Microwave Caramel Popcorn
A ridiculously easy Caramel Corn Recipe made in the microwave! This crisp, flavorful caramel popcorn recipe makes fabulous nostalgic holiday gifts.
Remember the can of caramel corn that always showed up around the holidays?
You know, that big canister of seasoned popcorn with caramel corn, cheesy popcorn, and buttered popcorn brimming the top of the can?
I loved that.
As kids we would sit by the fire, nibbling crunchy corn from the canister and play board games, or listen to my dad read stories. Such great memories are associated with popcorn.
For years I’ve been perfecting my caramel corn recipe.
I spent hours hovering over the stove-top to make sure the caramel reaches the perfect candy consistency, so it didn’t crystallize after coating the popcorn.
A good caramel popcorn recipe is a thing a beauty, but fairly tedious to make.
Until now.
A friend recently told me, her mom has always made her caramel corn recipe in the MICROWAVE.
Black out, warping noises, little birds fluttering around my head….
How many hours have I wasted sweating over the stove?
The first time I tried this method of preparing my caramel popcorn recipe, I stood shaking my head while the seconds ticked away on the microwave.
“It can’t possibly be as good.” I told myself. A self-soothing message to ease the pain of countless hours lost.
After removing the paper bag filled with caramel corn, and dumping it out on waxed paper, the verdict was in.
It is not as good as stove top caramel corn, it is BETTER.
Making your caramel corn recipe in the microwave, provides an extra thin, ultra crisp coating of caramel with even coverage.
If you think about it, shaking the caramel corn in a bag would provide astounding uniformity, over pouring the caramel on the popcorn in a roasting pan, and trying to mix the gloppy mass with a wooden spoon.
I can tell you with certainty, that I will never make my caramel popcorn recipe using the stove/oven method again.
It’s all microwave for me, baby.
You can make this caramel corn recipe with popcorn alone, or mix nuts into it for a little wow-factor.
Your friends and family will love receiving this popcorn for the holidays and will have no idea you didn’t slave away to make it.
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Microwave Caramel Corn Recipe
Ingredients:
3 quarts popped popcorn (from about 1/2 cup kernels)
2 cups nuts, optional
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 Tb. butter
3 Tb. corn syrup
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
Large paper grocery bag
Directions:
Pour the popcorn and nuts in a large paper grocery bag. Be sure to pick out any un-popped kernels.
Place the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and vanilla in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave another 2 minutes, until boiling.
Immediately stir in the baking soda and pour over the popcorn, in the bag. (The baking soda will cause the caramel to foam up.)
Fold the top of the paper bag over a couple times and shake well. Place the bag in the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Shake the bag vigorously again and microwave for 45-60 more seconds. Check at 45 seconds to make sure it's not burning.
Open the bag and pour the caramel corn out on waxed paper. Break up clumps if needed. Cool completely to harden.
*Every microwave is a little different. After the caramel corn cools completely, if it does not crisp up, put it back in the bag and microwave for another 30-45 seconds.
More Edible Gift Ideas:
Rice Krispies Peppermint Snowmen
M&M Cookies in a Jar ~Damn Delicious
Homemade Vanilla Extract ~ Averie Cooks
Banana Crunch Popcorn ~ Inside BruCrew Life
Here’s an Instagram Shot of my family cutting this year’s Christmas tree. Our friend Johnny from GardensForLiving.net helped us pick the perfect tree!
What are you doing to get in the holiday spirit?
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43 Responses to “Microwave Caramel Popcorn”
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What a cool trick Sommer – I would never think to make Caramel Popcorn in the microwave!
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love this one Sommer. Off to pin and stumble this!!
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Love the way you presented this in newspaper!
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I never would have dreamed you could make this in the microwave – so easy! I can’t wait to take some with my to my family’s holiday party. Also, I LOVE that you included cashews – I’ve been on a serious cashew kick lately.
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So cute! Love the photo of your family getting your tree!
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I’m in. I’m sooooo in.
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This is such a great no-fuss recipe for caramel popcorn. It usually involves a whole lot of utensils to make it.
