Melissa's Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe

It's National Caramel Corn Day!  I'm not sure if I've discussed this in the pass or not, but I am not a HUGE sweets eater.  However, When the mood hits me, I am all about the salty/sweet combo.  That's why I ADORE this recipe for Melissa's Homemade Caramel Corn.

It is not only delicious, but it is also light, fluffy, and crisp.  It is snacking perfection and I can't wait to share the recipe with you! Sooooo.....

Let's get started!

One of the reasons that I love this recipe so much is because it is a family recipe!  Six years ago I got this Christmas Card from my cousin Melissa.  We were having our annual baking day at my mom's house and we decided to give this recipe a try (she got one of the cards too).  OH.MY.STARS!  It was seriously the most delicious caramel corn recipe I have ever tried, and I have been making it ever since.  So when I contacted her to make sure it was okay to share her recipe, it because even more special because she told me it was actually a recipe from her Grandma Arnold.  I LOVE IT!  It's that what recipes are all about?  Sharing through the generations.

This recipe card is so well loved that I actually had to photo copy it because the original got ruined.  *lol*

 Melissa's Homemade Caramel Corn:
*Prep Time: 15 min.  *Cook Time: 1 hour *Difficulty:  Easy *Servings:  A LOT!  

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 1 c. Popcorn Kernnels
• 1 c. Peanuts (or nut of your choice)
• 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
• 1 c. Brown Sugar
• 1/2 c. Light Corn Syrup
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

Two things before we begin.  One, I halved this recipe because Melissa's makes A LOT!  This was just for Studhubs and I, so we didn't need that much.  Two, if you don't want to pop your own popcorn, you can use microwave popcorn.  

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

To begin, place a deep pot or Dutch oven over medium/high heat and add the oil.
Place the lid on the pot and allow it to get HOT.

Once the pan it hot, add the popcorn kernels.

Place the lid back on the pop and watch the magic happen!
You will need to shake the pop every few seconds.

After about 5 minutes you will have perfectly popped popcorn.

Now you can add the peanuts to the popcorn.

Now let's move on to the caramel topping.
In a sauce pan combine the brown sugar, butter, light corn syrup, and salt.
Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Then turn off the heat and add the baking soda.
**CAUTION**  This will cause the mixture to DOUBLE in size so be prepared!

It will look a little something like this.
The baking soda makes this caramel topping so light and crisp.  I love it!

Now pour the caramel topping over the popcorn and peanuts.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the popcorn into the caramel topping until everything is coated.
Seriously...I could just eat this all now, but we're not quite there.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, that has been greased, pour the caramel coated corn out on it, and spread it out in one layer over the baking sheet.

Place into the 250 degree oven and cook for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes give it a stir and...

Return to the oven.  

Repeat this process every 15 minutes for an hour. 

After an hour, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let sit for 30 minutes. 

And there you have it!
Melissa's Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe is honestly THE BEST caramel corn you will have in your life!  And how much fun would this be to make with your kids or a group of friends?  Ideal for a gift or a special movie night treat.  But who are we kidding?  I would eat this on a Wednesday afternoon just because.

And with that, I'm going in for a bite!  YUM!  Salty, sweet, crunchy, light...PERFECTION!  So celebrate National Caramel Corn Day and make Melissa's Homemade Caramel Corn TONIGHT!!

And as always...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~