No corn syrup here!
This is a healthy caramel popcorn recipe without corn syrup. It’s salty, sweet, and just plain good! As the original slogan for Cracker Jacks says:
The more you eat, the more you want.
You can even add roasted peanuts for a healthier version of Cracker Jacks that tastes pretty authentic. (Yes, I bought a box to compare. Cracker Jacks might not be healthy, but they are vegan.) Or stir in dark chocolate chips or broken-up healthy chocolate bars.
I’m not saying it’s as healthy as broccoli and quinoa, or that you should quadruple the recipe and call it lunch. But as far as snacks go, this caramel popcorn is a terrific healthy option: whole-grain, high in fiber, vegan, and completely free of the hydrogenated oils, refined sugar, and trans fats found in so many commercial brands of popcorn. If you use the xylitol option, it’s even good for your teeth. Can’t get much better than that.
With the Calorie Control Council estimating that Americans eat about 3.8 million pounds of popcorn on Super Bowl Sunday, this weekend is a great time to… get popping!
   
This can be a 5-minute recipe if you use the Microwave Popcorn Trick.
Healthy Caramel Popcorn
(or homemade Cracker Jacks)
- 4 tbsp unpopped popcorn (48g)
- 1/4 cup xylitol or sucanat (or regular brown sugar or coconut sugar) (54g)
- 1/4 cup agave or honey (55g) (Molasses might work; I haven’t tried.)
- scant 1/4 tsp salt
- optional for a richer caramel flavor: 2 tbsp buttery spread, such as Earth Balance (30g)
- optional: roasted peanuts, dark chocolate chips, etc.
Pop the kernels, either on the stove or using the Microwave Popcorn Trick.
Then transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the two sweeteners (and the butter spread, if using) and heat on low—stirring occasionally—until the dry sweetener is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the popped corn and stir to coat. Much of the sauce will fall to the bottom of the bowl, so be sure to scoop it up and keep stirring for a full 2 minutes. Sprinkle on the salt (don’t forget!) and add chocolate chips, or nuts, or dried fruit if you wish.
View Caramel Popcorn Nutrition Facts
What’s your favorite: Buttered popcorn or caramel corn?
I’ve always loathed buttered popcorn: the smell, the artificial taste, the way it gets all over the movie theater floor and in your seat… Does anyone even know what’s in that butter syrup with which they drench movie theater popcorn until it turns a very unnatural shade of neon yellow? I guess I could google it, but I would probably rather not know!
Link of the Day:
…….Healthy Butterfingers
I googled it and some pages said they use beta carotene, weird. I just made this and my mom ate almost half the batch! It’s delicious!!!!!!!!! My only problem is it won’t harden and its all sticky, is there any way to fix that?
Beta carotene? That sounds kind of like something you’d put in a car, or something… 😉
If I didn’t live in a travel trailer with eight other people, I’d make this, like, right now, and my mother and I would eat the whole batch and feel sick and probably blame Katie for being so awesome. 😀
Do you fuel your car with carrots and pumpkin? Carotene is a plant-based substance that colours carrots and pumpkins (and margarine) orange!
Oop! Pox upon my ignorance! Thanks for the information. 🙂
I am going to make this as soon as I get my braces off!!:)
I like caramel corn way better:)
Reading online, the butter just seems to be hydrogenated soybean or coconut oil, butter flavor, and artificial colors. Some use canola shortening. All is full of trans fats and hydrogenated fats that are bad for us. So thank you for posting this recipe!
It looks really good, and I have all ingredients! Hmmm…
I just made this using coconut sugar and honey, and twice the amount of popcorn.
It was soooooooo good 🙂
It is a little sticky, but I think that’s because of the honey.
YUM!!! Thanks for the recipe
Hi Katie! I didn’t know how else to ask you this but by commenting, but I found this recipe that looks like heaven, but heaven with tons of fat and calories! I was wondering if you could work your magic & see if there’s anyway you can re-do it, to make it just a tad healthier? Please let me know!
http://zestycook.com/the-brownie-that-will-change-your-life/
If not, it’s okay. But I figured, it’s never hurts to ask. 🙂 Thanks!
Just made this, and it is so good! I love the salty and sweet together. My kids will love this, too. I will have to make it for dessert soon.
I love REAL buttered and salted popcorn. Like, the kind I make at home. The movie theater stuff is gross, but the fresh stuff is delicious! Also, it brings back lots of happy memories of my dad making a huge bowl of buttered popcorn for us all to share when I was growing up.
This popcorn looks delicious!!
Love the recipe! Popcorn is one of my favorite winter snacks. This will definitely be the next one I try out.
YUMMY! I just read this a few minutes ago and now I’m eating it! I made it with butter – oh it is so good! My sister gave my kids some in a tin she bought and I wouldn’t let myself look at the ingredients. They actually didn’t eat all of it, but I’ll bet they like THIS caramel corn! Thanks for the recipe Katie – such an easy snack that you don’t have to feel too guilty about – especially since we have organic popcorn!
Did anyone else’s come out more like kettle corn rather than caramel corn? It just didnt have that rich, caramelly taste that I was hoping for. I’m not sure what went wrong–I followed the recipe perfectly. Even added the butter. Womp:(
What did you use for your sweeteners? I made it with Sugar Leaf (4 tsp.) and vanilla agave nectar. I barely put even 1/8 tsp. of salt. It was very close to caramel!
Yum. I love all kinds of popcorn! It is one of my most frequent cravings! I also love your recipes-I am pretty sure I could spend all day perusing your site! I just made your cashew cookie larabar recipe and they taste just like the real thing!
YUM!!! You’ve done it again! : )
I used brown sugar and agave. Maybe the vanilla agave would have been a better idea?
I basically only like white cheddar popcorn D: Or caramel chocolate popcorn. Not plain caramel or plain butter though. I might be stoned for saying this but kettle corn is THE WORST for me!
I love the smell of fresh poppered butter-movie popcorn. I remember as a kid eating the rainbow kind haha!
In Europe, salted and buttered popcorn is rather uncommon. But I like both kinds, even though I grew up with the sugared one!