Caramel Corn with Almonds
Sweet, buttery, crispy and a little salty, this homemade Caramel Corn with Almonds is the perfect treat to enjoy while bingeing your favorite show or movie. This traditional sweet treat is ready in about 30 minutes and comes together quickly. Learn all my tips and tricks of how to make caramel corn here.
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2025 Update: This recipe was originally shared in April 2013. The recipe and post include new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love this sweet snack!
Simple Caramel Corn
You know when you suddenly have an intense craving for no reason whatsoever?
… That happens to me about once a week.
And since I generally like to listen to my body, so long as its requests aren’t too strange, I will generally give in.
Back when I initially made this recipe in 2013, I had a mid-evening crazy hankering for caramel corn while we were watching House of Cards and whipped up a batch, as I am wont to do.
When it came out of the oven, my husband and I declared it a winner and in the following weeks, I made it at least five more times because it was so delicious… and because I have no self-control.
Why I love this recipe:
This caramel corn recipe still hits the spot all these years later.
That said, I’ve updated the recipe a little bit since I originally published it to make it simpler. Because now, 10+ years after its inception, I am about the simplicity in the process and making it simpler on myself.
Confession time, though. I dragged my feet on updating this recipe because I thought it was more challenging than it actually is. Caramel and I have a dicey history, and I was concerned that maybe the recipe wasn’t as straightforward as I remembered.
Spoiler alert: it is super straightforward. I didn’t need to delay my work for months on end.
Here are some things I love about this recipe:
- The caramel corn is crispy, sweet, buttery and perfectly balanced with the almonds. Talk about the best combination in a sweet snack!
- Not only is the flavor excellent and reminiscent of the caramel corn my dad made our family when I was a kid, but the texture is super satisfying, too.
- It comes together in less than 30 minutes.
- It’s great to enjoy while watching your favorite show or a movie… or sharing on Halloween… or just because.
No matter the occasion, this recipe is satisfying and feeds a crowd!
More sweet treat recipes that come together quickly: Cheesecake Dip | Chex Mix Puppy Chow | Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip | Homemade Rice Krispie Treats | S’mores Dip
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan (but not a flat cookie sheet)
- Parchment paper
- Large Dutch oven
- Measuring cups
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here is what you need to purchase at the grocery store:
- Popcorn — I am lazy, so I use microwave popcorn. However, you can pop popcorn on the stovetop or in an air popper.
- Almonds — if you use them, use whole almonds. Slivered almonds can burn in the oven, and nobody wants that.
- Unsalted butter — this is the fat that we use to bring the whole caramel sauce together. While I’m sure you could use margarine or a vegan butter in its place, I have not tried that. I do not recommend replacing it with an unflavored oil.
- Light brown sugar — or dark brown sugar, if you prefer. I do not recommend using white sugar or granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Light corn syrup — this syrupy sweetness brings everything together and helps with the texture. A little goes a long way.
- Kosher salt — I like a medium grain kosher salt for all my recipes. Diamond Crystal is my favorite brand.
- Baking soda — this reacts to the acidity in the sugar. The chemical reaction changes the texture of the caramel, making it lighter and crispier so that the final caramel corn is not sticky. Make sure yours is fresh and please know this is NOT the same thing as baking powder.
- Pure vanilla extract — this brings everything together.
Variations on this recipe:
Swap out the nuts. Use salty peanuts or pecans instead of the almonds.
Add other salty items, like crushed pretzels or crushed potato chips.
Add sweet elements, too. Like crushed cookies.
How to make Caramel Corn with Almonds
Pop the popcorn (on the stove, in a pot, in a microwave bag or air-popped), and pour it into a large bowl to cool. Remove un-popped kernels, as these are unpleasant to bite into.
Sprinkle the almonds on top of the popcorn and set aside.
Measure out all the ingredients into bowls and set them aside. This is super important because when the caramel is cooking, you do not want to have to get out things and measure as you’re going.
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop.
Pro tip!
The Dutch oven needs to be large enough to where you can pour the popcorn into it and mix it in there as opposed to pouring it on top of the popcorn in the bowl. I find this easier.
IF you do not have one large enough, put the popcorn in a huge bowl and pour the caramel on top of it to toss. If you don’t have a large Dutch oven or a huge bowl, then put the popcorn onto the prepared sheet pan and drizzle it, then toss.
Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt, and stir vigorously to combine the ingredients.
Once the mixture begins to bubble, let it cook at a low boil for 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla, stirring to combine.
Please know that the caramel mixture will bubble and splatter pretty violently as you do this.
Pour the popcorn and almonds directly into the Dutch oven, and gently toss the popcorn mixture to coat it in the caramel.
Do this quickly, as the caramel will harden as it cools, and coating the popcorn will be more challenging.
Once well-coated, pour the popcorn mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and immediately transfer to the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the popcorn from the oven, and let cool for a few minutes before gently breaking apart any large clumps. You may use your hands or some spoons, if you’d rather not touch the warm popcorn.
Serve once cool enough to touch, and enjoy!
How to store:
Please know that this caramel corn is best eaten directly after it comes out of the oven.
However, you can store it in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
Making caramel corn for a crowd for any occasion would be super fun, be it a Halloween party, a birthday party or just because.
Here are some things I would do if sharing this recipe:
- Double the recipe. The numbers are straightforward, so do the math and make a bigger batch. (Or if you don’t have a Dutch oven large enough, make two batches.)
