Perfect for party favors, friends, and family; these ooey-gooey caramel popcorn balls are just DELICIOUS.
Making caramel popcorn balls.
As I’ve mentioned before we love family movie night! AND we love popcorn! We tend to trade off between flavors (candied, kettle, butter) but the one we make the MOST often is Caramel Popcorn!
We make it three ways – these caramel popcorn balls, or more loose gooey popcorn or baked and crunchy popcorn!
The great thing about caramel popcorn balls is everyone get’s the same amount, no fighting… The BAD thing about it is they tend to be more messy… BUT hello… more CARAMEL!
I made a video showing how I create the caramel popcorn balls, they are actually super easy and a ton of fun, and something even the kiddo’s can help with.
And if your kids are anything like mine they LOVE to help in the kitchen. Sometimes the struggle is just finding something safe for them to help with!
So which way do you serve caramel popcorn? Gooey, caramelly, crunchy? There is NO WRONG ANSWER! The good news is you can have it both ways!
Go here to get the caramel popcorn ball labels (for neighbor gifts)!
Just take me to the popcorn ball recipe already!
If you’d rather skip my tips and tricks for getting perfect caramel popcorn balls, along with links to other caramel recipes and get straight to this delicious caramel treat – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
How to make caramel popcorn balls
For the popcorn balls pour the sauce over 1 – 1/ 1/2 batches of popcorn. Stir then let the popcorn cool enough to touch it without burning your hands.
Speaking of sticking, you’ll want to spray your hands with cooking spray when you start forming the balls.
Some of the balls might need to be stuck back together, so keep checking on your cooling caramel popcorn.
How to make gooey caramel popcorn
If you just want gooey popcorn pour over 2-3 batches of popcorn stir and serve. The more popcorn the less messy.
How to make crunchy caramel popcorn
If you want crunchy popcorn use 3 batches of popped popcorn. preheat your oven to 250.
Spread the caramel popcorn out on a jelly roll pan and bake for 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally. Then let it cool and break up the chunks.
To make these popcorn balls you’ll need
- Candy thermometer (<- this one is my favorite)
- Popcorn popper
- Mixing bowl
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Jelly roll pan
Gooey caramel popcorn balls
If you love these caramel popcorn balls as much as we do, please leave a 5 star review and be sure to share on Facebook and Pinterest! If you want to stay updated on new recipes sign up for my newsletter and join my Facebook Group!
If you love caramel popcorn balls you’ll love these other gooey caramel recipes!
Salted Caramel Cheesecake | Caramel Brownies | Cheeescake Nachos with Caramel Sauce
Chocolate Caramel Tart | Buttery Homemade Caramel | Caramel Marshmallow
Connect with Ashlee Marie Online!
To watch me make this caramel popcorn play the video in the recipe card. There will also be a short teaser auto playing.
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.
Caramel Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 1 C butter
- 1 C light corn syrup
- 2 C packed light brown sugar
- ½ C granulated sugar
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 15-30 C popped popcorn less will be messier, and gooier, but I like it, more for a looser caramel popcorn
Instructions
- Bring the butter, syrup, and sugars to a boil, keep bubbling over med heat until it hits the softball stage (240 degrees – use a candy thermometer)
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla and boil 1 more min – let it cool a few mins so it doesn’t shrink the popcorn.
- pour over the popcorn and stir
popcorn balls
- use 1 – 1 1/2 batches of air popped popcorn for these balls
- spread the popcorn out and let it start too cool
- spray your hands with cooking 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
gooey caramel popcorn
- use 2-3 batches of air popped popcorn for this – serve immediately
crunchy caramel popcorn
- use 3 batches of popped popcorn for this – stir and coat as evenly as you can
- IF you want crunchy popcorn preheat your oven to 250 – spread it out in a pan and place in the oven and bake for like 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally, until it crisps up
Joe Majury (Belfast, N.Ireland)
These look delicious, I must give them a go, but I think that I would make them more mouth size pieces, easier to just pick up and pop in your mouth. I dread to think of the calories in this 😄
Ashlee Marie
you can add double the popcorn for a less caramelly loose popcorn vs balls
Joyce Knake
I will have to try it. Mine are good but hard to chew as balls. Thanks for sharing.
Caleb Cupp
What about baking it? My grandma used to bake it to harden it up? Will that work?
