So it’s Thursday, but I thought it was only fair to post this recipe today since people in Utah get to see me cook it on TV! If you want to catch it, my (very short-really, don’t blink or you’ll miss it) segment will air Thursday Sept. 17th some time between 11am-12. I’ll do my best to avoid being a gigantic disappointment. If any of you imagine me in your head to look like Heidi Klum with spatula in hand, then do me a favor and don’t watch. I’d like to preserve at least some of those mental images. However, if you’d like a good laugh, there’s an extremely high chance that I’ll do something ridiculously klutzy on live television (like spill boiling sugar on my already burnt hand or drop a cuss word in Zion or something).
For everyone else–here’s what we’re cookin’ up today.
Oh yeah, it’s really good. It’s a variation of this regular caramel corn, but with all of the warm cinnamon-y goodness of fall. (Hmm…warm cinnamon-y goodness appears to be our theme this week). When it bakes, the pecans get toasted and the creamy white chocolate just makes it food-gasmic. Whip this up for all of the fall TV premiers this week (by the way, it’s not even funny how excited I am for those). (Hey, do you think I could use any more parenthesis in this post??)
*note: there are a few minor changes to this recipe as compared to the recipe on KSL. They’re both fine, I just removed the salt and added a bit more white chocolate in this version. The full recipe is typed in a printer-friendly version below!
Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans & White Chocolate
Recipe by Our Best Bites
12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)*
1 C roughly chopped pecans
1 C brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 C Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
1 stick real butter (1/2 C)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
3 squares almond bark
*You can use air popped or microwave popcorn. If using microwave, anything works, but I prefer a “natural” flavor that’s low in butter and salt.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees
Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside. And by large bowl, I mean like, twice as big as you think you really need. If you don’t believe me, then maybe you will believe the scorching hot caramel goo that’s splattered all over your hands while you’re stirring in your not-so-big bowl. Just a thought.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a big, microwave-safe bowl. Like a 2-quart bowl or Pyrex measuring bowl. Again, use a bowl larger than you think you need to avoid scorching hot caramel goo accidents. It’s really important to incorporate the cinnamon into the brown sugar at this point. For some reason, if you don’t it does crazy things. I don’t know why. Try it and then email Alton Brown and ask him if you really want to know.
Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup (or honey) over the top of everything.
Microwave on high for 30 seconds (just to soften the butter a bit) and then stir to combine.
Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.
By this point it should be nice and bubbly like this.
If it doesn’t quite look like that you can microwave it a little longer, but just beware that if you over cook it, it will reach the hard candy stage and you’ll end up with a giant clump of tasty concrete-like substance with little popcorn pieces stuck to it. Don’t ask me how I know this.
Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda.
This is where you can justify making this every day. Adding vanilla and baking soda to boiling sugar totally counts as a science project so you can check it off as a teaching moment with your children. Really. It’s about the children. Here at Our Best Bites we’re all about educating America’s youth. So you should also know that if you count how many pizza rolls or toffee chip cookies you eat it qualifies as math class. Count in Spanish and you get extra credit. And heck, if you’re doing Spanish, you should just go ahead and make taquitos to go with it. And you can’t have taquitos without guacamole. And something to wash it down with. Like I said; it’s all about the kids. If you give a mouse a cookie…
Okay, back to caramel goodness. See what happens? The vanilla makes it bubble and pop and the baking soda makes it foam up, like this:
Now take that foamy science project and pour it right over the popcorn and pecans. Stir right away, and stir lots. Take too long and the caramel will harden on you. Keep stirring until everything is well coated.
Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan.
And yeah, go ahead and pop some in your mouth, you know you want to. It will be kinda chewy and stick-to-your-teeth-like. But we’re gonna change that. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take a piece out and let it cool. “Sample.” If it’s not crunchy enough, bake for another 5 minutes. “Sample” again. This will not be the end of “sampling.”
When it’s done, give it a final stir and let it cool off for a bit while you melt your almond bark (just nuke it in the microwave according to the package directions) If you want, you can spread out your caramel corn on a clean piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil. I always do this because sometimes it sticks to the hot foil if I leave it on the original pan. I’m kind of a clean control freak and I like to have it on a nice, fresh surface.
Now, just use a fork and drizzle the melted almond bark over the popcorn mixture.
When it’s hardened (pop it in the fridge to speed that process along) break into chunks and enjoy!
This stuff is so awesome for packaging. Put it in cute bags like shown in this Halloween popcorn post, or in little tin pails, or cellophane bags with a ribbon. It’s great for bake sales and party favors too. Or just to EAT! It’s so stinkin’ addictive.
People always tell me I should sell it. I did once, at the only garage sale I’ve ever had. People apparently thought the well-packaged bags next to the “Gourmet Popcorn for $1” sign were samples. But they DID disappear real fast.
Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans & White Chocolate AKA Cinnamon Bun Popcorn
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Description
A delicious twist on our regular caramel corn, this Cinnamon Bun popcorn embodies all that is heavenly about fall! When it bakes, the pecans get toasted and the creamy white chocolate puts it out of this world.
Ingredients
12 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels) *see notes below
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
1/2 cup real butter (1 stick)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 squares almond bark
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a very large bowl and set aside.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a big, microwave-safe bowl. Like a 2-quart bowl or Pyrex measuring bowl. Use a bowl larger than you think you need.
Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup (or honey) over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds (just to soften the butter a bit) and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.
Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. When combined, pour over popcorn and stir until it’s coated. Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.**(See baking note at end of post.)
