Description
This Kettle Chip Caramel Popcorn recipe combines crunchy unsalted popcorn with crushed Kettle Brand Sea Salt Kettle Chips, coated in a rich homemade caramel sauce and finished with a drizzle of melted chocolate. It's a delightful sweet and salty snack perfect for movie nights or parties.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn Mixture
- 11 cups popped plain unsalted popcorn
- 4 cups Kettle Brand Sea Salt Kettle Chips, slightly crushed to about 2 1/2 cups
Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Chocolate Drizzle
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the popcorn and slightly crushed kettle chips into an extra-large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Make Caramel Sauce: Melt the unsalted butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the packed light brown sugar and corn syrup and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Boil Caramel: Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes without stirring (use a thermometer to reach 252 degrees if available). Then immediately remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda until well combined. The mixture will foam up and double in volume.
- Coat Popcorn and Chips: Carefully drizzle the hot caramel sauce over the popcorn and kettle chips. Toss to evenly coat all pieces.
- Bake Coated Popcorn: Spread the coated popcorn mixture onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, removing every 15 minutes to toss the popcorn so it bakes evenly. If using sprinkles, immediately add them after baking.
- Cool Popcorn: Allow the popcorn to cool at room temperature after baking.
- Melt Chocolate: Place chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl. Microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring well between intervals until melted and smooth.
- Drizzle Chocolate: Transfer the melted chocolate to a small resealable bag, seal, and cut a tiny tip from the corner. Drizzle the chocolate evenly over the cooled popcorn.
- Set and Store: Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Once set, break the popcorn into pieces and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Be careful when pouring and tossing with the hot caramel as it can cause burns.
- If you don’t have a candy thermometer, time the boiling carefully to avoid burning the caramel.
- Use a silicone liner or parchment paper on the baking sheet to prevent sticking.
- Sprinkles are optional but add a festive touch.
- Store popcorn in an airtight container to keep it fresh and crunchy.
- You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark or white chocolate according to preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
