This salted maple popcorn is a sweet, crunchy treat that is perfect for your next movie night.
How to Make Salted Maple Popcorn
You’ve heard of salted caramel, but what about salted maple? This salted maple popcorn is perfect for your next game day or movie night!
Popcorn is an agreed upon snack by everyone in our household. The smell of fresh popped popcorn is so enticing and draws everyone to the kitchen. Our family pretty much enjoys popcorn in any form – either plan or jazzed up in a candied fashion such as these recipes:
Yes, we love our fresh popcorn. And by fresh, I mean not that microwave junk! I mean fresh popped popcorn on the stovetop. A few things I always look for when buying popcorn kernels:
- Yellow is better Than White
- Non GMO
- Organic
In my opinion, yellow pops fluffier then white for a better overall popcorn munching experience. Organic and GMO are better for overall nutrition and dietary needs. We love this brand and it it is very price friendly for 3 lbs. of un-popped popcorn kernes
To make this homemade salted maple syrup popcorn, first you will need to pop your popcorn! Don’t forget to pop extra to have some plain popcorn to snack on.
Next, you will make your maple ‘butter’ for the popcorn. In a small saucepan on the stovetop, combine your coconut oil, maple syrup and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for a few minutes. This is important as you want your popcorn to resemble a caramel popcorn but with maple syrup.
After your mixture is candied, remove from stovetop and quickly add in extract, baking soda and salt.
Place on prepared baking pan and bake to obtain a crunchy texture!
Maple Syrup Popcorn Frequently Asked Questions
Whether this is your first time making homemade popcorn or you are a seasoned popcorn aficionado, we know you may have some questions! Here are a few we have encountered about sweet and salty popcorn?
- Why do you use baking soda in candied popcorn?
Baking soda is used in candied and caramel popcorns is to react with the acid (the brown sugar and maple syrup). This creates tiny carbon dioxide air bubbles. Once your liquid mixture cools on the popcorn the air bubbles create a softer texture which melts in your mouth. - What if my popcorn seems overly sticky?
Baking crisps your popcorn in the oven so it is not overly sticky and stirring every 15 minutes ensures each piece is coated evenly. - How do you make popcorn stay crunchy?
Candied or caramel popcorn stays crunchy by baking it in the oven, this helps remove any locked in moisture that is in the kernel of the corn. Cooling it on a wire rack and then storing it in an airtight container also helps it stay crunchy. - How long does candied popcorn last?
Depends how fast you eat it! I have had popcorn stay crunchy for a few weeks, but it really depends how often you are opening the container it is stored in. - Why is my maple caramel corn chewy?
It is important that your maple liquid mixture gets to the correct temperature and then is removed from heat. Here are some tips: stop stirring as soon as the liquid mixture begins to boil. Allow it to continue cooking at a low boil until a candy thermometer measures 285 degrees F. Immediately remove from heat and add in your soda, extract and salt. - Is candied popcorn healthy?
While this vegan dessert does not contain animal products and is dairy free and gluten free, it should be an occasional snack or dessert because of its sugar and oil ingredients.
If you make this popcorn, we would love to know tag @badtothebowl on social media.
Salted Maple Almond Popcorn
Ingredients
- 10 cups popcorn , air popped
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract , or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place your popcorn in large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees and line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In small saucepan, melt your coconut oil, brown sugar and maple syrup. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes while stirring intermittently.
- Remove from heat, add salt, extract and baking soda. Stir well.
- Pour over popcorn in bowl and mix well.
- Spread onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes stirring after 15 minutes.
- Cool on wire racks. Store in air tight container.
Hi there! Do you imagine this popcorn recipe will still be sweet enough if I omit the 3 Tbsp of brown sugar? (My daughter is “sugar” free, but will consume maple syrup.) This looks like a great recipe to try.
It may work, although I have not tested that. Brown sugar helps caramelize the popcorn so it will lack that flavor and may not ‘crisp’ as properly. Let me know how it goes!