ACF Certified Promise: The Best Homemade Caramel Popcorn Recipe on The Planet
My grandma Maude would have been 110 this past October. She lived to be 93. Gone 17 years and I miss her every day. She taught me so much more than how to make caramel popcorn and there is nothing like a Grandmother’s love, is there?
Up to Edmonton on the bus she would come, year after year, for the Christmas holidays, a huge box of popcorn cakes in tow. Oh, my!
Lauren makes them and gifts them to her friends every year, as I have for years, as well, though I certainly do not make as much of anything as I used to.
This year was a little different and reminiscent of old times. A good gal pal of mine, Su, wanted to get together to make homemade gifts for her friends for Christmas. Now, Su has zillions of friends and is always doing the sweetest and most thoughtful things for everyone she knows, so I was so honoured and tickled to have an entire day to spend making caramel popcorn with her for her friends. Of course, we made some for me, too. Ten batches for her, two batches for me and the week prior, 5 batches for me. When I say “me”, I have two left for my family at this house, but that is plenty!
Grandma Maude’s Caramel Popcorn: Mis en Place is important if making batches!
It took only an hour for Ragan and me to make 5 batches after I had everything prepped and ready to go. That part took me 90 minutes. So, about 1/2 hour per batch is a fair time estimate. Of course, the more helpers you have, the faster the process. And one batch? This is not a recipe where one will ever be enough. It is just that scrumptious.
I often pop the popcorn the day prior, and place the portion for each batch in its own plastic bag. We definitely buy and quarter 1/2 cup red and green jujubes per batch a few days in advance and I portion them out in small baggies or cups, as well. The nuts are measured, toasted then portioned. The day of, I butter a big bowl for mixing the caramel popcorn generously, place one batch of the popped corn in it, and carefully sprinkle the red and green jujubes over the top. I have learned not to mix them into the popcorn, as they are heavier than the popped corn, and will immediately fall to the bottom of the bowl making it much more difficult to evenly distribute their colourful fruity goodness.
Certainly, there is no need to pre-measure the vanilla if you are just doing a batch, or two. But, with 3 or more batches, it is easier. The baking soda is also premeasured, then poured into the top of the nuts as the caramel cooks. Immediately upon reaching temperature, the heat is turned off and the nuts and baking soda are added and stirred into the caramel, then the vanilla is also added. The distribution of the baking soda is more thorough when on top of the nuts, not when mixed into the nuts.
Everything to be added to the caramel mixture is placed beside the stove top to be easily accessible when the caramel reaches its temperature.
Grandma Maude’s Caramel Popcorn: Making the Caramel Sauce
The mis en place for each batch of caramel sauce in each individual bowl is transferred to a heavy pot when ready for the next batch. Heating it for 40 seconds before moving it into the heavy pot helped thin out the viscosity of the corn syrup and the ingredients plop into the pot with the aid of a spatula.
I have also learned the hard way that one candy thermometer is never enough. I always use two when making any candy. I have 4 here, but this year, only two were working properly. It is true that the ice cube soft-ball test will work, but that takes longer and is “iffy”. When working in batches, it is faster and more consistent to have the thermometers.
Very technical. Love the thermometer on my hood fan, and you can see Ragan’s hand, to the left holding the infra-red thermometer which worked like a charm as second confirmation.
No need to stir at all once ingredients are melted.
Grandma Maude’s Caramel Popcorn: Making the Caramel Corn
That was fast! As soon as the sauce reaches temperature, take it off of the heat, dump the toasted nuts with the baking soda into the caramel, and stir rigorously. Add the vanilla and stir to combine, then immediately move to the heavily buttered bowl with the popped corn and red and green jujubes and pour the caramel over the top of it.
Using a wooden spoon or a silicon spatula, stir gently but swiftly to coat every kernel of popped corn while the sauce is still very hot and moving easily, then butter your fingers and press it gently onto a parchment covered cookie sheet or into a well-buttered angel food cake pan. Set outside to cool.
Grandma made the popcorn cakes for years and years until mom started making them for friends and packed the batches away in ice cream buckets. Then, Grandma would arrive with a large box laden with ice cream buckets over-flowing with popped caramel corn. My sister and I would sit in the family room in the basement, well into our adult years, watching TV, double-fistedly shoveling the gooey goodness into our mouths. Of course, we couldn’t talk. Ohhhh, there was nothing like Grandmas’ caramel popcorn!
Somehow, it isn’t the same when I make it. But of course, it tastes the same. Eating it just isn’t as pleasurable without Grandma’s touch.
