Amish Caramel Corn Recipe Melts In Your Mouth (2024)

Last Updated on: February 19, 2024

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Amish Caramel Corn Recipe Melts In Your Mouth (1)

The Amish make the best, melt-in-your-mouth caramel corn. With just a few simple ingredients, you can whip up this simple holiday treat in about 1 hour.

This is my go-to recipe for every Thanksgiving and Christmas get-together. Homemade Caramel Corn is a classic. It’s also makes for an excellent gift. I like to fill up those big decorative popcorn cans and hand these out to family, friends, teachers, the bus driver, you name it.

Everyone loves caramel corn. In fact, I often have to hide it around the house. Otherwise, my family would devour it in just a few days.

You can also store it in Ziploc baggies and send it off with the kids in their lunchbox. Pretty sure this gets me some extra hugs around the holidays.

How long can caramel corn be stored?

Popcorn is one of those foods that seems to last forever! In fact, popcorn (including caramel corn) doesn’t spoil or go bad. It just loses its flavor and crispiness over time. But when you store it in an airtight container, it should last up to 3 months.

But if you’re like our family, it’s usually gone within a week. You can also fill up some Ziploc bags and pass them out as gifts.

Why is my caramel corn so sticky?

If you find that your caramel corn is excessively sticky, it hasn’t been cooked properly. Temperature and timing are very important when it comes to making the perfect batch of homemade caramel corn.

Be sure to bring it to the correct temperature. This ensures that when it cools, it dries as a shiny coating rather than a sticky sauce. Also, be sure to take your time when you bring the mixture to a boil. If you’re like me, I tend to get a little impatient. But it’s important that you keep the heat on medium and allow it to come to a boil naturally. You want a nice SLOW bubbling boil.

Tips & Tricks for Making Homemade Caramel Corn

If you use one of those large disposable aluminum pans, clean up is soooo much easier.

You can also make this with molasses instead of light corn syrup, it tastes just like the old-time Cracker Jack caramel popcorn.

Or you can use maple syrup instead of corn syrup if you prefer. Both are equally delish!

I also like to use 1 bag of plain popped corn and 1 bag of regular salty popcorn to give it a sweet-savory combo.

By using this recipe as a base, you have lots of options for mixing up the flavors! You can even add a bit of cayenne pepper to make it spicy.

This rich, buttery, sweet sensation is better than any store-bought caramel corn at a fraction of the price.

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Amish Caramel Corn Recipe Melts In Your Mouth (2)

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Amish Caramel Corn Recipe Melts In Your Mouth

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

minute

Calories

240

kcal

Ingredients

  • 7 quarts plain popped corn

  • 2 cups slivered almonds (Can also use dry roasted nuts, honey rosated peanuts, cashews, Macadamia nuts, or pecans)

  • 2 cups brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 cup butter

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Dash of cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Cook 2 bags of popcorn in the microwave. Two 3.5oz bags of microwave popcorn equals 7 quarts of popped corn.
  • Place the popped popcorn into (2) shallow greased baking pans. Sprinkle the slivered almonds or nuts of your choice on top. Set aside. You can also use roasting pans if you prefer, which makes it a bit easier to stir without any popcorn falling out.
  • Preheat the oven to 240 degrees F. While the oven is heating, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Note: It’s important not to get in a hurry and bring everything to a boil too quickly. You want a nice SLOW bubbling boil.
  • Once the mixture begins to boil, continue boiling for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the baking pans. Stir to coat.
  • Bake for 1 hour. But be sure to remove them from the oven and give them a good stir every 15 minutes.
  • After it’s done baking, line the countertop with waxed paper. Pour the popcorn out onto the waxed paper. Allow the popcorn to cool completely.
  • Store in airtight containers. It can be kept for up to 3 months.
Amish Caramel Corn Recipe Melts In Your Mouth (3)

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Amish Caramel Corn Recipe Melts In Your Mouth (2024)

FAQs

Why is my homemade caramel corn soggy? ›

Caramel corn will taste soft and chewy right out of the oven. Give it some time to cool. If it's still tasting soggy after 1–2 hours of cooling at room temperature, you may have under-baked the caramel corn. 1 hour in the oven is usually plenty.

