This past Saturday we met up with friends for a movie being shown at a local park.
When I was trying to decide what kind of treat to make, take, and share, I immediately thought of my MIL’s recipe for caramel corn. Why? Well, not only is it nice gooey delicious caramel popcorn, but it also contains . . . sweetened condensed milk!
And not just a little bit of sweetened condensed milk—oh no. This recipe goes all the way. We’re talking an entire 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. You mix the sweetened condensed milk with a few other ingredients like butter and brown sugar, and then cook it in a pot over medium heat until the caramel is at softball stage (at 235 degrees Fahrenheit the caramel will form a soft ball when dropped into cold water).
Then you pour the caramel over popped popcorn and quickly, but gently (you don’t want to break up all those puffy kernels of popped corn!), mix the popcorn to coat it with the caramel. The quicker you work, the more evenly distributed your caramel will be. You can use air popped popcorn or microwave popped popcorn. I like using light butter microwave popped popcorn to add a bit of a salty element to the finished caramel popcorn, and I figure at this point it’s already not going to qualify for the healthy category, so why not go all the way?
The recipe makes a large amount of popcorn (30 cups), which makes it perfect for sharing (my MIL makes this when we are all there to scarf it down)! However, if you want to make a smaller amount, the recipe works just as well when cut in half. If you like caramel popcorn that is popcorn with a thin glossy crunchy coating, this recipe isn’t for you. But if you like caramel popcorn that has a softer slightly gooey caramel on it, you will love this recipe! Fuji Nana, I’m just putting you on notice now that if I gain 5 pounds from the insane amount of caramel popcorn I ate over the weekend, I am blaming it on you! It’s your fault that I have been thinking about sweetened condensed milk for the past week, and thus your fault that I made this caramel popcorn. You have been warned.
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Caramel Corn
Makes 30 cups
30 cups of popped popcorn (about four 2.9-ounce bags of microwave popcorn)
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can (14-ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Put the popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a large pot, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Place it over medium-high heat and heat until it is boiling. Then add the sweetened condensed milk and reduce the heat to medium heat (reduce the heat to medium-low if it is cooking too quickly/starting to burn). Stirring constantly, continue cooking the caramel mixture until it reaches softball stage (235 degrees Fahrenheit/caramel forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water).
3. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the caramel over the popped popcorn and mix it quickly and gently to coat. Let it cool and enjoy! The caramel corn will keep for several days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
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I just adore caramel corn and I’ve never had a recipe for it…until now! I’ll give this a try the very next time my grandbabies are visiting.
you know, everything looks better in japanese bowls. :)
WOW…sweet condensed milk is one of my staple foods :D hahahaha!
This morning I discovered that once I start nibbling on this, I cannot stop until the whole bag is gone. Sorry, Fuji Papa. Fuji Daughter, it’s really good that you only brought me a cup of this treat. (P.S. Do you have more at your house?)
Oh my, I need some of this POST HASTE!
I didn’t know LFM had brought any of the popcorn over. That’s okay, I had some of the pie LFM brought over yesterday for breakfast this morning. If you don’t get busy, I’ll eat the rest for dinner tonight.
sweetened condensed milk is the first ingredient of every Brazilian recipe. It’s the ultimate good ingredient. I want to try this recipe because I do love popcorn and I do love sweetened condensed milk.
I’m bookmarking this one! It looks amazing! Thanks for sharing :)
sharing? what do you mean?? it’s only 30 cups. ;)
Fuji Nana’s just lucky I don’t know where she lives…she wouldn’t have had any left over to eat today… ;)
Mmmmm…those 30 cups would be gone in about 30 seconds here!
Oh yum! I haven’t made caramel popcorn in years! I think it’s time to change that!
Oh, yes…this sounds like my kinda caramel popcorn!
What an awesome recipe! I gotta give this one a try!
Oh yes please! That looks fantastic. Simply delicious. Definitely one to try :).
This not only looks like a great recipe but a wonderful community event. I wish my town did an outdoor movie night like that.
Squirrel and bug look so cute! It’s pretty hard to top summer movies at the park, except when you get to have caramel popcorn like this as a snack!
Oh, can I play the blaming game too? I blame Fuji Nana for teaching you how to make her Deadly Chocolate Almond Toffee, you for actually making it, and me for not having self-control. XOXO
YUM! oddly enough, I’ve been craving caramel corn lately.
