Think Cracker Jacks and multiply the delicious factor by about one million thousand times and you have this delicious, homemade butter toffee popcorn.

Look at this popcorn. Then think Cracker Jacks and multiply the delicious factor by about one million thousand times.

It is also a hundred thousand bajillion times more addicting.

A decorative green container filled with toffee popcorn.

Need scientific proof?

My husband would like to announce that he once (or thrice) successfully downed an entire batch of this over a period of three days. He’s not ashamed.

Coated in a buttery, caramel mixture, the popcorn is studded with roasted, salted peanuts and baked until crunchy and toffee-like.

Decorative plastic bags filled with toffee popcorn and tied with a red ribbon.

It is dreamy. Seriously dreamy.

I’ve been making this recipe for years and years and dare I say it is the best of it’s kind and is always a hit at the holiday season.

Packaged in a cellophane bag with ribbon or a cute cardboard box, this popcorn is a one hit wonder, whatever that means.

White bowl full of toffee popcorn.

One Year Ago: Triple Chocolate Devil Drops
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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Butter Toffee Popcorn

Yield: 18 cups of popcorn
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
4.45 stars (63 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unpopped popcorn kernels, white or yellow
  • 1 cup (227 g) butter
  • 2 ¼ cups (477 g) light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup dark corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2-3 cups roasted, salted peanuts

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Grease two large rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
  • Pop the popcorn kernels, in shifts if needed to ensure your popcorn popper doesn’t burn the popcorn, and place the popcorn in a large bowl, sifting through to remove the unpopped kernels.
  • In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When melted add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring. Once the mixture starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for 3 minutes. The mixture will be slightly thickened. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will bubble so be careful. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and mix slightly. Add the peanuts and mix well but gently (so you don’t break apart the popcorn) until the popcorn is evenly coated and the peanuts are distributed through the mixture.
  • Turn the popcorn out onto the baking sheets, spreading into an even layer. Bake the popcorn for one hour, stirring and tossing every 20 minutes. Move the bottom tray to the upper rack and vice versa each time you stir. The popcorn will deepen in color and harden a bit as the caramel bakes and sets. Cool the popcorn to room temperature. Store in an airtight container. I’ve found the popcorn will keep, stored tightly, for 1-2 weeks.

Notes

Popcorn: you want about 18 cups of popped corn. I’ve found that about 1/4 cup of unpopped kernels yields about 5 1/2 to 6 cups popped corn. While the recipe calls for 3/4 cup unpopped kernels, be sure to only add it a bit at a time in shifts according to your popcorn popper so the kernels don’t burn.
Serving: 1 Cup, Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 316mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 38g

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Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe

Pop up that popcorn! It helps if you have a few little helpers excited to watch the popcorn “dance.”

two little boys looking happily at popcorn popping in a popcorn maker

Sift through the popcorn to get all the unpopped kernels out (unless you like to get dental work done!) and put the popped corn in a large bowl.

popped popcorn in a red bowl

In a saucepan, melt the butter.

butter melting in a saucepan

Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.

saucepan filled with brown sugar and corn syrup

As it heats slowly, the sugar will dissolve and the mixture will appear smooth.

melted sugar in a saucepan with a wooden spoon

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for three minutes.

boiling sugar mixture in a saucepan

This is how the mixture should look right when it is removed from the heat after it has simmered for three minutes.

boiling sugar toffee mixture in a saucepan

As you add the soda and vanilla, the mixture will foam a bit so be careful. I don’t want anyone suing me for hot bubble injuries. No offense.

golden brown toffee mixture in a saucepan

Pour the caramel over the corn and with two wooden spoons or the like, start mixing. Add the peanuts after mixing for just a bit.

caramel mixture being poured over a red bowl of popped popcorn

Mix until the popcorn is well coated.

red bowl full of toffee coated popcorn

Spread onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake and try to let cool before devouring!

two cookie sheets full of toffee coated popcorn

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Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Popcorn

Soft and Chewy Caramel Popcorn

Cinnamon Roll Caramel Popcorn

Delicious Caramel Popcorn