One year, Luciana and I made 50 of these cakes together. Prepped the day before and made 50 the next day. I had each earmarked for gift giving, but I think she had already other gifts for most of her pals, as I do believe she still had some piled in her garage months later. Suffice it to say, we never made close to that many again. Each batch has 11-12 cups of popped corn, so three lovely gifts can be made of one batch, in reality. Twelve small popcorn balls can be made from one batch, too!
Grandma Maude once asked me if I wanted a snack when I was sleeping over at her house, and she made popcorn balls at 10 o’clock at night! Popcorn balls! Who does that? Grandma Maude, that’s who! When the family comes home, before their coats are off, they are eating some caramel corn. This will always and forever be a Christmas treat at our home during the holidays and we all remember her warm, fluffy tender hug! Would love to hear about your family holiday sweet munchy treats. Care to share?
Grandma Maude's Famous Christmas "Poppycock" or Caramel Popcorn
Grandma Maude's "Poppycock" or "Popcorn Cakes" are an integral Christmas family tradition: the best Caramel Popcorn recipe you will find on the planet! Friends and family look forward to their Christmas “Poppycock” gifts. She used to butter an angel food cake pan generously, and pour hot coated corn directly into the pan (pressing gently to push out holes). Then she would wrap these "cakes” and gift them. Each batch makes one angel food cake pan full. This is usually a production at our house. We never make less that 4-5 at once.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Caramel Corn:
- ½ cup corn or 11 cups popped corn
- 1 cup of salted mixed nuts , toasted
- ½ cup red and green jujubes (if using Santa faces, cut each into four)
- Butter for buttering pans , bowls and hands
- Parchment paper
Ingredients for Caramel Sauce:
- Place the following in a heavy sauce pan:
- 1 1/3 cup golden brown sugar
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup golden corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Prepare in Advance, per batch
-
Pop 11 cups of popcorn ( ½ cup of kernels popped in oil makes about 11 cups of popped corn)
-
cup of salted mixed nuts, toasted
-
½ cup of red and green jujubes (if using Santa faces, cut each into four)
-
a buttered mixing bowl (place popped corn into this bowl and sprinkle pre-cut jujubes over top of corn)
-
a cookie sheet, buttered well, or layered with parchment paper
-
candy thermometer (2, if making a few batches)
-
wooden spoon
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Place ½ teaspoon soda and 1 teaspoon vanilla beside bowl with corn and jujubes for immediate addition to sauce once removed from heat
Instructions for Caramel Sauce:
-
Place first 4 ingredients into heavy pan, insert candy thermometer, and bring to a boil on medium heat to 250 degrees, just before hard ball stage, or right at it
-
While watching the thermometer, place cup of toasted nuts nearby, empty 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda into nuts; move vanilla beside nuts to be ready to add immediately into caramel once temperature is achieved
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Watch thermometer; once temperature is achieved, double tempo: immediately remove from heat…
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*Watch carefully: it takes quite a while to approach this temp, then is suddenly there (if higher temp is achieved, a very brittle product results)
Instructions for the Caramel Corn:
-
Immediately remove caramel from heat; add soda, vanilla, nuts and stir very quickly to combine
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Pour sauce over popcorn and jujubes; using wooden spoon, stir rigorously and gently to coat all kernels
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Lay well coated kernels onto parchment covered (or well buttered) cookie sheet, and flatten gently
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Cool; break into smaller pieces and pack in airtight container
Recipe Notes
Freezes Well
especially if in a mold; mold in well buttered angel food cake pan, unmold and wrap well in plastic wrap, then freeze
Molds Well
If molding: butter mold generously, pour hot coated corn into mold, press gently to push out bigger holes, cool, and wrap (to eat, heat on low in microwave to pull apart)
For Gift Giving
Pack into generous cellophane gift bags; 1 batch is equivalent to 12 popcorn balls, thus easily gifts 2 generously
I also have a batch preparation sheet written up for when we made 10 with Su this year. Let me know if you would like a copy, and I will send it your way!
I’ve made your seafood salad for Christmas the past two years. it is delicious. thank you! This year I added tiny grape tomatoes which made the salad look very festive. Please email me the recipe for 10 of the caramel corm, this is one of my favorite treats. Thank you
So happy to hear this, Alison. Recipe prep for 10 of the caramel corn mailed to you in ONE minute. Please, if you don’t mind – if you haven’t already done this, comment about the Seafood Salad on that page? It provides such credibility to other readers and promotes confidence in the recipe. Love to hear you love this recipe, too!
🙂
Valerie
Can you tell me when you add the cream of tarter to the Mixture? I don’t see it mentioned in the instructions. Thank you.
You will find it under the heading “ingredients for caramel sauce”. Let me know how it turns out for you! This recipe is famous and a coveted gift in our family and friendship circle.
Happy Holidays, Amy!