- Customize to your tastebuds. I love the addition of almonds here, but they are not necessary if you’re not into them or are sharing with someone who has a nut allergy. Simply omit those if that’s the case.
- Make it into a caramel corn bar, and let guests add mix-ins, like candy (or candy corn to make Halloween Caramel Corn), chocolate candies, mini pretzels, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It’s essential for the texture of the carmel corn. However, you don’t have to bake it long!
You should be able to use vegan butter in place of the unsalted butter, and that should work fine. I have not given this a try, though, so let me know how it turns out.
Quick tips and tricks to make caramel corn at home
- Mise en place. Have all your ingredients measured out into small containers and ready to go to where you don’t have to measure them once the caramel is going.
- Work quickly and efficiently. When the caramel is hot, you must mix it up quickly with the popcorn before it cools. Otherwise, it won’t all be coated.
- Customize it. Leave out the almonds or mix in another nut if you prefer.
Here’s how you can make this recipe at home:
Caramel Corn with Almonds
Ingredients
- 5 cups popped popcorn lightly salted and buttered
- ⅓ cup whole almonds *
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment
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Instructions
- Pop the popcorn, and pour it into a large bowl. Remove any unpopped kernels. Sprinkle the almonds on top of the popcorn and set aside.
- Mise en place. Measure out all the ingredients into bowls and set them aside. This is important because when the caramel is cooking, you do not want to have to get out things and measure as you’re going.
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. The Dutch oven should be large enough so you can pour the popcorn into it and mix the caramel corn in there. I find this easier than pouring the caramel on top of the popcorn in a bowl or on a sheet pan and then mixing, as this recipe originally called for.
- Add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt, and stir vigorously to combine the ingredients.
- Once the mixture begins to bubble, let it cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla, stirring vigorously to combine. Be mindful and aware, as the caramel mixture will bubble and splatter as you do this.
- Pour the popcorn and almond mixture directly into the Dutch oven, and gently toss the popcorn mixture to coat it in the caramel.
- Once well-coated, pour the popcorn mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and immediately transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the popcorn from the oven, and let cool for a few minutes before you gently break apart any large clumps. You may use your hands or some spoons, if you’d rather not touch the warm popcorn.
- Serve once cool enough to touch, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I looove caramel corn, but luckily I always manage to have the slightest bit of self control and don’t buy it very often. That’s all out the window now that I have a recipe that looks as tasty as this to make!
You’re smart, Kelly. I generally avoid things like this, too, because I lack the self-control.. and then I found this recipe. Sorry in advance.
Love the look of the popcorn and the looks of the yummy recipe. Do you think it rivals the carmel popcorn you ate as a child… which was a knock off recipe of Charles Maund Jr.’s Halloween treats? So sorry about the fish sticks and mac n’ cheese when you were little. I once thought that you and Leigh loved that combo as a special treat when the sitter came.
Ah… yet another memory that is not so true! My learning curve continues to grow.
xoxoxo, your mother ( provider of fish sticks with macaroni and cheese dishes)
Thanks, Mom! I think it probably rivals the popcorn I ate as a child. Sadly, I could never master the recipe y’all had for that… and I might have burned a few pans in the process of it, too.
You’re right: I loved fishsticks and mac ‘n cheese as a child. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized they were kind of, umm, gross. So it wasn’t you. I just grew out of my love for them.
xoxo right back!
Ack! Salty and sweet! It’s just so beautiful!
Best. Combination. Ever.
Hooray for caramel corn! It’s so great with nuts for extra crunch. I actually like mine best with roughly chopped almonds, and I haven’t had any problems with them not sticking to the corn…but I can see thin slivers being problematic. 🙂
Agreed! Hooray for caramel corn! And for nuts adding an additional crunch to it. I’ll have to give the rough chopped almonds a go in this recipe because the whole almonds are a bit bulky — and delicious — and I feel like maybe the chopped ones would be the same size as the kernels. Good call, girl!
Lady! I know what you mean about those weird cravings! Sometimes all I can think is that one weird food thing (I’ve stayed awake sometimes obsessing). So glad I’m not the only one. And this caramel corn is so worth craving after. I love love love love love popcorn coated with sticky caramel.
Sounds delicious and I love the idea that it roasts in the oven rather than cooking stovetop – less mess is ALWAYS good! So glad to have found your blog and am looking forward to reading more. Danielle with Welcome Company
Thanks so much, Danielle! It is wonderfully — and dangerously — delicious, and I agree about less mess being better. So glad you found my blog! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
I love caramel corn and so this sounds like one addictive recipe to me! I always buy bags of it at the Kernals at the mall but I have never made my own. I think the crunch of the almonds in this is a winner for me!
I have some pretty crazy cravings as well and I basically have to end up giving in eventually or I never feel satisfied with whatever else i’m eating. Nothing as odd as fish stick and mac n cheese lol but I’ve once had a hankering for a jar of dill pickles with a side of gummy worms (not pregnant) haha.
😉 hooray for pop! As my 3 year old nephew
says, he’s allergic to dairy, can I sub coconut
oil for the butter in this recipe?
Aww, so sweet! I’m sure you could sub coconut oil for the butter in this recipe, though I’ve never done that. I’d be interested to hear what you think if you DO sub it! (Coconut oil is SO GOOD.)
Thank you for replying…i’ll let you know how it turns out 😉
You’re welcome! I’m interested how it turns out. Fingers crossed for you! I’ve subbed coconut oil for butter before without issues, so I hope it’s the same in this dish.