Caramel Corn With Peanuts
This caramel corn with peanuts delivers glossy, bakery-quality caramel that stays crisp for weeks. No trip to the candy shop or fancy equipment required. It's the ultimate movie-night snack and an edible gift that'll have everyone asking for your secret recipe.
When I'm craving a snack I usually reach for Smores Rice Krispies or tortilla chips with my bacon cheeseburger dip. Popcorn is another one of my favorite snacks. This reminds me a lot of Cracker Jacks since it is made with a thick home made caramel sauce and peanuts. My version is made with real butter and sugar and is better than anything you can buy at the store. Bonus: It's super affordable too! We love it while watching movies or sports like baseball.
Because it stays crispy for days you can put some in mason jars for holiday gifts or mail it to your kiddo in college without it turning into a soggy mess. I've been perfecting this recipe for years, ever since my Amish friend brought me a batch. It's great when you're looking for something easy but impressive.
Why This Recipe Works
- Oven Bake: Baking low and slow is where the magic happens. Every kernel comes out crispy not sticky.
- High Temp Caramel: 250 or the firm ball stage of candy making means our caramel will set hard and crunchy not chewy. This gives you that satisfying snap when you bite down.
- Baking Soda: This causes the caramel to foam up. Those tiny bubbles keep the coating from becoming hard enough to require a trip to the dentist!
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Popcorn: Air-popped gives you the cleanest flavor. You can also use plain microwave popcorn just avoid the butter-flavored variety. Before you start cooking, dump the popped corn into a large bowl: the kernels will sink to the bottom!
- Brown Sugar: This is where the deep rich flavor comes from. Pack it firmly into your measuring cup. Don't use white sugar, the extra moisture in brown sugar helps create that glossy finish, and the molasses adds complexity you just just can't get from granulated sugar.
- Vanilla: Add the vanilla extract after you pull the caramel off the heat. High temperatures destroy vanilla's delicate flavor compounds.
- Baking Soda: Don't leave this out. It creates the light, airy texture that keeps the caramel from being too hard. Don't substitute baking powder it won't foam up the same way.
- Butter: Use real butter, not margarine. The milk solids in butter add richness and help the caramel brown beautifully. I use salted butter because the tiny bit of salt enhances the sweetness, but unsalted works too if that's what you have.
Storage
This will stay crispy for up to 3 weeks. Make sure it is completely cool before you pack it away as trapped heat creates steam which will make it soggy. Store in an airtight container like a glass jar with a lid or plastic container. If you live somewhere really humid save a packet of food safe silica gel from your beef jerky or vitamins and toss it in.
Krystle's Tips
- Prep Your Mise en Place: Measure out the baking soda and vanilla before you start cooking. Once caramel reaches 250 degrees you need to work fast. Having everything ready means you won't be frantically searching for the vanilla while your caramel overcooks.
- Oil Everything: Before you start, spray your mixing spoon, measuring cup, and anything else that might touch caramel with nonstick spray like Pam. Hot caramel is very sticky and this will make cleanup way easier.
- Prevent Crystallization: Sugar crystals will destroy your silky smooth caramel. While your syrup cooks, use a wet pastry brush to wipe down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan. These can cause your entire batch to turn grainy. I also like to put a lid on the pan for the first few minutes to create steam that washes away any crystals.
- Stir Like Your Life Depends On It: Once that caramel hits the popcorn, you have about two minutes to get everything coated before it starts setting. Use a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula and keep stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
- The Paper Bag Trick: My mom taught me this one. I like to put my popcorn in a large brown paper grocery bag, pour the hot caramel over it, and stir or shake it right in the bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can test the caramel the old-fashioned way. Just drop a small spoonful into a bowl of very cold water. At the firm-ball stage (250°F), it should form a ball that holds its shape but gives slightly when you press it. If it's still soft and squishy, keep cooking. If it's hard and brittle, it's overcooked.
Absolutely! Let the caramel corn cool completely first as the hot popcorn will melt the chocolate. Melt chocolate chips in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring often. Then drizzle using a fork or squeeze bottle. Allow to set for 15-20 minutes.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Caramel Corn With Peanuts
Ingredients
- 10-12 cups Air popped Popcorn Okay so substitute a 3.5 ounce bag of Microwave popcorn
- 1 cup Brown Sugar packed
- ¼ cup Light Corn Syrup
- ½ cup Butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Water
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 cup Salted Peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pop your popcorn by following the instructions on the kernels.
- Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Pour popped corn in.
- Mix together brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt , and water in a medium saucepan.
- Simmer stirring frequently until the temperature reaches 250 on a candy thermometer.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and baking soda.
- Pour caramel mixture over the popcorn. Fold in until popcorn is evenly coated. Stir in peanuts.
- Pour popcorn onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
- Cool completely. Break up and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Perfect sweet treat this summer that is simple to make! Thanks for sharing!
That caramel corn with peanuts looks like the ultimate crunchy snack! Sweet, salty, and totally addictive—I’m in!
This popcorn was the best snack. Love caramel popcorn, and it was fun making it.
Homemade cracker jack is delicious so good, my kids loved it, this is so versatile we can add anything to it.
I LOVE cracker jack popcorn and this was even better than that! I'm going to have to make another batch because my family gobbled this down in a couple hours!
A nostalgic, sweet, and crunchy homemade Cracker Jack recipe that’s easy to make and perfect for snacking or gifting.
Made these cracker jacks for my son's baseball themed party and they turned out perfect. Thank you!
I made your Homemade Cracker Jacks for movie night, and they were such a hit! The caramel coating was perfect—sweet, crunchy, and just like the ones I remember as a kid.
Cracker Jack is one of my favorite snacks of all time. I've been eating it since I was a little girl, so the bar is high for me. This is just as good if not better!
I 've found that adding 1 /4 cup molasses instead of the corn syrup gives a little bit richer flavor.
Sounds like a yummy idea, thanks for sharing Gene!
This popcorn sounds amazing! I adore flavored popcorn so much! 🙂
Thanks so much Jocelyn, it's perfect for munching!
Thanks for linking up my recipe and wow, this looks delish! Pinned!
Thanks so much for pinning Averie!