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:
I have an air popper where you just put the kernels in and the hit air pops it. I agree that the movie popcorn is blah:P But if I do it in the air popper, then you can melt your own butter or other sauce and add it to the popcorn. Then its OK.And yum! I love caramel corn, but its always really unhealthy . I love this blog!!!!!!!!:D
I’m a self-proclaimed caramel corn snob. I’m not a vegetarian of any variety and I’m not interested in making my deserts “healthy” – I just eat the “high test” ones sparingly; however, this recipe is quite good. I used honey, brown sugar and real butter. I stumbled upon it looking for a recipe for caramel corn I could make on the road. Still couldn’t make this one, but I was intrigued. So when I finally returned home I tried it. I like my tried and true recipe better, but this is quite good and will remain in my recipe files. Thanks!!
This is yummy! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I just finished making this and realized that I need to put it into the oven to crisp up and dry out. Did you have to do that to yours? Its delicious but messy & wet.
I’ve made this twice and it’s crispy both times. Maybe it is a climate thing?
Just made this tonight as a test run for a batch I need to make for a work “Sweet Exchange”. It is really good and tasty. I used white popcorn kernels and used an air popcorn popper to make the popcorn. I purchased sucanat from Whole Foods for $4.99 for 1 pound. I made the butter version using real butter.
I did some research on glycemic levels and minerals/vitamins on the different cane sugars and decided to also try using rapadura aka panela because it is the healthiest of the sugar cane sugars. I am not sure where I am going to find this locally.
This may seem like an odd idea, but I was wondering it the “melted banana trick” might possible work for this recipe, instead of the agave/ honey. Although this recipe is much healthier than others, I would like to cut down on added sugars as much as possible and I thought this might possibly work. I’m okay with my popcorn tasting slightly like banana 😀
Thanks, Katie! Gonna make this week for class Christmas party. Wanted a caramel popcorn without corn syrup! Thank you!!
the popcorn ends up so wet and sticky. what do you do you let it dry out(so to speak)?
Hmm I’ve never had this problem. Bake it longer perhaps?
This caramel corn looks FABULOUS! I can’t wait to make it.
How much oil do you pop 4 tbsp. of kernels in?
Hi! I tried this, but had to add cocoa powder to the pan when melting the ingredients together. It was YUM! I used coconut oil instead of the Earth balance butter stuff, and sprinkled Himalayan pink salt on it at the end. I toasted up some almonds and put them in with the popcorn so they got some coating, too. Your website is a resource I keep coming back to, thanks, Katie!