Description
This Pumpkin Spice Caramel Popcorn recipe combines the warm flavors of pumpkin spice with sweet caramel to create a deliciously crunchy treat. Perfect for cozy fall gatherings or a sweet snack, it features crisp popcorn coated in a buttery caramel glaze, enhanced with aromatic pumpkin spice, and topped with roasted pumpkin seeds for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn and Toppings
- 10 cups popped popcorn
- 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
- Prepare Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and pumpkin spice. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly to ensure it combines smoothly and doesn’t burn.
- Remove from Heat: Once it reaches a boil, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat to stop the cooking process and prevent the caramel from burning.
- Coat Popcorn: Pour the hot caramel mixture evenly over the popped popcorn. Stir gently but thoroughly to coat all the popcorn pieces with the caramel sauce.
- Bake Popcorn: Spread the coated popcorn onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even caramelization and prevent burning.
- Add Pumpkin Seeds: Remove the popcorn from the oven and sprinkle roasted pumpkin seeds on top for added crunch and nutty flavor.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the popcorn to cool completely before serving so the caramel can harden slightly and provide a satisfying crunch.
Notes
- Use fresh popped popcorn to ensure the best texture.
- Stirring the popcorn every 15 minutes during baking is crucial to prevent the caramel from clumping or burning.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds add a delightful crunch and complementary flavor, but you can omit them for a nut-free version.
- Store leftover popcorn in an airtight container to keep it fresh and crunchy.
- You can adjust the amount of pumpkin spice to taste if you prefer a stronger or milder flavor.