Ashlee Marie
I have instructions for crunchy caramel popcorn in the recipe card
Allison
Made these today and they were awesome! Also added some drizzled chocolate! Yum! Thank you
Shirley
I can’t wait to try your recipe. I LOVE Carmel popcorn. I would like to make it for Christmas gifts but want it to be loose, not formed into balls. Would I just use more popcorn, then? Would I use more than 12 cups popcorn?
Also, do you use microwave popcorn, or pop it on the stove? I will comment again after I try this recipe. Thank you!!
Ashlee Marie
I use one batch for balls, 2 batches of popcorn for normal caramel popcorn and three batches to make crunchy popcorn (all three of these with instructions are now in the recipe card to help)
Jacquie Jantz
You mentioned earlier that you like them cooled and crunchy. how do you do that do you just spread them out on the tray or do you still make him in the balls?
Ashlee Marie
for crunchy popcorn I use 3 batches of popped popcorn – stir and coat as evenly as you can
IF you want crunchy popcorn preheat your oven to 250 – spread it out in a pan and place in the oven and bake for like 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally, until it crisps up
Betty Morris
Do I need to use a double boiler?
Ashlee Marie
nope
Milissa
Will these hold their shape if put into baggies? And will they keep unrefrigerated for a couple weeks?
Ashlee Marie
I’d wrap them tight in plastic wrap, not just in a bag, also I think they are good for a few days, not weeks. Personal preference.
Carol
How do you pop your corn…that seems to be my problem….getting my popcorn to turn out good and not tough. Do you pop corn from scratch or in the microwave?
Ashlee Marie
I use an air popper – I’d recommend you let the caramel cool a little – when you add the hot caramel to the popcorn right away the popcorn will shrink up and get tough.
Karen
You recommended that these be made so the caramel would be fresh, maybe a day. I want to include popcorn balls in the packages I’m sending out for Christmas, so I need some that would be good for ten days or so. Would the recipe on the Karo site be a better bet? Your thoughts? Thanks.
Ashlee Marie
it’s a personal preference, I don’t like them after a few days, but some people don’t notice a difference. they will be safe to eat in 10 days, I just don’t like them that old, the popcorn is just different to me. wrap tight in plastic wrap though and give it a try! maybe you’ll like it!
Devonne
How do you adjust the recipe for just caramel corn and not molding it into balls?
Ashlee Marie
for crunchy caramel corn use 3 batches of popped popcorn – stir and coat as evenly as you can
IF you want crunchy popcorn preheat your oven to 250 – spread it out in a pan and place in the oven and bake for like 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally, until it crisps up
Anne
Do you just boil the caramel a bit longer for it to be crunchier?
Ashlee Marie
for crunchy popcorn I use 3 batches of popped popcorn – stir and coat as evenly as you can
IF you want crunchy popcorn preheat your oven to 250 – spread it out in a pan and place in the oven and bake for like 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally, until it crisps up
Carmen
Just made these and they are fantastic!! My grandmother would make popcorn balls when I was young and I’ve missed having them. However, I think these are even yummier than hers… I hope this will create a yummy Christmas tradition for my kids that they will pass on to their future children.
Sherri nelson
So I made the Carmel ball and they were good but I stored them and now they are no good why?
Ashlee Marie
they are best fresh, I’d keep them wraped in plastic wrap tightly, all air will dry out the popcorn so just tupperware won’t be good enough.
Sunshine
I see the recipe just fine
Tammie
Thank you for this recipe! I just made it with my 4 grandchildren & the are sooo yummy & fun to make. Best Ever! Love these popcorn balls.
Shannon
Hi I made these for the first time and my family loved them. Great recipe. I’m definitely make them again. Thank you.
Carolyn
I prefer dry caramel corn – do you know how long you’d have to bake it and at what temp for it to come out ok?
Ashlee Marie
so instead of 1 batch of popcorn like these balls call for I use 3 batches, then preheat your oven to 250 – spread it out in a pan and place in the oven and bake for like 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally, until it crisps up
Jenny Boix
Thank you so much for recipe Ashlee, I am going to attempt to make this for my baby shower just in smaller sizes of the balls, I am soo excited to try them as I am also addicted to caramel😊
Ashlee Marie
I hope they are a huge hit!
Jo Ann Dill
I am curious about the reference for “IF you want crunchier popcorn balls.” If so, do you bake the popcorn before adding caramel mixture OR after?