Do you want an easy-to-make snack that’s tasty, somewhat low-calorie, and maybe a bit colorful? Candied popcorn is usually a fun pick! It’s handy to have for those times when you want a snack for movie night that you can eat without feeling like you’re blowing your diet. I also like to have candied popcorn sitting out when I have company. It really does disappear faster than you’d think!
The real trick to making candied popcorn is to give it a candy-like crunch rather than making it all soft and sticky. The solution is to include a couple of “secret ingredients”: cream of tartar and baking soda. These two ingredients create a slight fizz that makes it easy to coat the popcorn with the candy syrup more evenly, keeps the sugar from crystallizing, and creates that hard candy coating as it cools.
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Why This Recipe?
I get this question a lot! The truth is, I added a bit more cream of tartar and baking soda to get that “hard candy coating” texture that gives candied popcorn a slight crunchiness. I also like this recipe because:
- It can be customized just by sprinkling in a little flavored powder when you stir the syrup into the popcorn.
- It’s easy to make.
- It’s popular with kids. I often have to keep this one out of the reach of visiting nieces and nephews while it’s cooling.
- It can be scaled up or down as needed. Sometimes I’ll double the recipe when I’m expecting a big crowd for a holiday party.
Equipment Needed for Candied Popcorn
I will admit that I never made popcorn much at home before I figured out how to make candied popcorn. The only thing I needed to find was a popcorn popper, though. The cool part about having a popcorn popper is that you can go as simple or as retro as you like. Unless you plan on wheeling this around to all the local street festivals, though, you might be better off keeping it simple. Just make sure it has enough capacity for 12 cups of popped popcorn.
- Popcorn Popper
- Small Saucepan
- Candy Thermometer
- Oven-Safe Bowl
- Small Mixing Bowls
- Parchment or Wax Paper
- Cooling Racks
Ingredients for This Candied Popcorn Recipe
I like to keep it relatively simple when making candied popcorn. Of course, it can be customized however you like (keep reading to learn more!). These are the basic ingredients you’ll need for candied popcorn.
- Air Popped Popcorn
- White Granulated Sugar
- Agave Nectar
- Coconut Oil
- Salt
- Cream of Tartar
- Baking Soda
- Natural Food Coloring
About These Ingredients for Candied Popcorn
Curious about any of these ingredients? I didn’t think any of them were terribly surprising. Of course, each of these ingredients adds something to this recipe.
Air Popped Popcorn
12 cups popped popcorn
I like to air-pop my popcorn to reduce the amount of oil I use in this recipe. Popcorn is generally considered a healthy snack because it’s lower in calories than many snacks. The USDA’s FoodData Central database reports that air-popped popcorn has 387 calories per 100 grams. Try using your food scale to measure 100 grams of air-popped popcorn the next time you have popcorn. It might look like more than you would think!
Of course, popcorn is the base of this recipe and typically has a nice, mild neutral flavor that makes it good for candying.
What makes popcorn different from other types of corn? That’s a good question! The Popcorn Board calls popcorn a type of flint corn with a structure that gives it its unique popping ability. It has a hard outer shell that holds in moisture so well that the pressure from water turning into steam builds up in the soft starchy center of the kernel until it pops. Other types of corn, like sweet corn, aren’t as good at popping because they don’t have that hard outer shell.
White Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
Granulated sugar adds a lot of the sweetness to this candied popcorn.
Agave Nectar
6 tablespoons agave nectar
Agave nectar adds some of the liquid and a sweeter flavor to the syrup you’ll pour over the popcorn. The thing to remember about agave nectar is that its sweetness can be quite intense, so you should resist the temptation to add too much.
Missing your tablespoon? It happens to me too. Sometimes one of my measuring spoons gets lost in the drawer. If you don’t want to search for your tablespoon, a good rule of thumb is that 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. 6 tablespoons of agave nectar equal 18 teaspoons, or 126 grams on a digital food scale.
Coconut Oil
3 tablespoons coconut oil
I like coconut oil as a lighter-flavored (and vegetarian!) alternative to butter. It lends a light coconut flavor and some necessary fat to any recipe.
Cream of Tartar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Cream of tartar helps keep the sugar from crystallizing in the syrup. When paired with baking soda, it can cause a “fizzy” appearance in the syrup as the acid in cream of tartar reacts with baking soda to create carbon dioxide. This is normal.
Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Baking soda helps neutralize the acid in cream of tartar, preventing the syrup from developing a sharp acidic flavor.
Food Coloring (Optional)
A few drops of each color you want
I like to use natural food coloring to give the candied popcorn a bright, fun appearance. Of course, this is very much optional.
Printable Candied Popcorn Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 12 cups air-popped popcorn
- 1 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp agave nectar
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- natural food coloring if desired
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn in your air popper if you haven’t already. Place the popcorn in an oven-safe bowl.
- Place the popcorn in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to keep it warm while you make the syrup.
- Combine the granulated sugar, agave nectar, coconut oil, salt, and cream of tartar in a saucepan.
- Bring the sugar mix to a boil. Boil it until a candy thermometer dipped into the syrup reads 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius). Do not stir.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the baking soda. It will likely fizz a bit as the baking soda reacts with the cream of tartar.
- If adding color to the syrup, divide it among multiple bowls, depending on the number of colors you want. Add a few drops of natural food coloring to each bowl and stir, making sure to rinse the spoon between bowls.
- Remove the popcorn from the oven. If you added color to the syrup, it may also help to divide the popcorn into a few separate bowls to get a good mix of the distinct colors.
