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.
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
*Do not use almond slivers. Use whole almonds or large almond pieces. The slivers will sink to the bottom and not be coated in any caramel if you do.A bag of microwave popcorn makes about 5 cups.How to store: Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. This caramel corn is best eaten directly after it comes out of the oven.