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Dig into my irresistible vegan caramel popcorn that can hold you coming again for extra! With the right stability of candy and salty taste, this crunchy popcorn makes for the most effective dessert or indulgent snack. Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free and solely requires quarter-hour of prep time!
We’re a popcorn-loving household! Okay, perhaps it’s a bit of greater than loving… I make popcorn recipes principally each week. So once I created this caramel model and left it on the counter, let’s simply say it didn’t final quite a lot of minutes!
Ethereal popcorn coated in caramel sauce?! What extra might you ask for? Oh, you need it plant primarily based? Achieved!
Certain, caramel popcorn isn’t precisely a wholesome meals because of the larger quantity of fats and energy. Nonetheless, consuming what makes you cheerful is a vital a part of psychological well being, simply ensure your weight-reduction plan consists of extra than simply caramel popcorn. (As interesting as which may be!)
If you happen to love caramel treats as a lot as I do, make sure you try my salted caramel cheesecake and my caramel good cream that are each scrumptious straightforward desserts filled with caramel taste!
Whereas this caramel popcorn recipe with out butter may appear formidable to make at house, it’s surprisingly straightforward! I actually needed this to be a enjoyable dessert that anybody might make, no matter their baking expertise. Even my youngsters be a part of within the enjoyable – they love breaking up the caramel corn after it cools!
I additionally respect that this recipe makes use of a minimal ingredient record, making it extra simple and reasonably priced. I may even make further caramel sauce to make use of on different treats all through the week (like my wholesome apple nachos)!
I actually love different popcorn recipes like my jalapeño popcorn and my colourful unicorn popcorn, however to be trustworthy this is perhaps my favourite! The saltiness of the popcorn combines with the candy coating of caramel for the tastiest chew each single time.
And, I’ve to say, the feel is like nothing else. You get that traditional mild and ethereal texture of the popcorn, taken to the following stage with a crunchy caramel glaze. It’s a straightforward snack for any time of day, and in addition works nice for film evening, however I personally munch on this wealthy popcorn as a light-weight dessert typically!
🥘 Substances
I hold my vegan caramel popcorn recipe tremendous easy, utilizing just a few elements. Right here’s what you want for probably the most wonderful taste:
Popcorn: Your favourite popcorn will work for my vegan caramel corn recipe, however I do advocate selecting a salted popcorn for the most effective taste. And, be sure to choose a vegan one if wanted. You possibly can pop your popcorn in an air fryer, in an air popper, use vegan microwaved popcorn, and even make my Prompt Pot popcorn to make use of on this recipe. If you happen to’re making the popcorn from scratch, you’ll want 1/2 cup popcorn kernels.
Vegan Caramel: Ooey gooey caramel is the star of the present right here! You can also make your individual vegan caramel sauce or use retailer purchased – both works. I take advantage of this recipe which requires dates, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, coconut cream and arrowroot starch.
Baking Soda: Baking soda reacts with the elements within the caramel to create little bubbles (suppose baking soda and vinegar response however with a decrease depth). These bubbles create a extra ethereal consistency, making it simpler for me to unfold the sauce over the popcorn.
Nuts: When you can go away the nuts out if most popular, I actually love the extra texture and taste they convey to this dairy free caramel popcorn.
👩🏽🍳 How To Make Vegan Caramel Popcorn
The toughest half about making my vegan candy popcorn recipe is resisting the urge to eat all of it all through the method! To develop into a grasp of constructing home made caramel popcorn, comply with my step-by-step directions under. Right here is methods to make caramel popcorn with out butter:
Preheat Oven: First, I preheat my oven to 250 levels Fahrenheit / 120 levels Celsius.
Make The Caramel: Now, I make a vegan caramel sauce on the range high in keeping with the recipe, and I stir it to thicken for nearly 5 minutes over medium warmth. As soon as thickened, I take away the sauce from warmth and add within the baking soda with vanilla and salt.
Coat Popcorn: As soon as the caramel is prepared, I add my popcorn to a big bowl and pour the caramel and nuts (if utilizing) over the popcorn. I combine round to coat each piece!
Bake Caramel Corn: Then, I unfold my popcorn combination out on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for an hour. I combine it round each quarter-hour.
Cool: As soon as carried out, I take away the caramel popcorn from the oven and permit it to chill.
