Description
Celebrate the holiday season with this irresistible Christmas Popcorn Candy, featuring crunchy popcorn coated in a rich, spiced caramel with hints of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Enhanced with slivered almonds for added texture, this festive treat is perfect for sharing or gifting during Christmas gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (not required if air popping with a popcorn maker)
- 1/3 cup popping corn (approximately 10 cups popped popcorn)
- 2/3 cup slivered almonds
Caramel Coating
- 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (170g) light corn syrup (can substitute with glucose)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp allspice powder (or use more cinnamon as substitute)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves (or use more cinnamon as substitute)
Instructions
- Pop the Corn and Prepare Almonds: Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, or use an air popper if preferred. Add popping corn, cover and shake occasionally until popping slows, producing about 10 cups of popcorn. Stir in slivered almonds to the hot popcorn and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the Spiced Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt, stirring until fully combined. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for about 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and carefully stir in vanilla extract, baking soda, and the ground spices: cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. The mixture will foam and lighten in color.
- Coat the Popcorn: Immediately pour the hot caramel sauce over the popcorn and almonds in the bowl. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, quickly and gently toss everything together to evenly coat the popcorn with the spiced caramel.
- Bake to Set the Candy: Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Spread the caramel-coated popcorn mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 45-55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent burning and ensure even coating.
- Cool and Break into Pieces: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the popcorn candy to cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled and hardened, break into bite-sized pieces and store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Using less popcorn (1/3 cup unpopped) ensures a lighter caramel coverage that won’t be overly sticky.
- Light corn syrup can be substituted with glucose syrup if unavailable for a similar texture and sweetness.
- Adjust the spice quantities according to your preference for warmth and flavor intensity.
- Stirring during baking prevents the caramel from burning and helps coat the popcorn evenly.
- Store in an airtight container to keep popcorn candy fresh for up to 1 week.
