Homemade Caramel Popcorn Seasoning – Quick & Delicious

A 4-ingredient homemade popcorn seasoning recipe that will take the flavor of late-night snacking to the next level!

My family loves popcorn! A few years ago our friends told us that on days they don’t want to cook dinner they make protein shakes and popcorn, and we hopped right on that train! We usually stick to buttered popcorn or rosemary popcorn when it’s for dinner, but when it’s movie night our other favorites include marshmallow popcorn (Cade’s favorite), kettle corn (Carrian’s favorite) and caramel corn (the kids’ favorite!)

Caramel Popcorn Seasoning is a sweet popcorn seasoning that is easy to make and adds a delicious flavor to your homemade popcorn.  

Learning how to make flavored popcorn seasoning is super simple and it makes the perfect gift for neighbors around the holidays! Make popcorn at home today and try out my mom’s perfect caramel popcorn seasoning!

Ingredients for Homemade Caramel Popcorn Seasoning

Salt: Balances all the sugars, enhances flavor, and keeps the seasoning from being one-note sweet. It also makes the popcorn taste more snackable.

Powdered Sugar: Provides a very fine, quick-dissolving sweetness that clings easily to the popcorn. Its texture helps coat evenly without making the popcorn soggy.

Turbinado Sugar: Adds a light molasses flavor with larger crystals that give a bit of crunch. It brings a more complex sweetness than regular white sugar.

Light Brown Sugar: Contributes a deeper, caramel-like sweetness thanks to its higher molasses content. It gives warmth and a richer flavor that pairs really well with buttery popcorn.

Gift Idea

One of my favorite gifts for when my kids have a birthday party is a DIY popcorn present! These are my two favorite microwave popcorn poppers:

Glass Popcorn Popper

Silicone Popcorn Popper

Then just add a bag of kernels, your homemade seasoning and a candy and you’ve got the most fun gift ever! Great for the holidays and neighbors too!

How to Make Homemade Popcorn Seasoning

1. Blend: Add the 4 ingredients to a blender or spice grinder and blend until mixed well.
2. Make Popcorn: Pop popcorn (make from popcorn kernels or use microwave bagged popcorn), however much you want! Drizzle with melted butter and then sprinkle with the caramel popcorn seasoning and stir to combine (or put in a big bowl with a lid and shake until well coated).

How To Make Seasoning to Stick to Popcorn

The drizzling of the butter over the top of the popcorn is essential to making sure every homemade popcorn kernel gets coated with sweetness! After buttering, sprinkle your seasoning, place a lid on your bowl or popcorn maker and shake everything to coat. Pour it into a large bowl and add more seasoning to taste.

Load it Up with Mix-Ins!

Once you’ve made the caramel corn, it’s super fun to add some mix ins and the kids love it! Some great ideas for mix-ins:

• Peanuts
• m&m’s
• Butterscotch Chips
• Pecans
• Mini Marshmallows

Storing Popcorn Seasoning

Caramel popcorn seasoning should be stored at room temperature. Keep in a dry place and keep away from moisture. It will keep for 6 months.

This is a family-friendly recipe that transforms regular popcorn into the perfect mid-afternoon or evening treat. The sweetness of the sugar with the saltiness of the butter is what makes this homemade caramel popcorn recipe to die for!

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