Why is my caramel popcorn not crunchy?

The longer you cook the syrup (the mixture of sugar and water the forms the base of the caramel sauce), the crunchier your popcorn will be. For very crunchy popcorn (my favorite!), stop cooking when you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the sugar mixture .

What is caramel popcorn made of?

In a large pot, over medium-low heat melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt . Bring to a light boil and let boil for 2-4 minutes (may need longer), without stirring, until caramel has thickened. (4 minutes usually does it for me.) Immediately drizzle the hot caramel over the popcorn.

How do you make Martha Stewart caramel popcorn?

In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water to a boil, stirring constantly. Working quickly, drizzle popcorn with sugar syrup, and toss. Spread popcorn evenly on prepared baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden and shiny, about 40 minutes.

Why put egg in caramel popcorn?

While some people said that she added the egg to absorb extra heat , others had different views. "Whole eggs absorb excess heat so it's an easy way to regulate the temperature balance of the other ingredients," a user wrote.

Why is my homemade caramel popcorn soggy?

Caramel corn will taste soft and chewy right out of the oven. Give it some time to cool. If it's still tasting soggy after 1–2 hours of cooling at room temperature, you may have under-baked the caramel corn . 1 hour in the oven is usually plenty.

Why did my caramel popcorn turn out chewy?

Generally, the caramel will have a higher 'water activity' than the popcorn. As a result, if you leave the popcorn for a while, moisture from the caramel will migrate into the corn . This causes the popcorn to lose its 'crunch' and become soft and chewy.

How do you fix soggy caramel popcorn?

If you like gooey/sticky caramel corn, give it a sprinkle with a good pinch of kosher salt, let it cool and start eating! If you like it crunchy, keep going. To make crunchy caramel popcorn, pour it (pile it) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Why isn't my caramel corn shiny?

A granule of sugar, over-mixing, or uncooperative clumps of sea salt can turn caramel from a glossy, shiny confection into a dull grainy heap of chewy, brown sugar crystals . Candy making, or in this case caramel popcorn making, involves a significant amount of chemistry.

Is caramel corn the same as caramel popcorn?

Caramel corn or caramel popcorn (toffee popcorn in the UK) is a confection made of popcorn coated with a sugar or molasses based caramel candy shell that is normally less than 1mm thick . Typically a sugar solution or syrup is made and heated until it browns and becomes thick, producing a caramelized candy syrup.

What's the difference between caramel popcorn and toffee popcorn?

Ingredient Differences Toffee is a product of heating sugar or light corn syrup and butter at 300F . Therefore, it tastes like light buttery, and sugary candy. The sweet buttery taste balances well with the saltiness of the popcorn. On the other hand, caramel has dark corn syrup, milk or cream, and water.

Why do people like caramel popcorn?

With popcorn, you can share the love. Whether you bust out the caramel corn for family game night or date night, it can help create memories that will last a lifetime . Food is meant to be enjoyed in good company, and with caramel corn, you can share the good times with those you care about most.

What to do if popcorn is not crunchy?

A top reason popcorn turns out chewy is because steam gets trapped in your pot when the popcorn kernels are popping. Fix this by using a well-vented lid or leave the pan slightly open to make a light and crispy popcorn.

Caramel Corn Pops Recipe (2024)

I don’t consider myself to be a betting person . . . I never seem to win those types of things.
However, there was one bet that I won- and it was a BIG bet. I am pretty dang proud of it!

Being the oldest of the six girls, I blazed the way for many family traditions. Shortly after I was 14 years old, I met a boy. He was pretty cute and I had a big ol’ crush on him. He must have liked me too because one night, he tried to kiss me. Being inexperienced in this field, I had no idea what to do . . . so, I smiled. A big, toothy smile (with teeth covered in braces).

And what happened?

My brace-face teeth got a big wet kiss. 🙂 Ha ha! He kissed my teeth!

I came home traumatized and told my parents about it. Then my dad offered a challenge I couldn’t resist. He said, “I will give you $500 if you can make it through high school without kissing a boy.”

Now as a 14 year old, $500 is a lot of money! Heck, $500 is a lot of money as a 29 year old! Ha ha! And I have never been one to back down from a challenge . . . so I accepted his offer.

The years slowly crept by, boys came and went, and I kept my end of the deal- no kissing a boy until after high school.

Of course, high school just wouldn’t be high school without people poking fun at things and this seemed to be a hot topic. I would have boys try to pin me down and be the one to kiss my virgin lips. I remember that I was even the butt of a joke at a school assembly . . . and I remember thinking that I should have never agreed to this bet in the first place . . . but I was so close, I had to keep pushing on! I was determined to show my parents that I could do this.

Graduation Day finally arrived and my lips were kiss-free. Of course, my first kiss was later that night . . . and I remember thinking “that’s it? I am so glad that I didn’t give up my money for this!” 🙂

Other than that, I haven’t won too many other bets in my life. But I am willing to bet that if you make this addicting recipe, you will be hooked. You won’t be able to stop eating it by the handful and it will be the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning and the last thing before you go to sleep . . . okay, maybe not that extreme . . . but I am pretty sure you will love it! My mom has been making this recipe for years- it’s perfect party food!

Serves: 10

Caramel Corn Pops Recipe

Make a double batch because these caramel corn pops are so good!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

PrintPin

Ingredients

8 ounces Barrel O'Fun Corn Pops These are found on the chip/popcorn aisle - not cereal.
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Pour corn pops into two 9x13" pans.
In a saucepan over medium high heat, mix together butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar.
Cook for two minutes or until it starts to bubble around the edges.
Remove saucepan from heat.
Stir in baking soda (this helps coat the corn pops) and whisk until it's completely mixed.Pour caramel mixture evenly over the corn pops and gently stir in the pan until all the pops are evenly coated.
Place pans in oven and cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
Remove the pans from the oven and dump the pops on wax paper. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 223 kcal · Carbohydrates: 35 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 10 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 24 mg · Sodium: 207 mg · Potassium: 32 mg · Sugar: 34 g · Vitamin A: 284 IU · Calcium: 23 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

Saucepan
Baking Sheet

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Join The Discussion

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jeannedelcambre says:

my coworker made this using cheetos--delicious!! we ate them all up and begged for the recipe! it's a great treat for parties and get togethers.
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Chandra@The Plaid & Paisley Kitchen says:

I love this story!! I think anyone with a daughter or son for that matter should try this out! I wish I had done that. Also I think these treats would be a great addition to any party!!
Michelle says:

I made these today, and we devoured half before I got them into a bowl. Thanks for sharing!
Pam I says:

If you live in Idaho or Utah, Clover Club also makes corn pops in bags in the chip aisle. Can't find any brand in Arizona. DARN because this recipe is so good.
Stephanie says:

Michigan has "Better Made" brand Corn pops. Love this recipe! Also try with white chocolate chips! Melt the chips, cover corn pops and spread out on wax paper. I put red and green sprinkles on them at Christmas time and give them out in cute bags. Two of my neighbors stopped over asking for the recipe that same day. Addicting stuff.

About The Author:

Camille Beckstrand

Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.

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