What happens if you forgot the baking soda in caramel corn? ›

What happens if you forgot the baking soda in caramel corn? Baking soda is basically what makes the caramel corn chewy with a little bit of crunch.

How do you fix caramel that is too soft? ›

Here's how to make soft caramel harder: Put the caramel back in the pot, add 2-3 tablespoons of water, and remelt the caramel. Cook the caramel until it reaches the correct temperature, and pour it back into a foil-lined pan.

Why is my caramel corn not crunchy? ›

The longer you cook the syrup (the mixture of sugar and water the forms the base of the caramel sauce), the crunchier your popcorn will be. For very crunchy popcorn (my favorite!), stop cooking when you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the sugar mixture.

Does Amish popcorn taste different? ›

Amish Country Popcorn sells four colorful varieties: Red, Purple, Blue, and Midnight Blue. Each colored one has its own unique taste. Many people describe the Blue and Midnight Blue as sweet and the Red and Purple as savory.

Why is Amish popcorn better? ›

As a snack, popcorn doesn't impact blood sugar levels, which is great news for diabetics. Amish Country Popcorn is never genetically modified and it never includes additives or hidden ingredients -- so you can really feel good about what you're putting in your body.

How long do you microwave Amish popcorn? ›

In the Microwave:

of Amish Country Popcorn into the bottom of the bowl. Add 3 tablespoon of oil to popcorn (optional). Put the lid on the popper and place it into the microwave. Cook on high for 2 - 3 minutes.

Why is my caramel corn so grainy? ›

Why is my Caramel Corn Grainy? Grainy caramel (or crystalized caramel) happens when the sugar crystals in the caramel seize up or cling together.

Why is my caramel corn not shiny? ›

A granule of sugar, over-mixing, or uncooperative clumps of sea salt can turn caramel from a glossy, shiny confection into a dull grainy heap of chewy, brown sugar crystals. Candy making, or in this case caramel popcorn making, involves a significant amount of chemistry.

What's the difference between caramel corn and kettle corn? ›

While both caramel corn and kettle corn are sweet, caramel corn is richer in flavor and texture. Historically sweetened with molasses, caramel corn is most-often candy-coated. The thin, crunchy, sweet coating is derived from melted sugar. The coating is applied after popping.

Why won't my caramel melt? ›

Instead of stirring, you gently swirl the melted sugar around in the pan to keep it moving and avoid burn spots. The agitation of stirring can cause the sugar to grab on to any unmelted crystals on the sides of the pan, and crystallization, or chunks of sugar, form in your caramel and they won't melt.

Why does my caramel corn taste bitter? ›

If you leave the caramel until the temperature reaches around 410°F, it will start to darken rapidly, and by the end, it will become baker's caramel or black caramel, a more bitter-tasting and less sweet browning agent that's used to color all kinds of sweet products from soft drinks to gravy.

Why is my caramel corn chewy? ›

If you prefer chewy caramel corn, let it sit until the caramel has hardened. If you prefer crunchy caramel corn, Preheat oven to 250 F. and bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

How to fix soggy caramel corn? ›

If you like gooey/sticky caramel corn, give it a sprinkle with a good pinch of kosher salt, let it cool and start eating! If you like it crunchy, keep going. To make crunchy caramel popcorn, pour it (pile it) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

How do you make soggy caramel popcorn crispy again? ›

He did follow the original oven method, though, which means reheating the popcorn at 250°F for 5 minutes. He took the once-soggy movie theater popcorn out of the air fryer, and it was perfectly crunchy again.

Why is my caramel wet? ›

What's the difference between wet caramel and dry caramel? Wet caramel is made by combining sugar and a liquid and cooking them together, while dry caramel is made from just sugar, heated in a dry pan until it liquefies and browns.

Why is my corn soggy? ›

If you leave the cobs in boiling water for too long, the corn's starch content will absorb too much water and its pectin will dissolve, yielding kernels with a soggy texture.

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