microwave caramel corn

A quick and easy way to make your favorite homemade caramel corn! This recipe uses the microwave to make it so it's fast, easy and delicious!

Microwave Caramel Corn

(about

c. brown sugar

c. corn syrup

c butter

tsp salt

vanilla

tsp baking soda

Melt brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in microwave for 3 minutes, stirring in one minute intervals.

Add vanilla and baking soda to brown sugar mixture. Mix well.

Put popped popcorn into a brown grocery bag. Pour brown sugar mixture over the popcorn. Shake bag.

Put grocery bag in microwave. Microwave for 3 minutes. After each minute take bag out and shake. After three minutes microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Shaking after each 30 second interval. Pour onto wax paper and let cool.

This easy 15 minute recipe for Microwave Caramel Popcorn is a sweet and salty treat perfect for snacking, dessert or gifting during the holidays!

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

(1 gallon) plain popped popcorn

c. butter

corn syrup

salt

baking soda

vanilla extract

Place popped popcorn in a large brown paper...

Place popped popcorn in a large brown paper bag.

Add the butter to a medium microwave safe...

Add the butter to a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.

Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stopping to...

Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stopping to stir every minute.

Working quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla....

Working quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour the caramel mixture into the bag with the popcorn. Close the bag and shake well.

Add the brown bag to the microwave and...

Add the brown bag to the microwave and microwave for 1 minute and shake. Repeat this step two more times.

Pour the popcorn onto wax paper and spread...

Pour the popcorn onto wax paper and spread out to cool.

Store cooled popcorn in a sealed container.

This Sea Salted Microwave Caramel Corn is ridiculously easy to make AND ridiculously delicious to eat. Make plenty! It will disappear faster than you can say "Ridiculously Easy Microwave Caramel Corn"!

Ridiculously Easy Sea Salted Microwave Caramel Corn

popcorn

butter (I use salted)

brown sugar

flaky sea salt (I love Maldon)

Prepare a work surface by laying out two 3-feet long pieces of parchment paper, overlapping slightly.

After popping the popcorn, transfer it to a bowl. Lift the popcorn with your hands and shake the bowl lightly so the old maids (unpopped kernels) fall to the bottom. Lift the 4 quarts of popcorn out of the bowl and transfer to a large brown paper grocery bag.

Combine the butter, brown sugars, corn syrup and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl. Place in the microwave and heat on high power for 2 minutes. Stir to combine. If the butter is not completely melted, return to the microwave for another 30-60 seconds.

After stirring, return to the microwave for 1 minute. The mixture should be bubbling up furiously by this point. Remove bowl and stir well then return to the microwave for another minute. Repeat this cooking and stirring for a total of 3 more minutes.

Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. Stir well until all of the baking soda is well incorporated. Pour the hot mixture over the popcorn in the bag. Fold the top of the bag down once and shake, shake, shake to distribute syrup through the corn.

Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bag and hold it at the top and one of the bottom corners. Shake well and return to the microwave for another minute. Repeat cooking and shaking two more times for a total of 4 minutes. Turn the popcorn out onto the prepared parchment paper. Allow to cool completely.

Sprinkle, to taste with flaky sea salt. (Just take a good pinch in between your thumb and forefinger and rub the fingers together to break up the large flakes.)

Store in an airtight container. The caramel corn will keep well for 1-2 weeks.

Easy microwave caramel popcorn! This deliciously sweet and crunchy treat comes together SO quickly for weekend movie night or a weeknight treat!

Microwave Caramel Popcorn (Easy Recipe!)

popcorn kernels (about 10 cups popped)

butter

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it very lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

(Optional) If you have an air popper, use the kernels and pop according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you don’t have an air popper, place the popcorn kernels in a large brown paper bag and fold the top over twice to seal in the popcorn.

Microwave the popcorn for 3 minutes, or until popping is about 5 seconds apart– you don’t want to burn the popcorn so make sure to listen to when the popping stops.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Heat for 1 minute, then stir. Heat for another minute and stir again.

The butter and sugar should be melted– continue heating in one-minute intervals (stirring between each interval) until the caramel is bubbling and golden brown. In my microwave this took two more minutes.

Then reduce the intervals to 30 seconds each and continue cooking until the temperature is just barely at the soft ball stage (240F). In my microwave, the total cook time for the caramel was 4 ½ minutes.

Add the vanilla, ½ teaspoon salt, and baking soda to the caramel. Stir to combine.

Pour the popcorn into the caramel and gently mix with a spatula to combine. Microwave for another 15 seconds.

Pour the caramel corn out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.

Allow the caramel corn to cool to room temperature and then break it into clusters and store in an airtight container for up to one week.

This turned out so yummy! My kids and I had fun making it too.

This is the easiest popcorn recipe I've tried! Prepared this microwave caramel popcorn for our movie marathon and everyone enjoyed it!

My family and I loved this caramel popcorn! I also loved how easy and mess-free it was to make in the microwave, thank you!

 Microwave Caramel Popcorn is the best and easiest way to make caramel corn!  In a matter of minutes you can have crunchy and delicious caramel corn.

popped corn (I used my air popper)

Pop 16 cups of popcorn and place in a large brown grocery bag

Cook sugar, syrup and butter in a medium to large glass bowl in microwave on high for one minute

Stir and repeat for a total of five minutes, should be hot and bubbly

Add baking soda, vanilla and mix until foamy

Pour mixture over popcorn in brown paper bag, stir to coat

Fold bag over and place in microwave.

Microwave for one minute and shake, repeat.

Microwave 30 seconds and shake, repeat

Pour popcorn out onto parchment paper to cool.

I need to make it dairy free. Any ideas what to use instead of butter?
I have made this recipe for years. I have found that spraying the inside of the paper bag helps too.

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Top 5 microwave caramel corn recipes from across the web

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Ridiculously Easy Sea Salted Microw...

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The most viewed microwave caramel corn recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine