It’s Happy October Day here in our house, and to celebrate, we thought we’d go a bit off grid and have some caramel corn! Of course, this isn’t a “Paleo” treat, but it’s better than a lot of the alternative “Halloween” treats, and the ingredients are a heck of a lot better than what you would get at the store!
Recipe: “Better for you than other” Caramel Popcorn
1 cup organic popcorn, popped (I use coconut oil to pop mine)
1/2 cup grass-fed, pastured butter
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup full fat, unsweetened coconut milk
dash of salt
Set popped popcorn aside into large bowl. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, lower heat and simmer until temperature reaches about 220 degrees. Drizzle over popcorn and stir, continuing to drizzle and stir until caramel is used up. Let cool for a few minutes, then gobble up!
Note: For a crunchy version, pop in the oven at 250 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once during cooking, then let cool completely before eating.
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Ashley says
Ok. I’ve made this a couple times. I have 2 issues. 1) I cannot get it up to 220 no matter what I do. 200 has been the highest. 2) The popcorn just shrivels up and becomes mushy when I pour on the “caramel”.
I really want to love this. I love the taste of it. Just can’t figure out these two things
Help? 🙂
radlandon says
Oh no! My caramel took quite awhile to hit that 220 degrees…but it eventually did. Hmmm…and you’re sure your thermometer works? Sometimes my temps stalls for a bit in the low 200’s, and then finally starts creeping up again. Maybe give it more time? Sooo sorry! It’s so frustrating when something doesn’t work right!
Ashley says
Maybe I was just too impatient. LOL How long did it take you to reach 220?
radlandon says
I want to say it was at least 20-25 minutes…I need to time it next time I make it! I’ll try to do it this week and update the recipe.
Sharon says
Is this made with canned coconut milk, or the kind in the carton?
radlandon says
I always only use canned coconut milk. The stuff in the carton has other added ingredients.
Bridget says
The canned coconut is full fat. The carton type is lower fat and thin. Baking the caramel corn at 225 for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple times, should make it more crisp. How was the flavor in this recipe?
radlandon says
Hi, Bridget. I like the full-fat coconut milk, as it is filled with healthy fats, and does not have added ingredients like the cartoned milks do. The saturated fats found in coconut are different than the saturated fats found in meats. I like this video on the benefits coconut milk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAq_1zI1LH0&feature=youtube_gdata
You could bake the caramel corn if you like it crispy. I actually prefer it chewy, though. My whole family loves the flavor! Hope you enjoy it!
mandi says
I made this and I love the flavor! However, I had the same issues as the original commenter. The popcorn shriveled up when I poured the caramel on, and I also tried baking it and it stayed mushy. I still am eating it of course, but I’m wondering if using less coconut milk would help, adding some baking soda, and baking it for longer, like an hour. I’ll keep trying.
Thanks for the recipe!
radlandon says
Thanks for letting me know! I’ll see what I can do.