Caramel is a basic necessity of living and belongs to one of the basic food groups! This looks like a smooth, creamy caramel. Love it!
This makes a lot of caramel corn. How long are leftovers good – a week? I guess I could make a smaller batch or make the large and share.
I am def. going to make this for a party this weekend!
OMG – I am going to have to make this. It looks great! I’ve never tried caramel corn with sweetened condensed milk before – great idea.
Heaven in a bowl. i have never made caramel corn w/sweetened condensed milk, but heck…there is a first for everything!
Oh my gosh, this looks SOO good. I’m totally addicted to popcorn. I’ve made caramel popcorn before with a little butter, brown sugar and cream. This looks like something I’d love to try. Condensed milk is heavenly.
I would never think of use condense milk. I thought it was regular caramel. My daughter would love this!
YUMMO!! Looks fabulous :) The girls look like they are having fun :)
That looks so good! Caramel popcorn is one of my favs!
I love you! That is all! Okay well not totally LOL I have a house FULL of people this week and I think this is going to come in handy. Mwah!
Wow it looks so amazing! I love caremel popcorn but never really attemp to make it from scratch! This sounds really fantastic and I think my family will love it.
Thanks for sharing,
Tes
This stuff is so addicting. Once I start I can’t stop:)
YUM! You had me at the sweetened condensed milk!! Love it!
I would love to snack on this popcorn today!
This looks so much better than the store-bought kind.
This looks amazing with all that gorgeous caramel! Yum!
I am all over this like, well, caramel on popcorn! I’m a bit persnickety when it comes to caramel corn, ie, I LOVE the softer caramel, rather than the sometimes, burn tasting, crunchier caramel. Never-ever would have thought to use condensed milk – thank goodness for the rest of us MIL issued the challenge!
So tempting…but then I don’t have the fun movie to look forward to and that would mean 30 cups all by myself, here, sitting. Hmm…maybe?
Wow. Evil! This is so tempting!
I HAVE to make this… It sounds amazing. I have been on a huge popcorn kick. I just can’t get enough of it! Perfect timing :)
Wow! It’s been so long since I last had caramel popcorn…and with condensed milk?! I have to try this soon :) I hope you won’t mind, but I’d sure love to guide Foodista readers to this post.Just add the foodista widget to the end of this post and it’s all set, Thanks!
Awesome caramel popcorn! And how fun to have movies in the park!
Girl you have taken caramel popcorn over the top! I can see why it would be very hard to stop once diving into this sticky, sweet, blissful bowl of popcorn. Love that your mom is a blogger too! xo
You are an evil woman. I have been going crazy stocking my pantry with condensed milk this summer, making tons of ice cream with it (strawberries, plus buttermilk, plus condensed milk = heaven). I thought once summer was over I’d be free of the condensed milk curse! Alas, no. I can eat this stuff straight out of the can, but I think it will be even better in caramel popcorn. Thank you! No, I hate you. No, THANK YOU!
I have been looking for this recipe forever! i made this with my best friend and her grandma when we were young, and have always wanted the recipe but havent been able to ask her for it (cause i always forget!) I remembered most of the ingredients but not the amounts. I made mine with kettle corn… super rich and sweet, which helped me just eat a little…lol…Thank you for this Awesome post!!
One thing I tried that was a fun add to this, for the kids i look after, was to add food coloring to the caramel before adding it to the popcorn, They loved the colors, and its great for parties. (^_^)
Oh and also adding nuts adds another great flavor and texture to the mix.
This is pretty much my favourite snack for the movies too. I just can’t make it because even a small amount between two is a huge amount of, well, goodness! I can’t just eat a little bit. Now you have *ME* thinking about sweetened condensed milk….
Ooooh, this is exactly the same recipe my parents use!! And I’ve used it too, ever since leaving home. I LOVE it- it is SO good, gooey and carmely. The best ever. My mom has also made caramels out of it before- just cook it a little bit longer, pour into a greased pan (like 9×13, I think) and cut into small squares.
omg, I`m going to do this!
I love caramel corn but have never tried it with sweetened condensed milk, but will be. I shared your link with all my facebook friends.
Angela
I love caramel corn, reminds me of when I was little! I’ve always got a few cans of sweetened condensed milk that could be used up to, I may just have to give this a try…
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