Indulge in gourmet Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn-handcrafted, sweet, and crunchy popcorn perfect for gifts, parties, or everyday snacking.
Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn Recipe
As a teenager, I remember going to the mall each Christmas season and visiting the gourmet popcorn stand and buying the crunchy Caramel Corn with a dark chocolate drizzle as a gift for myself.
The Mall -- does anyone even go to the Mall anymore?
This Caramel Corn is delish on its own but add the nuts and chocolate drizzle... and LAWD! Now it's gift-worthy.
Make 2 batches so you can fill small gift jars or gift bags for all the people you actually like in the world.
I like to save jars that aren't good for canning, but are too good to throw away or recycle, and use them to gift to neighbors, teachers, friends, and drop-in guests.
Looking for other snack mixes to mix in? Try our Sweet and Salty Snack Mix and Cupid Crunch.
Ingredients
- Butter -- because you can't make caramel coating without it
- Brown Sugar -- gives the caramel corn a more complex flavor and beautiful color
- Pure Cane Syrup or Light Corn Syrup -- Keeps the sugars in the caramel from crystallizing
- Kosher Salt -- Enhances and complements the sweetness
- Vanilla -- Adds another layer of flavor
- Baking Soda -- Creates little air pockets in the caramel for a more delicate crunch
- Popped Popcorn -- I use my favorite popcorn popper, the Atom Pop Corn Popper
- Nuts (optional) -- Add in peanuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc, if desired
- Dark Chocolate Chips -- Use any baking chip you like to mix the flavors up
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the popped popcorn and nuts onto the lined baking sheet and set aside to cool completely.
- In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar, pure cane syrup, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Not stirring is the hard part.
- Boil for 4 minutes. Use your timer -- no guessing.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract and baking soda. Be aware that the mixture will foam up, so make sure your pan has some room.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn/nut mixture. Toss until evenly coated. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Let the caramel corn cool completely.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips by heating in 30-second intervals. Stirring well after each interval. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Drizzle chocolate over cooled caramel corn and allow the chocolate to set up.
- Store in an airtight container.
Hint: Have all ingredients prepared before starting to make the caramel. The success of this recipe is all about timing.
Variations
This recipe is a fantastic gluten-free snack or treat as written. Mix up the stir-ins and drizzles to create your favorite flavor combination. Here are a few I like:
- Spicy Caramel Corn - Stir in ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper with the salt for a spicy caramel corn.
- White Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn - drizzle with melted white chocolate and shake on some sprinkles for a festive Holiday Caramel Corn that's fun to share.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Caramel Corn - In 2 separate bowls, melt ¼ cup of peanut butter chips and a ¼ cup of chocolate chips, and drizzle each on the popcorn
Substitutions
- Popcorn - If you're crunched for time, use store bought caramel corn and dress it up with drizzled chocolate.
- Chocolate Drizzled Kettle Corn - For a delicious shortcut base for this amped up popcorn. Simply add a ½ cup of sugar to your popcorn oil when popping the corn. Let it cool and drizzle with the chocolate.
- Chocolate - Use any variety of chip or almond bark you like. White chocolate, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter chips all make for a delicious drizzled topping.
Storage
Allow the chocolate drizzle to set up completely before putting this gourmet popcorn into an airtight container.
This popcorn treat lasts for weeks. Though that has never occurred in my household.
Top Tip
Prepare and measure all of your ingredients before starting the caramel, and follow the recipe carefully -- including NOT stirring the caramel while it's cooking. Success is in the details on this one.
FAQ
Make sure you cook the caramel as directed and only add to cooled popcorn. Then bake it as directed.
If it's humid, the corn can be a bit chewy. It's best eaten immediately if it's a humid time of year.
The best way to store unpopped popcorn kernels is in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. Away from light and heat.
Put popped popcorn in a zip-top bag and add a desiccant packet to the bag. These little pouches often come in medicines and are filled with silica and are NOT to be eaten, but they do absorb moisture which keeps your popcorn crunchy longer.
About ¼ cup of popcorn kernels equals 6 cups of popped popcorn.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn:
Have a Question? ❤️
Leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer you!
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Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Chocolate Drizzled Caramel Corn
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the popped popcorn and nuts onto the lined baking sheet and set aside to cool completely.
- In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar, pure cane syrup, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring. Not stirring is the hard part.
- Boil for 4 minutes. Use your timer -- no guessing.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract and baking soda. Be aware that the mixture will foam up, so make sure your pan has some room.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn/nut mixture. Toss until evenly coated. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Let the caramel corn cool completely.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips by heating in 30-second intervals. Stirring well after each interval. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Drizzle chocolate over cooled caramel corn and allow the chocolate to set up.
- Store in an airtight container.
Chuckie says
Fantastic and indulgent treat that's perfect for gifting.