Quacker Jacks

This homemade caramel popcorn with peanuts is a dead ringer for the ballpark classic, and it takes all of 15 minutes. Popped corn and peanuts get drenched in a buttery brown sugar caramel that coats every kernel in a shiny, crunchy shell.

The caramel is three ingredients melted together: butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. The corn syrup is doing important work here. It prevents the sugar from crystallizing, which is what gives you that smooth, glassy coating instead of a grainy, sandy mess.

Adding baking soda right at the end is the trick that makes the caramel light and crispy instead of dense and jaw-breaking. The soda reacts with the hot sugar mixture and creates tiny air bubbles throughout the caramel. You’ll see it foam up when you stir it in. That’s exactly what you want.

Pour the foaming caramel over the popcorn and peanuts and toss quickly. It starts setting fast, so work with purpose. Every second you wait means clumpier, less evenly coated popcorn.

Kitchen Tips

• Pop your corn fresh right before making the caramel. Stale popcorn absorbs the caramel instead of wearing it as a crunchy coat
• Remove all unpopped kernels before tossing with caramel. Biting into a hidden kernel coated in sugar is no fun
• Spread the finished mix on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool and harden. It breaks apart into perfect clusters
• Store in an airtight container or bag. Humidity is the enemy of crispy caramel corn

Variations

• Use roasted cashews or almonds instead of peanuts for a more upscale snack
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the caramel for extra warmth
• Drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled caramel corn for a chocolate-caramel combo