Description

This homemade honey caramel corn recipe proves you don’t need corn syrup for perfectly crunchy, golden results. Using natural sweeteners like honey and brown sugar, this healthy caramel corn alternative delivers the classic taste you love while being a better-for-you party snack option.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 cups freshly popped popcorn
1/2 cup Blue Diamond Honey Roasted Almonds, roughly chopped, optional
1/2 cup Blue Diamond Lightly Salted Almonds, roughly chopped, optional
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the popcorn and almonds in a large bowl and set aside while you prepare the caramel. I recommend using the largest bowl you have to make stirring the caramel in cleaner and easier!
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, honey, and salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let boil for 4 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, heat the sugar mixture until it reaches 300°F (hard crack stage) for maximum crunch. Watch carefully as it can burn quickly. Look for a deep amber color, but not dark brown.
Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. This will cause the mixture the bubble up so stir rapidly until you have a thick, smooth caramel sauce.
Quickly pour over the popcorn and almonds, stirring as you pour to cover it all in the caramel mixture.
Divide the mixture between the two prepared baking sheets and spread into a mostly even layer. Bake for 1 hour, stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes and rotating the sheets if they’re on different levels in your oven.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely before serving. Keep stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes

For storage: Allow to cool completely before storing. Keep in an airtight container. Your caramel corn will stay fresh and crispy for up to a week at room temperature.