Add a magical twist to your caramel popcorn by making it butterbeer flavored! The perfect treat for watching the Harry Potter movies with loved ones.
How I created this Harry Potter Recipe
I got the original caramel popcorn recipe from my brother in law (who got it from his aunt). He makes a batch or two for family movie night all the time.
Anyway I was talking to him about how popular the caramel popcorn has been on my blog and social media and a few days later he called me to say he had a brilliant idea…
Butterbeer popcorn!!! He knows all about my love of all things butterbeer and harry potter and he said the last batch he made they added some rum extract to and he recommended I give it a shot!
Of course I made a few tweaks more than just adding rum extract, but I have to say I am in LOVE with this popcorn! My favorite part is the white chocolate topping to represent the foam.
It may be the first time in my live I have something good to say about white chocolate!!!
Just take me to the Butterbeer Popcorn Recipe already!
If you’d rather skip my tips and tricks for candying popcorn, along with links to other Harry Potter recipes and get straight to this delicious butterbeer caramel popcorn – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
Tips to Make the Perfect Butterbeer Flavored Popcorn
This recipe is based on my caramel popcorn balls – but I use all brown sugar for a butterscotch base. I also add salt and apple cider vinegar to cut the sweetness and rum extract to give it that classic butterbeer flavor!
I recommend using an air popper to get nice plain popcorn. Depending on if you want to make crunchy or gooey popcorn or popcorn balls you will need 1-3 batches.
You can use bagged microwave popcorn but I still recommend going with the unsalted un-buttered kind so it doesn’t interfere with the flavors.
To represent the butterbeer foam in the popcorn I melt white chocolate and add some of the butterscotch sauce and some cream. I also add white chocolate dye to lighten it to match the foam
It’s super easy and in my opinion totally makes these popcorn recipes taste even more like butterbeer.
How to make caramel popcorn balls
For the popcorn balls use 1 to 1 1/2 batches of popped popcorn and pour the sauce over it. Mix and let cool to the touch.
Spray your hands with non stick spray and make the balls. Check on them occasionally to make sure they are holding their shape.
Then pour the white chocolate butterbeer topping into a piping bag and pipe all over the balls and enjoy!
How to make gooey caramel popcorn
If you just want gooey popcorn pour the sauce over 2-3 batches of popcorn and stir. Pipe the white chocolate butterbeer topping over the top and enjoy.
How to make crunchy caramel popcorn
If you want crunchy popcorn your going to pour the sauce over a triple batch of popcorn and stir. Spread the popcorn out onto 2-3 jelly roll pans with silpat mats.
Preheat your oven to 250 and bake for 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally. Take out the pans and let the popcorn cool and break the popcorn chunks up.
Spread out the popcorn again and pipe the white chocolate butterbeer topping over it. Let the white chocolate set and break it up again and serve.
Butterbeer Popcorn
If you love these butterbeer recipes as much as I do, I’d love a 5 star review. Be sure to share on social media and tag me if you make it @ashleemariecakes! If you want to stay updated on new recipes sign up for my newsletter and join my Facebook Group!
If you love Butterbeer Popcorn you’ll love these other Harry Potter recipes!
Hot Butterbeer | Homemade Butterbeer | Frozen Butterbeer
Butterbeer Fudge | Pumpkin Cupcakes | Snitch Cake Tutorial
Connect with Ashlee Marie Online!
To watch me make this butterbeer popcorn live play the video in the recipe card. There is also a short teaser that should auto play.
You can find all my cooking show style recipe videos on YouTube, or my short recipe videos on Facebook Watch, or my Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Butterbeer Popcorn
Ingredients
Butterbeer Popcorn
- 1 C butter
- 2 1/2 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 C light corn syrup
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp rum extract
- 1 – 1 1/2 C Popcorn kernels popped 2-3 batches in the air popper less will be messier, and gooier, but I like it, more for a looser caramel popcorn
Butterbeer "foam" topping
- 6 oz white chocolate chopped
- 2 Tbsp Cream
- 1 Tbsp butterbeer popcorn mixture (from above)
- white food dye
Instructions
- Bring the butter, sugar, salt and corn syrup to a boil – keep bubbling over med heat until it hits the softball stage (240 degrees – use a candy thermometer and adjust for your altitude)
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and boil 1 more min – let it cool a few mins so it doesn’t shrink the popcorn.
- add the vanilla, apple cider vinegar and rum extract and stir
- pour out 1 Tbsp to use in the topping – then depending on which style of popcorn you are making add the sauce to the popcorn and stir
Butterbeer "foam" topping
- add the heavy cream to the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat – I use the "melt chocolate button" but you can always heat for 1 min at 60% power, stir and add 30 seconds more until its melted
- add the 1 Tbsp held over from the popcorn sauce and stir
- add a few drops of white food dye and stir
- pour this white chocolate mixture into a piping bag to easily top the popcorn
popcorn balls
- I do 1 – 1 1/2 batches of air popped popcorn (13+ cups) for this to keep them gooier and sticking together
- spread the popcorn out and let it start too cool
- spray your hands with non stick spray and portion it out into 8 sections and ball up.
- Continue to check back and ball and turn until they cool enough that they stay in their ball forms
- add the topping, let set and serve!
gooey caramel popcorn
- I do 2-3 batches of air popped popcorn for this – 2 batches is still fairly gooey, 3 is better for sharing
- add the topping and serve immediately
crunchy caramel popcorn
- I go for the full 3 batches of air popped popcorn for this
- stir and evenly coat the popcorn as best you can
- preheat your oven to 250 – spread it out in a pan and place in the oven and bake for like 25-30 mins, stirring occasionally
- let cool on counter slightly and add the white chocolate topping. Let set completely and break apart
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