This Caramel Puff Corn Recipe without Corn Syrup is an addictive sweet, salty, crunchy homemade caramel corn-like snack with no hulls and no kernels. Perfect for game day and holiday gift giving.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Prepare pans with nonstick cooking spray. You can use two 9 x 13 pans, two half sheet pans, one full sized (18"x26") rimmed baking sheet pan, or one roasting pan.Pour puff corn onto the prepared pans.
In a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, sugar, and honey together. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for five minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract (careful, it may spatter a little), baking soda, and salt. Stir while the mixture foams up.
Carefully pour the hot caramel mixture over the puff corn. Coat the puff corn as well as you can. It’s okay if every puff isn't perfectly covered yet, you’ll have more chances to evenly coat them during the baking process.
Bake and stir every 10-15 minutes for 50-60 minutes or until it's no longer sticky. You can tell it's done when a cooled piece is crunchy.
Pour the caramel corn puffs out onto wax paper or parchment paper. If desired, sprinkle some sea salt over the puff corn before it cools.
Let it cool completely, then break it apart. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Caramel Puff Corn also freezes well. Just pop it in a ziploc bag and toss it in the freezer.
To Make Cinnamon Spice Puff Corn
Add the cinnamon and cayenne pepper with the salt and baking soda.
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Notes
Boil the caramel mixture for the full five minutes. If you cook it for less than that, the caramel puff corn will be sticky and buttery. Be careful when adding the vanilla. It may spatter a bit. It’s okay if you don’t coat ALL the puff corn on the first coating. You’ll have more chances to coat them as you stir it during baking.