Serve: After it cools, I break it aside into popcorn items and serve!
My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to bake the popcorn instantly after coating with caramel to keep away from a soggy texture.
I all the time bake the popcorn as quickly because the popcorn is blended with the sauce. If the popcorn sits with the new caramel coated on it for too lengthy, the moisture will seep into the items and make it mushy.
To keep away from it from getting too smooth and soggy, I shortly coat every part by mixing effectively after which unfold out onto my parchment paper lined baking sheet. I place it within the oven straight away so the popcorn will get a pleasant crisp coating whereas staying crunchy!
Different Ideas To Hold In Thoughts:
- Do Not Overcook Caramel: I solely prepare dinner the caramel on the shorter aspect, for about 5 minutes, in order that it doesn’t develop into too thick.
- Unfold Evenly: I unfold it as evenly as attainable on the baking sheet in order that I don’t find yourself with clumps too huge to interrupt aside.
- Keep away from Sticking: Don’t neglect the parchment paper! I take advantage of this to maintain every part from sticking.
- Don’t Overlook To Combine: Through the baking course of, I rigorously combine every part round each quarter-hour in order that it cooks evenly and will get that good crunch.
- Give It Time To Cool: I counsel that you simply let the popcorn cool earlier than breaking apart. In any other case it would simply stick collectively and be tremendous messy.
📖 Variations
I make my caramel popcorn with no butter or dairy to accommodate extra dietary wants, and there are many add-ins and variations that hold it completely vegan-friendly:
Different Combine Ins: I like including further taste and texture to this recipe. Get artistic and take a look at one thing every time, like pecans, walnuts, peanuts, vegan chocolate chips, dried fruit, and crushed pretzels.
Extra Flavors: Once I need a straightforward approach to swap issues up I simply add in a further taste with spices like cinnamon or pumpkin spice seasoning.
Chocolate Drizzle: As soon as the popcorn has cooked and cooled fully, I like including a drizzle of melted chocolate or white chocolate over high! I let the chocolate cool and harden earlier than breaking up the caramel corn.
🍽 Serving Ideas
Vegan caramel popcorn with out butter is ideal for snacking on by itself, however I like to serve it alongside different candy treats or refreshing fruit recipes to stability the sweetness. Listed here are my high pairings:
With Fruit: Since this recipe is already fairly candy, I like to get pleasure from it with a aspect of contemporary fruit like sliced strawberries and even my breakfast fruit salad.
With Different Sweets: I generally use this vegan caramel popcorn as a topping on candy treats like my vegan matcha ice cream or chocolate tofu ice cream.
🫙 Storage Directions
Room Temperature: I seal leftover popcorn in an hermetic container and retailer at room temperature for as much as per week. Get pleasure from it shortly, because the popcorn will begin to get a bit of stale over time.
❓Recipe FAQs
If the caramel has not cooked sufficient it is not going to harden correctly which may end up in soggy popcorn. Additionally, as I discussed earlier, attempt baking the popcorn as quickly as it’s blended with the sauce for the crispiest texture.
My secret for getting the easiest texture is baking the caramel coated popcorn at a low temperature after which letting it cool fully. This can lead to completely crispy popcorn.
I do know it may be tempting to tug that tray out of the oven and instantly begin breaking up the items! Nonetheless, I discover it greatest to let the popcorn calm down first to present the caramel sufficient time to totally harden. Because it cools, the caramel coating will dry and develop into much less sticky to the contact. It is possible for you to to simply break it aside into particular person popcorn items at this level!
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📋 Recipe Card
Straightforward Vegan Caramel Popcorn (Candy And Salty!)
Dig into my irresistible vegan caramel popcorn that can hold you coming again for extra! With the right stability of candy and salty taste, this crunchy popcorn makes for the most effective dessert or indulgent snack. Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free and solely requires quarter-hour of prep time!
Servings: 4
Energy: 1258kcal
- The baking soda helps the caramel be clean and simple to unfold over the popcorn.
- Vitamin information don’t embody nuts.
- Serving dimension is 2 cups.
Energy: 1258kcal | Carbohydrates: 247g | Protein: 36g | Fats: 15g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 8g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 899mg | Fiber: 42g | Sugar: 6g
