If you’ve spent your life buying caramel popcorn, you’re going to be kicking yourself after reading this post. Why? Because making homemade caramel popcorn is so flippin’ easy—and it tastes miles better than the store-bought version. Plus, when you make caramel corn yourself, you can make it vegan with a few simple swaps. Yes! We’ve been making this vegan caramel popcorn for years, and it’s one of our favourite snacks for a movie night in or when we’re craving a little sweet-and-salty goodness. You only need 7 ingredients to make it, and it comes together in 25 minutes—and most of that time is hands-off! The key ingredient in this recipe might surprise you—nope, it’s not the vegan butter or the sugar, but baking soda! Baking soda completely changes the texture of the caramel as it’s bubbling and makes it much lighter, and much easier to coat the popcorn with. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn, bake it to crispy-crunchy perfection, and then try to resist eating it all at once!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Freshly popped popcorn – Use my stovetop popcorn recipe, but don’t add salt, butter, or other seasonings. Vegan butter – Use store-bought or my homemade vegan butter. Salt – For extra crunch, you can use a flaky salt like Maldon or fleur del sel. If you go this route, add a little extra to account for the bigger flakes. Almond milk – Or another unflavoured plant milk you like or have on hand. Maple syrup – No corn syrup! This recipe is made with maple syrup instead. Coconut sugar or raw cane sugar – Granulated sugar is just fine too. Vanilla extract Baking soda
Is White or Yellow Popcorn Better for Caramel Corn?
You can use white popcorn, yellow popcorn, or even one of those fancy red, purple, or blue heirloom varieties of popcorn to make this vegan caramel corn recipe.
How to Make Vegan Caramel Popcorn
Get ready for the best caramel corn you’ve ever had! Here’s what you’ll need to do. Prepare. Preheat your oven to 300ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Pour the popcorn into a large metal bowl. Start the caramel mixture. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, combine the vegan butter, half of the salt, the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla. Stir the mixture as the butter melts. Finish the caramel. Let the caramel mixture come to a boil, then add the rest of the salt. Add the baking soda; the mixture will change colour and it is more susceptible to burning at this point. Reduce the heat and stir for 1 minute. Coat the popcorn. Remove the caramel from the heat and pour the mixture into the bowl with the popcorn. Working quickly, toss the popcorn with a spatula, making sure it’s evenly coated. Bake. Spread the popcorn onto the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Allow the popcorn to cool on a fresh sheet on parchment paper. The popcorn will get crispy as it cools.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making perfect vegan caramel popcorn.
Use big, fluffy popcorn. Avoid “ladyfinger” popcorn varieties, since these pop very small and won’t give you that satisfying caramel corn texture. Work quickly. As soon as the caramel is done, remove it from the stovetop, pour it over the popcorn, and then spread the popcorn onto the baking sheets. This isn’t the time to pause and answer a text from your BFF! Be patient. The popcorn really needs that cooling time to get the perfect crispy exterior. Warm caramel corn is not as good as it sounds!
Serving Suggestions
This vegan caramel corn is delicious as-is, but I have a few ideas for taking it to the next level.
Make a vegan caramel-and-cheese mix. If you’ve been missing those bags of caramel and cheese popcorn since going vegan, you can DIY it at home by making a batch of cheesy popcorn with nutritional yeast and a batch of caramel corn; let them cool, then toss them together for the ultimate sweet-and-savoury snack. Gift it. Package your popcorn in cellophane bags, tie them with pretty ribbons, and give friends and family homemade vegan caramel corn for the holidays. Make it decadent. Add pecans or peanuts to the bowl of popcorn and coat them with the caramel sauce too. Once the mixture bakes and cools, drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top. Let the chocolate harden before serving.
How to Store
If you don’t eat your vegan caramel corn immediately, you can store it in an airtight container to keep it crispy for up to 1 week at room temperature, or 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Enjoy friends! If you make this vegan caramel popcorn, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
