Brown-Butter Caramel Corn, Oven-Crisped

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Stovetop-popped corn tossed in a real brown-butter caramel cooked to the firm-ball stage, then baked low and slow so every kernel dries into a glassy, shattering shell instead of turning sticky. Baking soda aerates the caramel so it coats thinly and evenly, and a full hour in a 250°F oven is the non-negotiable step that separates candy-shop caramel corn from the chewy homemade kind.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
• 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as coconut or canola
• 1 1/2 cups roasted salted peanuts or pecan halves (optional)

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 250°F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Set out a very large roasting pan or your biggest stockpot — you need room to toss 16 cups of popcorn without crushing it.
2. Pop the corn: put the oil and 3 kernels in a 6-quart pot over medium heat, cover, and wait for all 3 to pop. Add the remaining kernels, shake to coat, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook, shaking every 15 seconds, until the popping slows to 2–3 seconds between pops, 3–4 minutes. Immediately pour into the roasting pan.
3. Pick out and discard every unpopped and half-popped kernel — they are the ones that break teeth later. You should have about 16 cups of popcorn. Stir in the peanuts or pecans if using.
4. Brown the butter: melt it in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, then keep cooking, swirling, until it foams, quiets, and the milk solids at the bottom turn deep golden and smell nutty, 4–6 minutes. Pull it off the heat for a moment so it doesn't scorch.
5. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, water, and kosher salt. Return to medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring. Clip on a candy thermometer and boil until it reaches 250°F (firm-ball stage), 4–6 minutes. The caramel will look thick and glossy with tight bubbles.
6. Take the pan off the heat and immediately whisk in the baking soda and vanilla. It will foam up pale and volcanic — that's the point, it makes the caramel light enough to coat thinly. Whisk just until smooth, about 10 seconds.
7. Working fast, drizzle the caramel over the popcorn in a thin stream while tossing with two silicone spatulas. Keep folding from the bottom up for about 1 minute; the coating will look streaky and uneven, which is normal at this stage.
8. Spread the popcorn over the two prepared sheets in a single loose layer. Bake at 250°F for 60 minutes total, pulling the pans out to stir and re-spread every 15 minutes. Rotate the pans top-to-bottom halfway through. The caramel will thin out and coat everything evenly as it bakes.
9. Sprinkle with the flaky salt and cool completely on the sheets, 30 minutes. It only reaches full crispness when cold — break apart any clusters you don't want, then taste. It should snap, not bend.
10. Store in an airtight container or zip-top bags at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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