Puffed Caramel Corn

Puffed Caramel Corn is the most addictive snack ever! Perfectly combining salty and sweet, you will be obsessed with this easy twist on caramel corn!

Make sure to try my Salted Caramel Corn Recipe too!

Caramel Puff Corn: The Most Crunchy Salty/Sweet Snack EVER!

This easy Caramel Puff Corn is almost RUDE it’s so good. Like stop what you are doing now and make this because OMG you are going to love it. It’s not just regular caramel corn…we’ve all had that and it’s great…but THIS. This is like puffy, crispy, salty, sweet, with a buttery flavor that sends it. 

Full disclosure, I got this recipe from a friend, who got it from a friend, who got the recipe on allrecipes I think. We were over at her house for dinner in early December and for dessert she brought out a little bowl of this unassuming treat. Well. I’m just going to say that the little bowl didn’t stand a chance.

Also, I apologize in advance because you now have a new obsession that will be hard to control.

What Makes This Different From Caramel Corn?

Well, ultimately the difference is that you used Puffed Corn instead of popcorn. AND the Puffed Corn is already buttered and salted, so you’re taking an already delicious snack and turning it into something even better. Plus, not corn kernels to get stuck in your teeth, so that’s a plus!

Where Did You Find the Puffed Corn?

The butter-flavored Puffcorn that I use in this recipe isn’t always available at my small local supermarket. But I know it’s down the chip aisle at Walmart or online at Walmart and of course you can get it on Amazon. So take a look at your local supermarket and maybe you’ll get lucky. Just make sure that you don’t buy the cheese flavored!

What Ingredients Do You Need for Caramel Puff Corn?

• Butter Flavored Puffcorn. This is kind of like Pirate’s Booty in texture, but of course not cheesy!
• Butter: Use Salted. This is a sweet and salty snack, so salted butter works perfect!
• Light Brown Sugar: The sauce that you make for this snack is essentially a butterscotch sauce, since you are using brown sugar instead of granulated. Trust me, it’s so good!
• Light Corn Syrup. I used Karo brand, but I am sure any brand is fine!
• Baking Soda. This creates a softer texture in the caramel sauce by creating tiny bubbles!

Step By Step Instructions:

The full, printable Caramel puff corn recipe can be found below at the bottom of this post, but make sure to always read through the ingredients and instructions before starting any recipe!

1. Preheat you oven to 250°F. The low and slow temperature is what makes the snack mix extra crispy without burning it! Line an extra large (15×21) baking pan (with sides) with parchment paper. Set aside. If you don’t have an XL baking sheet use 2 smaller baking sheets. You can also use silicone mats if you prefer.
2. Place the puffed corn in a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat, until mixture reaches a boil, stirring frequently. Allow the mixture to boil for 2 minutes and then remove from the heat.
4. Immediately stir in the baking soda until combined. Mixture will foam up.
5. Pour the caramel sauce on top of the puffed corn, stirring to coat evenly.
6. Spread the puffed corn onto the prepared sheet evenly. Bake for 50 minutes or until crunchy, stirring every 10 minutes.
7. Spread the puffcorn mixture on a parchment-lined counter, breaking apart any large pieces. You could even sprinkle a little sea salt on top to really amp up the saltiness, but you don’t have to because the puff corn is already lightly salted. 
8. Cool completely.

Tips For Success:

This is a very simple recipe, but I’m going to give you a few tips to make sure your snack comes out perfect. This will be the hit of your next party for sure!

• Make sure you’re using a very large baking sheet. This recipe makes a large amount of Caramel Puffcorn, and to bake it you will need plenty of surface area to ensure it gets crunchy. If you don’t have a 15×21 baking sheet (half sheet pan) split the corn up onto 2 smaller baking sheets to bake. You want to make sure that the puffcorn is in a single layer as much as possible. Otherwise it won’t get as crispy if you overfill the pan. 
• Also it will make it a lot easier if your baking sheet has sides, so when you stir the mix it will stay on the sheet!
• You will bake this for about 50 minutes, but you will want to stir it every 10 minutes. This will ensure that all the pieces are coated with the sauce and that your puffcorn will be baked evenly and crunchy!

What If I Can’t Find The Puffed Corn?

Well, certainly you could make regular caramel corn, and I happen to have a REALLY good Caramel Corn Recipe, but this recipe is for Puffed Caramel Corn, so it is a little different. But definitely keep looking. Walmart, Amazon, or even in places like QuickCheck have the Chester’s Butter flavored Puffcorn that I use!

Looking For Some More Fun Popcorn Recipes? Try These:

• Caramel Apple Popcorn
• Popcorn Cake
• Red Velvet Popcorn
• Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn

Shop this post:

• Shop Items:
• Large Baking Sheet
• Butter Puffcorn

Print

PIN for later: