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.