Caramel Puffcorn
Dec 01, 2025
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This caramel puffcorn is light, crunchy, sweet, and salty, the kind of delicious snack that is hard to resist. Every piece is coated in a sweet, buttery caramel and then baked until perfectly crisp. An irresistible snack that is great for the holidays, movie night, or just to have for a tasty treat.
I love a simple sweet snack, especially during the holiday season. This caramel puffcorn recipe is one of our family traditions that we make every year. We like to make a big batch to have around the house for snacking.
If you have ever been to Buc-ee’s, this might remind you of their beaver nuggets. It’s airy and light while also being crunchy and sweet.
This recipe is also great for gifting. It will stay fresh for several days and be wrapped up in a cute bag, tin, or jar.
If you want more sweet treats be sure to try this gingerbread Chex mix, Christmas reindeer crack recipe, fall popcorn snack mix, and churro snack mix.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. Just 5 simple ingredients needed to make this sweet treat.
- The perfect crunch. The texture is light and crunchy. It’s hard to stop eating.
- Fun for a crowd. This is a great sweet snack to serve at a gathering or party. Set it out in bowls for people to snack on.
- Makes a great gift. Great to add to a cellophane bag with ribbon, a pretty tin, or even a jar for a gift.
Ingredients
Just a few ingredients you might already have at home are needed to make this easy caramel puffcorn recipe.
- Puffcorn: Use your favorite brand like Chester’s, Old Dutch, or Clover Club.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is needed for that rich, caramel flavor.
- Light brown sugar:
- Light corn syrup: Just a little corn syrup helps the caramel mixture stay smooth and also helps to prevent it from crystalizing.
- Baking soda: Adds air bubbles to the caramel mixture making it a little lighter and easier to spread over the puffcorn.
- Optional: You can add a pinch of salt if you like to balance out the sweetness.
How to make caramel puffcorn
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe.
Step one: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper.
Step one: Place the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Make sure to keep stirring. Once the mixture comes to a boil, keep heating for 2 minutes.
Step two: Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in baking soda.
Step three: Stir the mixture with the puffcorn. Make sure to completely coat. Spread the puffcorn on baking pans. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Step four: Spread the mixture out on wax paper and let completely cool before serving.
Heather’s recipe tips
- Be sure to heat the caramel mixture over medium heat. You don’t want the heat to be too hot or it could burn.
- Make sure to use a large bowl or container to mix the caramel mixture with the puffcorn.
- Stir every 10 minutes while baking. This helps to make sure the puffcorn is evenly coated.
- Break it up before cooling. Once the puffcorn has baked, make sure to break it up a little before you let it cool.
Variations
- Add nuts. Stir in pecans, peanuts, or cashews for an extra salty crunch.
- Add sprinkles. Make it festive for the holidays by adding colorful sprinkles just after the puffcorn bakes.
- Chocolate. Once the puffcorn has completely cooled, drizzle on some melted white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate.
Storage
Store: Keep the puffcorn in an airtight container or bag for up to a week. I would not recommend freezing this recipe because it does not thaw well.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend using the butter or plain puffcorn for the best flavor.
The corn syrup helps to smooth out the caramel mixture. You could substitute with honey but the texture might be different from the original.
This could be because because the caramel cooks on too high heat. Make sure to cook it on medium heat and stir.
More sweet treats
Let me know if you make this easy caramel puffcorn recipe.
Caramel Puffcorn
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) puffcorn
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Place the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat while continuously stirring.
- Once the mixture starts to lightly bubble, set the timer for 2 minutes. Make sure to keep stirring.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the baking soda.
- Pour the puffcorn into a large bowl or pan. Pour the caramel mixture over the puffcorn. Stir to completely coat.
- Spread the puffcorn out on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Make sure to stir the puffcorn every 10 minutes.
- After baking, spread the caramel puffcorn out on wax paper. Break it up into pieces. Let it completely cool before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to heat the caramel mixture over medium heat. You don’t want the heat to be too hot or it could burn.
- Make sure to use a large bowl or container to mix the caramel mixture with the puffcorn.
- Stir every 10 minutes while baking. This helps to make sure the puffcorn is evenly coated.
- Break it up before cooling. Once the puffcorn has baked, make sure to break it up a little before you let it cool.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
