Hello, friends. It’s been a while. How are you?
Like so many others, this year has thrown us some curveballs and we’ve been away from our dear blog longer than we planned. But, we’re really excited about getting back to it this fall with some fun, fantastic recipes for you. Let’s start this thing off with some Halloween Caramel Corn!
We try to keep things on the healthier side here at With Two Spoons but we are definitely not opposed to some treats. This recipe is definitely a treat. In fact, it’s perfect for a trick or treat (see what I did there?!).
Halloween Caramel Corn starts with some fresh popped popcorn. I use about 14 cups of air popped, plain popcorn. Grab the biggest bowl you have – seriously, make it a big one – and set the popcorn aside while you make a simple caramel sauce.
One of the great things about this caramel coating is that it is made in the microwave. Brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and a bit of salt are combined in a large, microwave safe bowl (I like to use a 4 cup glass pyrex container like this one). Microwave for 30 seconds and then give it a good stir. Pop it back into the microwave and cook for another two minutes, pausing halfway through to stir again. Please be extremely careful when removing the caramel mixture – it will be HOT and can absolutely burn if splashed.
Once out of the microwave, add a generous teaspoon of vanilla and a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and stir to combine. Now grab that giant bowl of popcorn and quickly pour the caramel coating over the popcorn. Stir thoroughly to coat and then spread the caramel corn on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Now here’s the fun part – the candy! While the caramel corn is still warm and sticky, sprinkle with peanuts, Reese’s pieces, and mini peanut butter cups. Drizzle with melted vanilla almond bark and set aside to cool.
Allow the caramel corn to cool for 15-20 minutes. It will firm up as it sits. Break into clusters and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to three days – if you can! I love to package this up in cute Halloween bags and deliver to friends and neighbors.
Halloween Caramel Corn
A fun, festive twist on caramel corn – filled with candy!
Ingredients
- 14 cups plain popped popcorn
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup (I use Karo light)
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 8 Tablespoons butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/3 cups Reece's Pieces Baking Mix (Reese's Pieces and Mini Peanut Butter Cups)
- 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 3 blocks (173 g) vanilla almond bark
Instructions
-
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
-
Place the popcorn in a very large bowl and set aside
-
In a microwave safe bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt.
-
Microwave for 30 seconds and stir mixture thoroughly. Return to microwave and heat for an additional 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
-
Remove caramel mixture from microwave and slowly stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Be VERY careful. The mixture will be extremely hot.
-
Quickly pour the caramel mixture over the prepared popcorn and stir thoroughly to coat. Spread the caramel corn out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
-
Sprinkle the caramel corn with peanuts and Reese's mix.
-
Following package instructions, melt the almond bark and then drizzle over the caramel corn.
-
Allow to cool thoroughly before breaking into clusters. Enjoy!
-
Caramel corn will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Need more fall treats?
Check out these fantastic recipes from our archives:
Pumpkin Pecan Scones
Pumpkin Bread
Whiskey Sea Salt Caramels
[SOME OF THE LINKS IN THIS POST ARE AFFILIATE LINKS AND WE WILL RECEIVE A SMALL COMMISSION IF YOU MAKE A PURCHASE AFTER CLICKING ON OUR LINK. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR WORK HERE AT WITH TWO SPOONS!]
Leave a Reply