After 30 minutes, take a piece out and let it cool. Sample. If it’s not crunchy enough, bake for another 5 minutes. When it’s done, give it a final stir and let it cool off for a bit while you melt your almond bark (just nuke it in the microwave according to the package directions). If you want, you can spread out your caramel corn on a clean piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil. I always do this because sometimes it sticks to the hot foil if I leave it on the original pan. Use a fork and drizzle the melted almond bark over the popcorn mixture.
When it’s hardened (pop it in the fridge to speed that process along) break into chunks and enjoy!
Notes
*You can use air popped or microwave popcorn. If using microwave, anything works, but I prefer a “natural” flavor that’s low in butter and salt.
**I’ve experimented a lot with baking, and found that baking at 300 degrees for about 13-15 minutes works just great as well. Much faster!
I was looking for a good caramel popcorn recipe to use to for my daughter to sell at a school event and happened across this site. I laughed so much, you are awesome and you make me feel connected in some way. What a delight to read your ponderings and comments. This will for sure find its way to my Bookmarks.
Rock on!
Has anyone tried just reg butter flavored popcorn? If so how did it turn out?
BEST popcorn on the planet!!!! I was making it for a large group and made several batches. The first batch, I tried with honey, and sure, it works and tastes good, but not AWESOME! (I do not recommend using honey!!) I made most batches with Dark Corn Syrup (which has no High fructose corn syrup in it….so surely it’s a hair better than light corn syrup….right!??!), then I tried a batch with light corn syrup also, and the only difference I noticed was a tad lighter color. This stuff is highly addictive!! 🙂 My whole family LOVED it!!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!! I LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!!
LOOKS REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD
I used mushroom popcorn (gourmet ball shapes popcorn) that I special ordered. Made a huge difference. This kind is designed for heavier coatings. Aaahmazing!
How long does this popcorn stay fresh???
Also, How long do you think this will stay fresh in cellophane gift bags? Thank you in advance!
Definitely a few days if tied up well.
Is the caramel supposed to be nice and smooth? I added 1/2 t. of cayenne with the baking soda and the caramel was kind of grainy but still YUMMY! Maybe it needs to be added with the cinnamon to avoid that?
Yep, nice and smooth. Your sugar may have not dissolved? Not sure!
I have been stalking this recipe for months and months and I finally made it tonight. It is so yummy. My only problem was I think I used too much popcorn and didn’t cook it for long enough in the oven. Also I used nut pieces and next time I’ll stir them into the caramel because they are now just carmelized little nut tidbits at the bottom of my popcorn. Oh, well! This was my first popcorn experiment.
I have admired this recipe from afar for a long time and I finally made it today. I added 1/2 cup imitation bacon bits to the popcorn and pecans then sprinkled some more bits over the popcorn after I drizzled it with the white chocolate. I am shipping this to someone so I didn’t want to use real bacon. TO DIE FOR!!!
oh my gosh sooooooooooooooooooooooo good
Thank you, Thank you for this recipe!! I love it! I have made it multiple times and it is a hit with everyone!!
I have to say that aside from the amazing recipe, I enjoy your writing. Witty and fun without being too cutesy. Made me smile a bunch, as opposed to the eye rolling I usually do. Looking forward to making this.
I have made this recipe a few times.. I just have to say it is beyond amazing!!! I usually have to bake it about 10 minutes longer but that depends on how exact I was with my popcorn measurements. It is soooo good!! Unfortunately I can eat one batch myself in two days… that would be the only con.. 😀
So I made this popcorn this morning to give as a gift. I used 2 bags of microwave “natural” popcorn. I followed the directions exactly. When I went to stir the mixture into the popcorn it hardened really quickly and I had a difficult time getting all the popcorn coated. You mentioned it should be gooey at this point and my was rather dry. I went ahead and baked it and it tastes delicious….it just seems to dry and not all the popcorn is totally coated. Did I use too much popcorn, or did my microwave cook faster and it got overdone? I really want to know and then try again because this stuff is amazing!
I’d measure the popcorn because 2 bags is probably too much. That’s probably the problem. If your carmel is hard that that point, I’d cook it a little less as well.
Sarah @ourbestbites, can you use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter instead?What would make it different in taste?
You can try it. It will definitely taste better with butter, but will probably still work with a substitute. I can’t make any promises though!
So easy. So yummy. The Girl Scouts are going to LOVE this snack this afternoon!
I followed a sweet trail from this sweet collection to your blog…and I’m glad I did! Who couldn’t love a handful of cinnamon bun popcorn!!!
This looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for the idea…and the Sugar Rush!
how many calories are in this?!!!
When I made my carmel corn it came out dull and not shinny. What did I do wrong.? The recipe said to bring it to a boil and then turn the fire down to med. low. and cook for 5 min. stirring constantly. then add the baking soda and vanilly and pour over the corn. mix well and put in a 250 degree oven and cook for one hour stirring every 15 min.
You probably didn’t do anything wrong; sometimes mine comes out shiny and sometimes dull- but it always tastes the same!
First off,I just love your blog. Pretty much everything you guys post looks amazing….and your cookbook is awesome (can’t wait for the next one to come out).
Second, I tried making this popcorn just now to give as part of a homemade gift I need for tomorrow and it is so delicious! I think I’m going to have to make another batch just for me and my husband! Keep up the good work guys! 🙂
Heather L.
This is the best recipe for popcorn I have ever tried!!! THANKS SO MUCH!!!! =)
Thanks!!! This taste just like Cracker Jacks!!!! It is the best popcorn recipe I have ever tried!!! =)