This was my first time making caramel corn and I can't believe what an easy treat it is to make. There is no baking involved, and you don't need a candy thermometer.
I used a basic caramel corn recipe that calls for white sugar, and added green food coloring before boiling the sugars together. This treat would be great for any holiday: red caramel corn for Valentine's Day; red, blue and white (regular) for the 4th of July; red and green for Christmas. It would also make a fun birthday treat in the birthday child's favorite colors, or party theme colors. Or, team colors for super bowl!
St. Patrick's Day Green Caramel Corn Ingredients
- 8 cups popped plain popcorn*
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*I made two batches of DIY microwaved popcorn.
St. Patrick's Day Green Caramel Corn Instructions
First, get your popcorn popped and ready. Scoop it out of the bag or pan into a bowl, being careful to leave behind any unpopped kernels.
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in corn syrup and sugar. Once the sugars are melted together, add food coloring until the desired color is reached.
Bring the ingredients to a boil and boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
Stir in the baking soda and quickly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn in the bowl. The purpose of adding baking soda to the caramel is to make it foamy. This helps it coat the popcorn better.
Stir the caramel thoroughly into the popcorn. This is a good step for kids to help with.
Once the popcorn is coated, pour it onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Smash the popcorn down onto the sheet. When it has cooled, break into smaller pieces. This is another part that is fun for the kids to help with.
Store your green caramel corn in an airtight container, or wrap it up for a cute and frugal St. Patrick's Day gift.
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