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Bourbon Pecan Praline Popcorn
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5 from 4 votes

Bourbon Pecan Praline Popcorn

Bourbon Pecan Praline Popcorn adds the irresistible southern pizzazz of pralines to basic caramel corn. Think pecan pralines flavored with a hint of bourbon combined with crunchy popcorn to produce a sweet, crispy and totally addictive treat. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Halloween
Cuisine: American
Servings: 14 servings
Calories: 245kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (8-ounces) pecan halves, toasted (See Tip 1)
  • 8 cups popped popcorn (See Tip 2)
  • ¾ cup (5.625-ounces) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 4-ounces) unsalted butter (See Tip 3)
  • ¼ cup (2.75-ounces) light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons bourbon (See Tip 4)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 250°F.
  • Add the popcorn to a large bowl. Add pecans on top. Do not mix at this point. Set aside.
  • Heat the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter is melted. Reduce heat to medium low; cook, undisturbed and uncovered, for 5 minutes.
  • Remove saucepan from heat and stir in bourbon and baking soda. Be careful here because the baking soda will cause the caramel to boil up significantly.
  • Pour the caramel over the popcorn and pecans; quickly stir to coat.
  • Spread the mixture onto an ungreased large disposable aluminum pan (15-3/16 x 11-5/16 x 2-⅞ inches). Bake for one hour, removing every 15 minutes to stir. (See Tip 5)
  • Spread the mixture onto parchment paper to cool. It may seem sticky at first but will dry as it cools.
  • Yield: 10 cups. (See Tip 6)

Notes

  1. Toasting pecans greatly enhances their flavor. To toast pecans, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch closely to ensure that the pecans do not become over-toasted.
  2. It’s best to use popcorn with no flavor added like unflavored SkinnyPop popcorn. I like to pop my corn in a brown paper bag in the microwave with nothing added. I typically use 6 tablespoons of kernels when I make my own popcorn in the paper bag.
  3. You can use salted butter rather than unsalted butter in the caramel. However, omit adding any additional salt.
  4. You can substitute 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for the bourbon – this way it would be Pecan Praline Popcorn.
  5. The reason that I use a disposable aluminum roasting pan is that the caramel can stick to the pan from the baking making cleanup somewhat of a chore. This way, I just toss the pan in the trash. You could, however, use a large-rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil instead.
  6. The Bourbon Pecan Praline Popcorn will stay fresh for up to a week if stored in an airtight container. 

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg