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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    February 24, 2019 37 Comments

    Easy Vegan Caramel Corn

    3.5K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Popcorn is by far one of my most favourite treats. I love it plain with just vegan butter and salt. Sometimes I add a pinch (ok fistful) of nutritional yeast. Occasionally I go fancy with my rosemary and lemon popcorn, and other times I'm all about my sweet and salty peanut butter popcorn recipe. Today, inspired by the Oscars, I wanted to make golden easy vegan caramel corn!

    Caramel = liquid gold.
    Popcorn = addictive snack.
    Caramel + popcorn = sweet crispy bliss.

    Easy Vegan Caramel Corn! Surprisingly easy to make with just 7 ingredients. Keeps for up to a week for a great make-ahead snack. Perfect for a homemade gift, for an oscar's academy award's party, or for any time your sweet tooth kicks in. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandessert

    Crunchy, candied popcorn with a pinch of salt, this easy vegan caramel corn is so incredibly tasty that I may or may not have eaten an entire batch myself. Sorry/ not sorry.

    I'll be enjoying this vegan caramel corn during the Academy Awards, but you could also put it in a nice container for a fantastic homemade gift, or save it for yourself for a scrumptious snack.

    Easy Vegan Caramel Corn! Surprisingly easy to make with just 7 ingredients. Keeps for up to a week for a great make-ahead snack. Perfect for a homemade gift, for an oscar's academy award's party, or for any time your sweet tooth kicks in. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandessert

    I like my caramel corn mostly coated with caramel but with a few pieces that have less caramel on them which, to me, is the perfect balance of sweet, (as seen in the photo above). But if you prefer your caramel corn heavily coated, you can double the caramel sauce while keeping the popcorn amount the same for some seriously candy coated corn.

    This recipe is surprisingly easy to make. It does take some time to make, a little over 1 hour, but it should stay crisp for up to a week when kept in an airtight container or sealable bag, so it's great for a make-ahead treat.

    Easy Vegan Caramel Corn! Surprisingly easy to make with just 7 ingredients. Keeps for up to a week for a great make-ahead snack. Perfect for a homemade gift, for an oscar's academy award's party, or for any time your sweet tooth kicks in. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandessert

    To make Easy Vegan Caramel Corn: pop the popcorn in an air popper, or pop with whatever method you normally use (stove top or in the microwave works fine too). Spread the popcorn over the baking sheets. Pick out and discard any unpopped kernels.

    In a small saucepan, mix together the brown sugar, vegan butter, agave, salt, and cream of tartar. Put over medium heat and once you reach a foamy boil (as seen above), cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring often with a non-stick spatula, being careful not to burn the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. The caramel will get lighter in colour and become very foamy. (The photo above is before adding the baking soda).

    Easy Vegan Caramel Corn! Surprisingly easy to make with just 7 ingredients. Keeps for up to a week for a great make-ahead snack. Perfect for a homemade gift, for an oscar's academy award's party, or for any time your sweet tooth kicks in. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandessert

    Pour the caramel over the popcorn, then stir the popcorn to coat. It's ok if the caramel isn't evenly distributed yet, you can continue to mix it as it bakes.

    Bake to popcorn for 1 hour, stopping to stir every 20 minutes to help evenly coat the popcorn. Let cool on the baking sheet, then break apart and store in an airtight container. It should stay fresh for up to a week... but I doubt you can resist it that long. 😉

    Easy Vegan Caramel Corn! Surprisingly easy to make with just 7 ingredients. Keeps for up to a week for a great make-ahead snack. Perfect for a homemade gift, for an oscar's academy award's party, or for any time your sweet tooth kicks in. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandessert

    Print Recipe
    4.95 from 36 votes

    Easy Vegan Caramel Corn

    Surprisingly easy to make with just 7 ingredients. Keeps for up to a week for a great make-ahead snack. Perfect for a homemade gift, for an oscar's academy award's party, or for any time your sweet tooth kicks in. 
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 5 mins
    Total Time1 hr 10 mins
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Servings: 4 (about 10 cups of caramel corn)
    Calories: 270kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    • â…“ cup popcorn kernels (10 cups popped)
    • ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
    • ¼ cup vegan butter
    • 2 tablespoons agave
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • â…› teaspoon cream of tartar
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 200F (93C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Pop the popcorn in an air popper, or pop with whatever method you normally use (stove top or in the microwave works fine too). Spread the popcorn over the baking sheets. Pick out and discard any unpopped kernels. 
    • In a small saucepan, mix together the brown sugar, vegan butter, agave, salt, and cream of tartar. Put over medium heat and once you reach a foamy boil, cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring often with a non-stick spatula, being careful not to burn the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. The caramel will get lighter in colour and become very foamy.
    • Pour the caramel over the popcorn, then stir the popcorn to coat. It's ok if the caramel isn't evenly distributed yet, you can continue to mix it as it bakes. Bake to popcorn for 1 hour, stopping to stir every 20 minutes to help evenly coat the popcorn. Let cool on the baking sheet, then break apart and store in an airtight container. It should stay fresh for up to a week

    Notes

    *Cream of tartar helps to make sure the caramel is smooth and free of crystals. You will be able to find it in your local grocery store in the spice section, or you can order it on amazon. If you don't have it on hand, it's ok to skip it, but the caramel might not be as smooth.
    *Adding the baking soda fills the caramel with tiny bubbles, making it light and crisp. Without it, your caramel will be very hard and won't cover the popcorn very well. Don't forget this step! It's easy to forget to add the baking soda, so what I do is set the ¼ teaspoon measure on top of the popcorn as a reminder to add it before pouring the caramel.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken

    Bon appetegan!

    Sam.

    « Cheesy Vegan Garlic Bread
    Easy Vegan Pepperoni »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rachel says

      October 28, 2022 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      I wasn't sure what to subsitute agave so I chose maple syrup. The carmel turned out perfectly, though I couldn't stir the the popcorn around that well during baking, I think syrup is too sticky. Still really good

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        November 17, 2022 at 4:37 pm

        Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    2. PD says

      August 21, 2022 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      I've been putting off making this recipe bc of the time BUT I finally decided to make it today... and omg IT'S AMAZING! Idk what I was expecting but it's like cracker jacks and I am in love. Thanks for ANOTHER amazing recipe.

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        September 02, 2022 at 3:33 pm

        Haha! You're most welcome!!

        Reply
    3. Sylvia W says

      July 23, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds so yummy! I love popcorn, and had a great 'shock of recognition' laugh when I read "Sometimes I add a pinch (ok fistful) of nutritional yeast." BTDT 😉

      Reply
    4. nina says

      July 16, 2022 at 7:51 am

      I haven't tried it but am excited to make it this weekend. Just a tip for all the popcorn lovers out there for this recipe and others- if you put your popped popcorn, (I pop in a brown paper bag in the microwave) in a bowl and then put a cooling rack over it, you can shake it upside down and all the unpopped kernels will come out. I am 55 and can't risk these teeth so I do this pretty often when I am making anything with popcorn or just not going to be careful while I am eating it.

      Reply
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    Sam Turnbull

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