It's surprisingly easy to make the best caramel corn recipe! Pop popcorn, make a caramel sauce, scrape it onto a baking sheet and bake until crunchy... that's it! Sweet, crunchy, and so delicious, this homemade caramel corn is the perfect holiday treat.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees (F). Line a very large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add the popcorn and partially cover the pot with a lid. Once the popcorn kernels start to pop, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot completely. Continue cooking, shaking the pot every 30 seconds, until the popping has reduced to a couple of seconds between each pop. Don’t walk away, the popcorn may burn. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda (note: the mixture may bubble and hiss a bit after you add these ingredients). Remove the pan from heat.
Pour the caramel sauce into the pot with the popcorn and stir well to coat. Quickly spread the popcorn onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely, and then gently break apart before serving.