Light Caramel Corn

My kids have been great lately–helping around the house without too many grumbles, doing their homework, and being nice to each other. I decided to reward them with a tasty after-school treat, so I made them this light caramel corn recipe I found on 2 Sisters 2 Cities. My kids devoured their bowls of popcorn quickly and loved every bite. My son said it was awesome & amazing, and my daughter said it was the best popcorn she’s ever had. I guess that means I’ll be making this caramel corn again.

Light Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• ½ cup corn kernels, when cooked, should be about 12 cups of popcorn
• ¼ cup of unsalted butter
• ½ cup of brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

How to Make Light Caramel Corn

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, then coat it with cooking spray.

Heat the coconut oil in a very large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is HOT, add the corn kernels and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat the corn kernels.

Place the lid on the saucepan and shake the pan every 10-15 seconds until the corn starts to pop. Once the kernels start popping, shake the pan continuously and vigorously. Listen closely to the popcorn. When you hear the popping begin to slow, 1 to 2 seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat. DO NOT wait for every kernel to pop or you’ll burn the popcorn. Take the saucepan off the heat and pour popcorn into a large bowl.  Set aside.

Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup, then stir until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer for 4-5 minutes without stirring.

After it has simmered, stir the mixture, and continue simmering for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. The caramel mixture will turn a deep golden brown color. Turn off the heat and add the salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract; stir well.

Once the caramel is all mixed, pour it over a large bowl of popcorn. Stir the caramel into the popcorn evenly. Work quickly because the caramel will start to dry and harden. Be careful–the caramel is HOT! Side Note: As it bakes, you’ll be able to spread the caramel out more.

Spread the popcorn out on the lined baking sheet, and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to spread the caramel around and to break up the clumps. The finished popcorn will have a deep amber color.

Remove from the oven and let the popcorn sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to cool.

Break up any clusters and pour them into a serving bowl. Enjoy!