Description
This festive Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn recipe combines crunchy popcorn and toasted almonds with a rich, spiced caramel coating infused with warming cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting, the popcorn delivers a sweet and aromatic treat that’s easy to prepare on the stovetop.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (not required if air popping with a popcorn maker)
- 1/3 cup popping corn (to yield 10 cups popcorn)
- 2/3 cup slivered almonds
Caramel
- 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (170g) light corn syrup (or substitute glucose)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Christmas Spices
- 3 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp allspice powder (or additional cinnamon)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves (or additional cinnamon)
Instructions
- Prepare Popcorn and Almonds: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add a few kernels of popping corn and cover. Once those kernels pop, add the rest of the popping corn and the slivered almonds. Cover and shake the pan occasionally until the popping slows to 1-2 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and transfer the popcorn and almonds to a large bowl, ensuring no unpopped kernels remain.
- Make the Caramel Sauce: In the same saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, light corn syrup, salt, and the combined Christmas spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves). Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil for about 4-5 minutes without stirring to reach the proper caramel consistency.
- Add Vanilla and Baking Soda: Remove the saucepan from heat and quickly stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda. The mixture will bubble up and foam slightly, which helps aerate the caramel and give it a lighter texture.
- Coat the Popcorn and Almonds: Immediately pour the hot caramel over the prepared popcorn and almonds. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold and toss the mixture, ensuring even coating of the caramel sauce all over.
- Cool and Set: Spread the coated popcorn mixture evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet or large tray to cool. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes until the caramel hardens and sets completely.
- Serve or Store: Once cooled and set, break into clusters if needed and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week to maintain freshness and crunch.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can air pop the popcorn using a popcorn maker and omit the vegetable oil.
- Make sure to stir the caramel continuously until it reaches a boil to prevent burning.
- The baking soda aerates the caramel, so don’t skip this for a lighter texture.
- Store the popcorn in an airtight container to keep it crisp longer.
- This recipe yields about 10 cups of caramel-coated popcorn and almonds.
Keywords: Christmas popcorn, caramel popcorn, spiced caramel popcorn, holiday snack, easy popcorn recipe