Description
Delicious Christmas Popcorn Candy featuring crunchy caramel-coated popcorn infused with warm holiday spices and toasted almonds. This festive treat is perfect for sharing during the holiday season and stays crispy for weeks.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (not required if air popping with a popcorn maker)
- 1/3 cup popping corn (10 cups popcorn)
- 2/3 cup slivered almonds
Caramel
- 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (170g) light corn syrup (substitute glucose if needed)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Christmas Spices
- 3 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp allspice powder (or more cinnamon)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves (or more cinnamon)
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add a few pieces of popcorn and wait until it pops, then quickly remove. Add the remaining popcorn, spread evenly and cover with a lid. Once the popping intensifies, gently shake the pot once. Remove from heat when popping slows to about 3 seconds between pops. Transfer popcorn (10 cups) to a very large bowl.
- Make the caramel: Preheat oven to 110°C (230°F). Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt, stirring until combined. Let the mixture bubble and simmer for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, then quickly whisk in Christmas spices, vanilla extract, and baking soda vigorously for 10 seconds until caramel foams and increases in volume.
- Combine caramel and popcorn: Pour the foaming caramel directly over the popcorn and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle slivered almonds on top and toss again until the caramel cools and begins to harden.
- Bake and crisp: Spread the coated popcorn across two baking trays. Bake for 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes to evenly coat the popcorn while the caramel re-melts and sets. If substituting glucose for corn syrup, bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use 1/3 cup popcorn kernels for a full, candy-like caramel coating; increase to 3/4 cup if you prefer a lighter coating.
- Corn syrup helps prevent sugar crystallization. Substitute glucose, golden syrup, honey, or maple syrup if needed, but extend baking time by 15 minutes for these alternatives.
- Store popcorn candy in an airtight container to keep it crisp and fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.
- For oil-free popcorn, use an air popper instead of stovetop popping.
- Shaking the pot during popping prevents burning and ensures even cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
