed caramels, pressed into a pan lined with parchment paper - We are trying some like this too. They are in the fridge right now, firming up. We'll see how they turn out and I'll let you know!