🙂
Valerie
I havent made this yet but I did read that recipe like 5 times and I never saw where it said to add the cream of tartar either. It’s in the ingredients list but not in the recipe directions…
Hi Kaylin
Under Instructions for the Caramel sauce: “Place first 4 ingredients into heavy pan, insert candy thermometer, and bring to a boil on medium heat to 250 degrees, just before hard ball stage, or right at it”
The cream of tartar is the fourth ingrdient.
Hope this helps. Really delicious family tradition at our house and never came across a recipe close to ours.
Love to hear back from you if you make it!
🙂
Valerie
It was so nice to hear about Grandma Maude coming up on the bus to Edmonton for Christmas each year. I’m in Yorkton, SK. Couldn’t help but think how sad our STC busses were cancelled. Many seniors depended on them. Can’t wait to make Grandma maude’s popcorn cake!
So true, Alana. My dad actually drove bus for 44 years. He was such an intelligent, artistic and talented man. His parents immigrated from Ireland in 1924. He was born in 1929. They came to escape dire poverty just in time for our Canadian “dirty thirties”. He was pulled out of school at 13 to work in the farm as his then 18 year old brother was conscripted to the army. He left home at 17… found his way from Saskatchewan to Red Deer Alberta and started working as a taxi driver, soon to work for Sorenson bus lines in those days… then Cardinal… then Coachways… then Greyhound. Always one bought out by the bigger company. He made a very good living driving bus and was loved by so many.
🙂
Valerie
I would most greatly appreciate the 10 batch recipe! Thank you kindly.
The 10 batch recipe is the same, Miranda.
I simply pop 10 1/2 cups of popcorn the day prior… and put in a double bag garbage bag, sealed tightly. Each will make 11 cups of popped corn or a little more. Then, as you see in the images – I make 5 at a time. I put all of the ingredients, as described along with the images in each of 5 bowls, respectively. I prepare the caramel sauce bowls (10 usually) with the exact per batch ingredients. Then get 5 large bowls out, butter them. I chop or slice the red and green jubes and have them divided into 10 ziplock bags a day or 2 prior. I toast the nuts and also divide into little baggies. I have the vanilla and baking soda beside the stove with 2-3 candy thermometers and 2 heavy pots on the go at the same time. I start them both and accelerate one and slow the other until the first is done. When the first caramel sauce reaches temperature, I hold the other at a lower temperature. Immediately add the baking soda, vanilla, and nuts – if I add nuts to the batch – and move to pour over the buttered popcorn-filled bowl with jujubes evenly distributed in it. I do this while waiting for the caramel to heat. After ensuring quickly, and gently, that all kernels are covered with syrup, I place all on a parchment covered cookie sheet and usually sit outside to cool. I then turn, bring up the heat on the other heavy pan on the stove a little, wash the pan just used and dry it very well. Get the new ingredients and thermometer into it and watch the temp on the first one closely. I love my thermometer that beeps when ingredients reach temperature. Meanwhile, I get the popcorn measured, into a buttered bowl, evenly distribute the jujubes and am ready for batch 2. I keep this pace up – and it is fast – I can do 10 in 2 hours. After completing 5, I wash the big bowls, regroup and continue with the last 5. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes!
Sincerely,
Valerie
Can this recipe be frozen?
No need Steph,
This will last several months in a well sealed container.
🙂
Let me know how you like it!
Valerie
Thank you for the beautiful memory and recipe.. My question is have you ever tried using trail mix..For example mixed nuts with choc candies?
Never have – I am a traditionalist, but think if the chocolate was candy-coated (m and m), it wouldn’t melt in the caramel and would be delish!
🙂
Valerie
OMG!
Wow, what a recipe!! Simple is best, as we are learning through this Covidian era. Preparing for Christmas and chose this recipe to be “the one” for 2020. This secret recipe shared from one family to another will instantly became a new family tradition for ours!!
Thank you!
PS; any suggestions HOW to stop sampling?!
🙂
HAHAHAHA – we’ve just made a couple of batches for Halloween this year – and there isn’t a recipe out there close to this one, in my humble opinion. Glad you love it like we do, Denette!
Hugs,
Valerie
You touched my heart. This is why we do what we do, here at our house – and this year, oh, dear. My grandchildren cannot be with us because they live in the US.
I am going to prepare a box of the tastes of home to send. There is nothing like family food tradition. Love to hear this will be one of yours.
BIG VIRTUAL AIR HUG
Valerie
This turned out perfect! I really appreciated all the detailed instructions and now having made it once it will be very easy next time. And there will definitely be a next time!
SO SO happy to hear this Barb!
A family favourite and happy to hear it might be one of yours, now, too!
Happy Holidays,
Valerie