- Pour the syrup over the popcorn. (Use one syrup color per bowl of popcorn if you’re using multiple colors.) Stir well to coat the popcorn with the syrup.
- Spread the popcorn on cooling racks lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool. The syrup will naturally dry and harden as it cools, forming the candy coating for the popcorn.
- Pour this popcorn into a serving bowl.
Nutrition
Method for Making Candied Popcorn
Candied popcorn is easy to make; it may just take a little patience to get it exactly right.
Step One: Pop Popcorn
Pop the popcorn in your air popper if you haven’t already. Place the popcorn in an oven-safe bowl.
Step Two: Keep Popcorn Warm
Place the popcorn in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to keep it warm while you make the syrup. Just don’t forget it’s there.
Step Three: Combine Sugar, Agave Nectar, Coconut Oil, Salt, and Cream of Tartar
Combine the granulated sugar, agave nectar, coconut oil, salt, and cream of tartar in a saucepan.
Step Four: Boil Sugar Mix
Bring the sugar mix to a boil. Boil it until a candy thermometer dipped into the syrup reads 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius). Do not stir. Also, do not wander away from it because you definitely don’t want to get sidetracked while making the syrup.
Step Five: Remove From Heat and Add Baking Soda
Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the baking soda. It will likely fizz a bit as the baking soda reacts with the cream of tartar.
In baking, baking soda is a chemical leavening agent. That means it’s a base that reacts with the acidic ingredients in a recipe to create the carbon dioxide bubbles that give baked goods the desired texture. That’s what is happening here. It means that the syrup will temporarily look slightly ‘carbonated’!
Step Six (Optional): Add Color to Syrup
If adding color to the syrup, divide it among multiple bowls, depending on the number of colors you want. Add a few drops of natural food coloring to each bowl and stir, making sure to rinse the spoon between bowls.
Step Seven: Remove Popcorn From Oven
Remove the popcorn from the oven. If you added color to the syrup, it may also help to divide the popcorn into a few separate bowls to get a good mix of the distinct colors.
Step Eight: Coat Popcorn With Syrup
Pour the syrup over the popcorn. (Use one syrup color per bowl of popcorn if you’re using multiple colors.) Stir well to coat the popcorn with the syrup.
Step Nine: Cool Popcorn on Cooling Racks
Spread the popcorn on cooling racks lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool. The syrup will naturally dry and harden as it cools, forming the candy coating for the popcorn.
Step Ten: Pour Popcorn Into Serving Bowl
Pour this popcorn into a serving bowl. If you’re having a movie night, transferring the popcorn to some popcorn bags or a popcorn bucket is also fun.
Looks easy enough, right? Now you have a fun snack for movie night or anytime!
Nutrition Information for Candied Popcorn
This approximate nutritional information is based on the recipe as shown. Exact amounts can vary depending on the amounts of each ingredient and substitutions. If you would like to explore the nutritional information of each ingredient, please visit the USDA’s FoodData Central database.
Substitutions and Variations for Candied Popcorn
If you like caramel corn, you could try sprinkling in some caramel-flavored popcorn seasoning when you stir the syrup into the popcorn.
One fun thing to do is mix some sprinkles into the popcorn at the same time as the syrup.
I like to melt some baking chocolate and drizzle it over the popcorn right after I’ve spread it on the cooling racks.
Coconut sugar makes a decent substitute for sugar if you like more coconut flavor.
You could reduce or eliminate the salt if you like it less salty.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Candied Popcorn Recipe
While this candied popcorn is usually pretty straightforward to make, we do get questions sometimes! If you think of one we haven’t answered yet, feel free to ask in the comments section, and we’ll do our best to answer.
Do I really need a candy thermometer for this recipe? Would a food thermometer work?
An all-purpose food thermometer might work if it’s safe to dip one end of it into the boiling syrup mix. I prefer to use a candy or “deep fryer” thermometer that’s specifically designed to be safely dipped into hot liquid, though. (I’ll be honest, I’m a little bit scared of accidentally getting a finger into boiling liquid.)
How do I keep candied popcorn crunchy instead of sticky?
Boiling the syrup to the correct temperature is the most important thing when keeping the candied popcorn properly crunchy. The popcorn should also be kept warm. (Just don’t overdo it with the oven heat. The goal isn’t to cook it once it’s already popped.)
Can I make this candied popcorn ahead of time?
Candied popcorn can stay fresh for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container. If I’m going to make it in advance, though, I like to limit it to a day or two ahead. That way, it’ll stay that much fresher.
Can I use microwave popcorn for candied popcorn?
You can, but you may want to leave the salt out of the syrup mix since most brands of microwave popcorn already have salt on it. I prefer to use plain air-popped popcorn for this recipe.
What’s the best way to store leftover candied popcorn?
I keep leftover candied popcorn in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. It usually doesn’t do that well in the refrigerator due to the extra moisture, which can make it soggy.
More Easy Dessert and Snack Recipes
I know how it is. Sometimes I want to have something other than popcorn available for guests or holiday events. Here are a few more easy dessert and snack recipes that tend to be a hit in my house.
- Easy 4-Ingredient Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Cups
- Apple Almond Oat Bars
- 5 Ingredient Pineapple Pie
- Soft, Chewy No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Decadent Chocolate Brownie Cake
- Chick-Fil-A Ice Cream
Did you make this recipe? If you like it, have some feedback, or want to share a favorite variation, feel free to let us know in the comments section. And don’t forget to rate this recipe!
