Red and Green Christmas Caramel Corn

5 from 3 votes

Red and Green Christmas Caramel Corn

Red & Green Christmas Caramel Corn is a delicious & easy holiday treat perfect for parties, gifts, or snacking on your own. It's an ideal way to add a touch of Christmas fun to your next gathering.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Appetizer, Chrismas, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 123kcal

Author: Chula King

Equipment

2 large disposable aluminum roasting pans (See Note 1)
large wire cooling rack
Large rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

The Popcorn (For Both the Red and Green Caramel Corn)

1 cup unpopped popcorn kernels, divided
4 brown sandwich bags

The Caramel (For Both the Red and Green Caramel Corn)

10 Tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes divided in half
1 cup (7.5 ounces) light brown sugar, divided in half
½ cup (5.5 ounces) light corn syrup, divided in half
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided in half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided in half
1 teaspoon baking soda, divided in half

Red and Green Christmas Caramel Corn

The popcorn from above divided
The caramel from above divided
10 drops of red gel food color
10 drops of green food color

Instructions

The Popcorn

Add ¼ cup of unpopped kernels to one of the brown bags. Fold two to three times. Cook in microwave on popcorn function. (See Note 2)
Empty popped popcorn on a wire cooking rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet to allow the unpopped kernels to fall out. Repeat with remaining popcorn kernels for 16 to 18 cups of popped popcorn and 8 to 9 cups for each red and green caramel corn.
If making the popcorn ahead of time, store it in airtight containers such as Ziploc bags.

The Caramel

Add five tablespoons of unsalted butter, ½ cup of light brown sugar, and ¼ cup of light corn syrup to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the butter melts and the caramel mixture comes to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for five minutes undisturbed.
Remove from heat; add ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Stir with a silicone spatula until bubbly and fully combined. (See Note 3)
Repeat with the remaining ingredients for the caramel after putting one batch of caramel corn together, as described below.

Red and Green Caramel Corn

Preheat the oven to 250°F.
Add half of the popcorn, 8 to 9 cups, to a large disposable aluminum roasting pan. Set aside.
Working quickly, add ten drops of red gel food color to the saucepan with the prepared caramel as soon as you have stirred in the salt, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir with a silicone spatula to distribute the color evenly.
Pour the red caramel on the popcorn and stir to coat. Don't worry if some of the popcorn isn't coated. (See Note 4)
Bake in a preheated 250°F oven for one hour and 15 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes to distribute the colored caramel further.
After one hour and 15 minutes, transfer the caramel corn to a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining popcorn and the other batch of caramel, adding ten drops of green gel food color to the caramel.
Yield: 24 servings. (See Note 5)

Video

Notes

I use disposable aluminum roasting pans because I don't have to worry about cleaning the hard caramel. I just throw the pans away when I'm finished. This is a personal preference of mine.
On my microwave, I needed to add about a minute to the popping of each bag of popcorn to minimize the unpopped kernels. This will vary depending on your specific microwave.
Be very careful when you add the baking soda to the hot caramel. It will bubble up and can burn you if you're not careful.
When you first add the caramel to the popcorn, many pieces are not covered. As the caramel continues to be heated in the oven and the caramel corn is tossed every 15 minutes, more of the popcorn will be coated.
Store the caramel corn in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Nutrition