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I am most DEFINITELY trying this recipe, Sommer. Because at this moment in time, believe I make the best caramel corn (stove top) on the planet. I truly hope you can prove me wrong!!
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Sommer — November 30th, 2012 @ 10:41 am
Haha! I hope so too, Brenda. You’ll have to report back!
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What?? So there is a way to get caramel corn without shaking the pot over a stove and burn it anyways? I am so IN! Totally going to try this this evening!!
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This popcorn looks so good! My hubby os a popcorn lover too, he would adore this!
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What?! What an awesome idea! I love it!
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I love brown bag popcorn, but I haven’t tried making caramel corn! And now I’m totally going to have to…
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Nice! I must try this recipe! I usually make them in the oven. This is way easier.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
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Ack! This looks amazing and easy and naturally gluten-free. Win. Win. And WIN! I think I might try with salted pecans. I love salted caramel things! Thanks for the ideas!
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I want to shake a bag of popcorn and cashews together with gloppy caramel! This sounds too fun! I love your gift idea, all wrapped up in newspaper with a ribbon – this is too creative! My family would enjoy this thoughtful, tasty treat!!
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Cool trick! I do love popcorn and adding caramel is a must!
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Love seeing your family with the tree!!! Great looking popcorn
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Can’t wait to try this! I have summer memories of the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk popcorn from Johnsons Popcorn. Miles and miles away now, I still crave that taste. This recipe could do it!
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You just changed my life. I was about to make a whole batch on the stove. I think I love you.
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I LOVE caramel corn and always say “I’m gonna make some!” yet never get around to it. I’ll get around to it now with this easy recipe. and Btw, we have the same microwave!
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Wow! What fabulous recipe and so great for the holiday time and movie night!! Great idea!
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Yes!!! My neighbor makes the BEST caramel corn but he’s one of those ‘I change what I do every time’ kind of guys so he’s never able to tell me how he does it… and I fail every time I try. But NOW! I win!! Can’t wait to try this! I just need to make sure I do it for a party so it all doesn’t stay in the house, aka I eat all of it.
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Your caramel corn looks incredible, I love the cashews!
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What a fun idea to make caramel corn in MW..beautiful family click, Sommer!
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We always make our own homemade microwave popcorn — that store bought stuff is full of chemicals, yuck. Will have to try your caramel version!
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Ah! Love it! So easy and so delicious. I just love how you packaged them too. Perfection! Thank you for sharing, sweet friend. I’m sorry I’ve been so absent. Between moving (and feeling quite sick) I’m just now catching up to over a month of blog-reading! I hope you are doing well. It feels good to be back
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Perfect for snack time! Looks freakin’ awesome!
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This is incredible! I had no idea I could make caramel popcorn so easily and now that I know… this will be deliciously dangerous
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delicious– love that you wrap it up in newspaper!
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no way, this is brilliant!
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Yum! I eat air-popped popcorn almost every day…this looks dangerously easy:)
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This is exactly how my family has always made our caramel corn! So quick and easy.
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This looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try it out. There are always alot of holiday movie watching in December. This will be a fun snack to try out
Love the idea of incorporating cashews. I am a huge nut fan.
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Omg! Super easy and totally tasty! Saw this on Pinterest and was so excited that I had a bag and all ingredients on hand. Thanks
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We tried popcorn in a paper bag in the microwave once, and the bag caught fire… :/ Not sure how everyone else gets their popcorn to work in a paper bag, but it would be awesome if it would work for me, too! lol, wary to try it again.
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So easy and so perfect as holiday gifts! That is, if it lasts that long without being eaten by me
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Looks fabulous!
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This recipe so did not work. The caramel smoked and burned onto the popcorn and it ruined the taste of the popcorn. Will not try this again.
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Made today. This is absolutely the best caramel corn recipe and easiest I have ever made. Thank you so much
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This is WAY too salty. Cut salt down to 1/2 tsp and then this is fine. With the amount of salt called for, the popcorn is completely inedible
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