There’s just something magical about that crunch paired with the warm, cozy spices that instantly bring holiday vibes. This Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe hits all the right notes — sweet, spicy, and perfectly sticky — making it a festive treat that’s honestly addicting.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve made plenty of caramel popcorn recipes, but adding those classic Christmas spices really takes it to another level. The aroma alone fills my kitchen with holiday cheer, and it’s become my go-to gift to share with friends and family.
- Perfect Holiday Flavor: The blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves gives it that unmistakable festive warmth you can’t get from plain caramel popcorn.
- Crunchy Yet Tender: Baking the popcorn after coating ensures a crisp texture that’s not too hard to bite into.
- Easy to Customize: You can easily adjust the spice level or swap nuts to suit your taste or dietary needs.
- Great for Gifting: It stores beautifully and stays fresh for weeks, making it ideal for thoughtful homemade presents.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe balances simple staples with festive spices to build layers of flavor and texture. Each ingredient plays a crucial role, and knowing why helps you tweak with confidence.

- Popping Corn: I prefer using about ⅓ cup kernels for a generous caramel coating, but you can reduce if you want lighter coverage.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps pop the kernels evenly without flavor interference; skip if using an air popper.
- Slivered Almonds: Their crunchy texture complements the popcorn, and they soak up just a hint of caramel and spice.
- Butter: Unsalted butter melts into a rich base for the caramel, adding creaminess and depth.
- Brown Sugar: Packed brown sugar creates that signature caramel color and flavor.
- Corn Syrup (or Glucose): This prevents sugar crystallization, ensuring the caramel stays smooth and sticky.
- Salt: Just a touch enhances sweetness and balances the spices.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the caramel flavor.
- Baking Soda: Reacts to create foam, lightening the caramel and giving it that glossy coat.
- Christmas Spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Allspice, Cloves): The magic blend that transforms simple caramel popcorn into an irresistible seasonal snack.
Make It Your Way
I love tweaking this Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe depending on my mood or who I’m gifting it to. Sometimes I swap almonds out for pecans or walnuts for a different nutty crunch, and adding a sprinkle of sea salt on top before baking gives it a perfect sweet-salty angle.
- Nut-Free Option: I’ve made this recipe without nuts when needed by just doubling the popcorn — still turned out fantastic!
- Spice Level: Feel free to dial the spices up or down; if you prefer a gentler flavor, reduce the cinnamon and cloves.
- Sweetness Adjustment: For a less sugary treat, use a bit less brown sugar or swap in maple syrup, but remember baking times might vary.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe

Step 1: Pop the Corn Perfectly
Start by heating vegetable oil over medium heat in a large pot. I always toss in a few kernels first and cover them to test the temperature. Once they pop, it’s a sign the oil’s ready. Add the rest of the kernels, lift the pot off the heat and shake it gently to spread the kernels evenly—this trick helps prevent burning early. Once the popcorn starts popping vigorously, gently shake the pot once or twice. Remove from heat when the popping slows to a few seconds between pops. This results in about 10 cups of popcorn — perfect for coating.
Step 2: Whip Up Your Festive Caramel
While the popcorn is cooling slightly, preheat your oven to 110°C (230°F). Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir just enough to combine, then let it bubble and simmer for 4 minutes without stirring—this step is key to develop that smooth caramel texture. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in the Christmas spices, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Whisk vigorously for about 10 seconds until the caramel foams and grows slightly in volume. This foaming makes the coating lighter and easier to spread.
Step 3: Coat and Bake
Pour the hot caramel immediately over your popcorn, tossing to coat everything evenly. Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top and give it one more gentle toss. Spread the coated popcorn on two large baking trays in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes — the caramel will melt and recoat the popcorn, creating an even, crispy finish. If you swapped corn syrup for glucose, add an extra 15 minutes to the bake time. Once baked, let it cool completely — then break into chunky clusters.
Top Tip
After making this Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe a dozen times, I’ve learned a few tricks that make the process smoother and the outcome tastier.
- Pre-Test the Oil Temperature: Waiting for a kernel to pop before adding the rest prevents under or over-heated oil, so you get perfectly popped corn without burnt bits.
- Don’t Stir the Caramel While Simmering: Stirring can cause the sugar to crystallize, resulting in grainy caramel. Patience here makes a smooth, glossy sauce.
- Work Quickly When Adding Caramel: The mixture foams and hardens fast — pouring it over popcorn immediately is key to coat evenly before it sets.
- Use a Large Bowl for Tossing: You’ll thank yourself later; it makes mixing the popcorn and caramel much easier without spills.
How to Serve Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe

