Planning a movie marathon or an Oscars viewing party? A big bowl of this easy Bourbon Caramel Popcorn makes for a sweet and smoky snack to beat the movie munchies.
Popcorn and movies just go together. Although I’m not really a movie buff, I can’t watch a movie without a big bowl or bag of it.
If you doubt my love, you may remember that I coordinated a bunch of bloggers to make popcorn recipes with me last summer.
And you’ve seen tons of recipes for popcorn around these parts.
There’s a recipe for you if you like your popcorn spicy, herby, fruity, cookies-and-creamy!
And you can bet your DVD collection that this Bourbon Caramel Popcorn won’t be the last.
Our family always used to be gifted those big tins of tri-flavored popcorn for the holidays, and we would fight over the last kernel of caramel corn.
This Bourbon Caramel Popcorn recipe is my current favorite for a grown-up version of that treat.
The dark and woody notes of the bourbon are beautifully intertwined with the buttery sweet caramel. So good!
Making caramel corn isn’t as hard as you’d think! I promise.
You need a bit of patience and I’d highly recommend you read the recipe all the way through. (Hey, just saying. I’m so guilty of this too sometimes.)
By the way, I finally gave in and tried microwave popping the kernels in a brown paper bag, after years of going the stove route.
Serious Eats has a great tutorial and I’m never going back. No matter how you pop your corn, plain popcorn is the way to go for this recipe!
It is so much more economical to buy a big jar of kernels for $3 than a box of, like, three ‘movie theater butter’ bags for $5.
If you’re planning a movie marathon in preparation for the Academy Awards this weekend, or an Oscars viewing party, you definitely need this Bourbon Caramel Popcorn.
Bourbon on the side is optional. (But delicious and recommended!) // susannah
Click through for the Bourbon Caramel Popcorn recipe!
Bourbon Caramel Popcorn
ingredients
- 10 cups popped popcorn see note
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup one stick unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F degrees. Spread the popcorn out onto 2 large baking sheets. Remove any unpopped kernels. Set aside.
- In another medium saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat. Add sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes. Working quickly, remove saucepan from heat and stir in the baking soda and bourbon. Mixture will become thick and bubbly. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and toss gently until all the kernels are coated.
- Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pans one at a time and stir each one again before heating for another 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Let the popcorn cool on the pan. If desired, break apart any large clusters. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
notes
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grace says
i feel like i don’t watch many movies anymore–they’re too long! if i had something like this to tide me over, it might be a different story. 🙂
anne says
This looks delicious. I may need this on Sunday for the Oscars. There are only two of us, but I might have to double this
Jenna @ A Savory Feast says
Yum! Popcorn is my go-to snack when I’m watching TV or movies at night. This version sounds incredible!
Michelle | The Secret Ingredient Is says
Loveee this recipe! I bet the bourbon and the caramel are such a good sweet treat with the salty popcorn. Perfect for the Oscars (or every night I watch tv?!)
Felicia S says
Why is my popcorn not crunchy? I added 2tbs of peach crown
Susannah says
Hi Felicia! I think it is possible you did not cook your caramel enough. It may have ended up as more of a sauce. A little longer and it would be the type of caramel to set, which gives it that crunchy texture we love. The time in the oven also helps it to set a little more. I made this recipe very recently so it does work! Hope this helps.