You will be surprised at how easy it is to make your own Cracker Jack Caramel Corn. When I was a little kid, Cracker Jack® was one of my favorite treats. Today, Cracker Jack remains an iconic popcorn treat, with caramel and nuts. The fun prizes like real whistles and rings are long gone, but as a grown up, I still love Cracker Jack. These are perfect for Halloween treats or for Christmas gift bags.
Caramel Corn is ubiquitous with fall and when you up the ante by adding nuts, you have homemade Cracker Jack®.
As a kid, I loved Cracker Jack®. I would load up my hand with a heaping mound of candy coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize… (remember that jingle?) Oh, and back then, the prizes could be as fun as a real plastic whistle. Nowadays, the prizes are less choke hazards made of paper, and just not the same. Still, I admit that I’ve been known to toss in a bag of Cracker Jack® into my grocery cart, during a weak moment, that I see them clipped onto a grocery store shelf.
Craig and I enjoy sharing a big bowl of popcorn, while we watch a movie at home– Kettle Corn being our favorite. For years, I’ve toyed with making caramel corn but I never got around to it.
I looked at a lot of recipes on the internet, for Homemade Cracker Jack®. The common theme was, the ratio of molasses vs. corn syrup. Using the Whirley Pop, 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels made just over 15 cups of popcorn in three minutes! Craig was on the sidelines, happily eating the extra popcorn that was exceeded 15 cups.
Making the caramel was pretty easy. In a sauce pan, add butter, brown sugar, molasses, and corn syrup and then brought it to a boil, for about five minutes. I made sure to stir, occasionally.
I like to use a candy thermometer, as a guideline. After five minutes, the syrup had reached a temperature of almost 234 degrees, which is the “softball stage” for candy makers. At that point, I remove the pot from the heat, added pure vanilla and then added baking soda. As you can see, the caramel becomes very foamy and light in color.
Because this mixture is very hot, I cannot emphasize enough to not be tempted to taste this, and to pour it over the popcorn and peanut mixture with great care!
You can see that I added peanuts to the popcorn, but you don’t have to. I used my favorite beer nuts (or Spanish peanuts), but you can use dry roasted salted peanuts, if you prefer.
Combine the popcorn and caramel thoroughly, and then spread onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined mat. Bake at 200F for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
Next time, I will use a deep roasting pan, because I think it would be easier to stir the caramel corn. Oh, and if you prefer a chewier caramel corn, then don’t bake it! I adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour, and they note that if you leave out the baking soda, you can shape these into one-cup balls, inserting a Popsicle or lollipop stick. That would be fun for Halloween, don’t you think?
TASTING NOTES: I’ve often wondered how long the commercial Cracker Jack® box has been sitting on the grocery store shelf. By making my own, I know it’s freshly made. My entire family loved this treat. I stored it in an air tight container, and it was gone in just two days. For Halloween or Christmas, these make great treats that people really appreciate. I hope that you do, too.
Homemade Cracker Jack® Caramel Corn
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets or one deep roasting pan, lined with parchment paper or with a silpat mat
- Recommended: Whirly Bird Popcorn Maker
Ingredients
- 15 cups popped corn ¾ cup kernels, unpopped
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups peanuts optional a 15 oz. can of Beer Nuts for a sweeter crunch
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet (18 x 13-inch) with parchment paper (or use a deep roasting pan, which is my preference). Pour the popped corn into a large bowl (at least 6 quarts); remove any un-popped kernels. If using, add the peanuts, mix and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook the molasses, brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Stirring occasionally, boil the syrup for 5 minutes. The syrup will darken slightly. Note: This is about 230°F, close to softball stage in candy making.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the vanilla, and add the baking soda. Stir well as the mixture turns foamy.
- Immediately (and carefully) pour the hot syrup over the popped corn and stir until the corn is well coated.
- Spread the hot caramel corn into the parchment-lined pan. Note: I spread mine onto two baking sheets. Bake at 200°F for one hour. Stir the corn every 15 minutes during this time.
- Remove from the oven. This caramel corn is warm, sticky, sweet and crunchy treat straight from the oven. It can also be cooled and stored airtight for several days. This recipe doubles and triples very well.
Notes
Nutrition
Looks really good Debbie and can't remember the last time I had any – I like it with all those nuts.
This looks so much better than what comes in a box! Nice and fresh and covered with yummy caramel….just need the surprise.
Yay for a successful surgery!! That is AWESOME news.
And double yay for caramel corn! I've been a little obsessed with it lately, so it's great to find a good recipe.
I'm so happy you are doing so well, Debby. I definitely see a trip to Germany in your future. I have made caramel corn in the past but its been ages. I should make a batch as a special treat for my grandkids…and for me!
This certainly brought back memories and yes, I liked the little plastic toys waiting to be found. Happy that you are recovering well from your surgery.
Glad your knee is coming along. Good luck with the physical therapy.I love Cracker Jax and of course I need to make this!
I just made your recipe as written and it turned out amazingly delicious! Good thing I’m bringing it to a BBQ tomorrow or I would be tempted to eat much of it myself!
thank you for your kind words! I’ve been craving this a lot lately.