Caramel Popcorn without Corn Syrup!

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Sweet and salty caramel popcorn without corn syrup is the perfect treat for movie nights, sports games, and holiday potlucks. Plus the easy caramel sauce is vegan!

Let me tell you a little secret. My nickname as a kid was popcorn-head, because I was utterly obsessed with popcorn. So when I came up with this recipe for homemade vegan caramel popcorn without corn syrup, I was ecstatic!

This caramel corn recipe tastes similar to Werther's caramel popcorn, like the kind you can buy at Epcot. Plus this homemade caramel corn tastes way better than store bought versions, since it is warm and fresh.

And if you're looking for more easy snack ideas, try 4 ingredient peanut butter oatmeal balls or chocolate and peanut butter frozen yogurt bark.

Why This Recipe Works

Since 2020, I've been developing foolproof recipes for beginner home cooks. One of the things I was most afraid of when I was new to the kitchen was getting burnt or burning my food (or both).

Making caramel at home can be tricky. Sometimes super hot caramel can splash out of the pan and cause burns on your skin. But I've found a way to avoid this! This vegan caramel sauce doesn't have to boil. Just heat it and stir until it's smooth. Then it thickens as it cools.

And by baking the caramel popcorn in the oven on low heat, we get crispy, crunchy caramel corn. No burns and no soggy popcorn! :p

Ingredients

Vegan Caramel

• Vegan butter - you can use regular butter if you don't need to keep your caramel vegan
• Brown sugar - adds a sweet, rich, caramelized flavor
• Salt - balances the sweetness

Stovetop Popcorn

• Oil - use an oil with a high smoke point like coconut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil
• Popcorn kernels - there are tons of varieties of popcorn kernels available, depending on your flavor and texture preference
• Salt - seasons the popcorn so its delicious flavor shines through

How to Make Caramel Popcorn

1. Make the caramel sauce: Melt the butter on medium heat in a sauce pan. Stir in the brown sugar and salt until it is smooth, after 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Cool the caramel sauce: Remove from the heat and let the caramel sauce cool and thicken.
3. Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Heat the oil: In a metal bowl, large pot, or Dutch oven, add the coconut oil and two single popcorn kernels. Turn the stove on to medium-high heat. Once the popcorn kernels pop, the oil is hot enough.
5. Pop the popcorn: Add the rest of the popcorn kernels and immediately cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Wearing oven mitts to protect your hands, shake the bowl, pot, or Dutch oven vigorously back and forth. Keep shaking until there is a three second pause in between each pop.
6. Season the popped popcorn: Remove from the heat and season with salt.
7. Add the caramel: Pour the cooled caramel mixture onto the popcorn and stir to fully coat the popcorn.
8. Bake until crunchy: Spread out the caramel popcorn onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake it for 20 to 25 minutes, until the caramel corn is crunchy.

Recipe Tips

• Remove the popcorn from the heat once there's three seconds in between each pop.
• Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
• You can use microwave popcorn, but easy homemade stovetop popcorn is a lot healthier!
• Pick out any un-popped kernels you see. Biting into a kernel can be painful!

Recipe Variations

• Add nuts, M&M's, or dried fruit to your caramel corn for extra variety in texture and flavor.
• Add peanuts to make your own Cracker Jacks.
• Drizzle melted white chocolate and rainbow sprinkles on top for birthday cake caramel popcorn. (Sweet tooth overload!)
• Add crunchy apple chips for delicious caramel apple popcorn!

Storing

This easy homemade caramel popcorn is best served fresh, since it can lose some of its crunchy texture over time.

Freezer: You can freeze caramel popcorn too! Store it in an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Reheat: To reheat leftover popcorn, warm it in a saucepan on low heat for 5 minutes on the stove. Or reheat it for 5 minutes in the oven at 250°F, spread out on a baking sheet.

Fridge: There's no need to refrigerate caramel popcorn. Storing it in the fridge could cause it to become soggy.

How Do You Make Popcorn Without a Microwave or Popcorn Maker?

In my opinion, the best popcorn is made fresh on the stove. Forget the packaged microwave popcorn full of harmful chemicals. Just grab some oil, a large pot or metal bowl, and away we go!

My preferred method is with a large pot or Dutch oven, since it has handles to easily shake while the popcorn is popping. However, you can use a metal bowl to make popcorn on the stove, which is the cookbook author Alton Brown's favorite method.

Tips to Making Popcorn on the Stove

Patience is a Virtue

I worked at a popcorn stand during high school. From that experience I learned a few tips to avoid burnt popcorn or too many un-popped kernels.

First, have patience. Add two or three kernels to the oil in your pot/Dutch oven/metal bowl. As the oil heats on medium heat, eventually you'll hear those test kernels pop. That lets you know the oil is hot enough to add all the rest of the popcorn kernels.

Shake it Baby

Once all the kernels are added into the hot oil, quickly add the lid and begin to shake your pot. Do not stop shaking! This is a great arm workout too.

As you shake, the heavy un-popped kernels drop down to the bottom so they have more contact with the hot oil to pop.

Pop it Like it's Hot

I wait until there are three full seconds that pass in between each popping sound. This is when I deem the popcorn sufficiently popped and remove it from the heat.

But watch out - I recommend to leave the lid on for a final 20 seconds, just in case there are a few rogue kernels about to pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes with Caramel

• Vegan Caramel Apple Dip
• Caramel Miso Scones
• Caramel Banana Pancakes
• Vegan Baked Oatmeal with Caramel
• Vegan Butterbeer topped with Caramel Drizzle
• Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Vegan Caramel Apple Crisp