Garnishes
I love sprinkling a tiny bit of flaky sea salt onto the popcorn just before baking — it creates a delightful sweet-salty contrast. Sometimes I add a dusting of extra cinnamon after baking for a warm finish. Toasted coconut flakes make a lovely garnish if you want a tropical twist, too!
Side Dishes
This Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn pairs wonderfully with a cozy cup of mulled cider or hot chocolate. For a party spread, I often serve it alongside a cheese plate with sharp cheddar and spicy sausages — surprisingly great combo!
Creative Ways to Present
For gift-giving or holiday parties, I like filling clear cellophane bags tied with twine and a sprig of fresh rosemary or cinnamon stick. It’s festive and lets the golden pops shine through. Mason jars also work beautifully and double as cute reusable containers.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once your popcorn has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. I never use plastic bags for this since they can cause staling. This recipe stays crisp and fresh for about 2 to 3 weeks — perfect for enjoying throughout the season.
Freezing
I’ve frozen leftover popcorn in airtight freezer bags a couple of times with good results. Just thaw it at room temperature — it retains its crunch, which surprised me! Just avoid moisture when freezing, or the caramel can soften.
Reheating
If your popcorn loses its crispness, a quick 5-minute toaster oven warm-up at low heat revives it nicely. Just keep an eye so it doesn’t burn or melt further. This tip works wonders when you want that fresh-crisp feel days later.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! If you have an air popcorn maker, you can skip the oil and just pop the kernels using that method. It gives you a lighter base for coating that’s great if you want to reduce fat content. Just make sure to measure the popped corn to get about 10 cups for this recipe.
Corn syrup helps prevent the caramel from crystallizing, but if you don’t have it, glucose is a great substitute, especially in Australia. You can also try golden syrup or honey, but note that you’ll need to bake the popcorn a little longer to get it crispy.
Yes! Simply leave out the almonds or replace them with allergy-friendly options like roasted chickpeas or seeds. The popcorn and caramel are fantastic on their own and still have plenty of flavor to enjoy.
When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn stays crisp and fresh for up to 3 weeks. Just be sure to keep it away from humidity to prevent it from becoming sticky or soft.
Final Thoughts
This Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe is one of those holiday treats that brings people together — the smell alone sparks memories and the crunchy, spiced sweetness keeps everyone coming back for more. Whether you’re gifting it or enjoying it curled up on the couch, it’s a cozy crowd-pleaser I always recommend. Trust me, once you make it, you’ll understand why this is my festive favorite year after year.
Print
Christmas Spiced Caramel Popcorn Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Description
A festive and crunchy Christmas Popcorn Candy featuring popcorn coated in a warm, spiced caramel with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Tossed with slivered almonds and baked to a crisp finish, this sweet treat is perfect for holiday snacking or gifting.
Ingredients
Popcorn
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (not required if air popping with a popcorn maker)
- ⅓ cup popping corn (produces 10 cups popcorn)
- ⅔ cup slivered almonds
Caramel
- 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (170g) light corn syrup (substitute glucose or golden syrup, honey, or maple syrup)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Christmas Spices
- 3 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon allspice powder (or more cinnamon)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (or more cinnamon)
Instructions
- Prepare Popcorn: Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add a few kernels and wait until they pop, then remove those kernels. Add the remaining popcorn kernels, off the heat briefly to shake and spread evenly, then cover with a lid. Return to heat and once popcorn starts popping vigorously, gently shake the pot once to distribute heat. Remove from heat when popping slows to about one pop every 3 seconds. Transfer to a very large bowl, ensuring you have about 10 cups of popcorn.
- Make Caramel: Preheat oven to 110°C (230°F). In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt; stir until just combined but do not stir once bubbling begins. Simmer the mixture for 4 minutes without stirring.
- Add Flavors to Caramel: Remove the saucepan from heat. Quickly whisk in the Christmas spices, vanilla extract, and baking soda vigorously for about 10 seconds until the caramel foams and increases in volume.
- Coat Popcorn: Immediately pour the hot caramel over the popcorn and toss quickly to coat all pieces evenly. Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the coated popcorn and toss again to distribute them.
- Bake to Crisp: Spread the caramel-coated popcorn evenly across two baking trays. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes to ensure even coating and prevent burning. If using glucose or substitutes like golden syrup, honey, or maple syrup instead of corn syrup, bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Cool and Store: Remove from oven and let the popcorn candy cool completely so the caramel hardens. Break into pieces gently and store in an airtight container. It remains crisp and fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Adjust popcorn kernel quantity for caramel coverage: ⅓ cup kernels for full candy coating; ¾ cup kernels for a lighter, less sweet coating.
- Corn syrup stabilizes the caramel preventing crystallization. Glucose syrup is a suitable substitute but requires longer baking time.
- Alternative syrups like golden syrup, honey, or maple syrup can be used but also require an additional 15 minutes baking time.
- Store in an airtight container to maintain crispness for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg


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