Crunchy peanut butter popcorn with that perfect sweet and salty balance. This popcorn is so fun to snack on!
Caramelly crunchy popcorn is almost always a good thing in my opinion. Add a kick of peanut butter and I am all in. Every. Single. Time. This peanut butter popcorn has that sweet and salty thing going for it. It is a perfect snack for movie night, tailgating or just because!
Little Dude and I both have a love for peanut butter and popcorn. So, I thought we should mix them together and see how it goes.
The first time I tried making peanut butter popcorn, I made it using the same idea as Jenny’s Smacky Delcious Mix and Grandma Scharnhorst’s Microwave Caramel Corn where you use the microwave to dry it out.
While that method works great for some things and certainly saves some time, I couldn’t get the texture I wanted for this recipe. So I reverted to using the oven like baked caramel corn.
Baking it in the oven does take a little bit of time, but it is totally worth it. Besides, it is not active time. You can be doing other things while you wait for the timer to beep. Then it’s just a quick stir and back in the oven. Eay peasy!
Little Dude LOOOOOOOOVES watching the popcorn pop in the air popper. It is so much fun to have him help pour the popcorn in and then wait for the magic to happen.
He enjoys telling me it is hot and can’t wait for the popping noise to start. He also likes to help eat the popcorn when it is done. Every time he sees the kernels or the popper, he starts begging!
So he really enjoyed making this. All you have to do is pop the corn, make a quick peanut buttery caramel and throw it in the oven for a bit to harden. Ta da! Yummy peanut butter popcorn!
Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to use a large saucepan when making the caramel. It foams and expands when you stir in the baking soda.
- Make sure to spread over wax paper while it is still warm otherwise it will harden into one big sheet of popcorn and may stick to the pan.
- Cool completely before storing to optimal crunchiness and longest shelf life.
- Want an extra decadent treat? Drizzle with melted chocolate!
Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!
Peanut Butter Popcorn
Caramelly crunchy popcorn is almost always a good thing in my opinion. Add a kick of peanut butter and I am all in. Every. Single. Time. This peanut butter popcorn has that sweet and salty thing going for it. It is a perfect snack for movie night, tailgating or just because!
Ingredients
- 12 cups popcorn
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup corn syrup
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F and grease a rimmed baking sheet
- Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in corn syrup, brown sugar, salt and peanut butter. Cook, stirring frequently until it comes to a low boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Be careful as the mixture is really hot and it is going to bubble up quite a bit. Pour hot peanut butter caramel over popcorn and toss to coat.
- Spread popcorn over prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Spread popcorn over wax paper to cool. Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 186Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g
All nutritional information is estimated and will depend on the exact ingredients you use.
Debbie
Wednesday 5th of September 2018
Hi Carlee, seeing recipes like this make me imagine winter nights curled up in front of the television. I do like a sweet coated popcorn and a peanut butter/ caramel coating sounds right up my street.
xx
Carlee
Saturday 8th of September 2018
It is perfect for munching while watching some TV. Thanks, Debbie!
Miz Helen
Wednesday 5th of September 2018
We will just love your awesome peanut butter popcorn. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, we sure enjoyed your post! Miz Helen
Carlee
Saturday 8th of September 2018
I hope you do!
Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies
Wednesday 5th of September 2018
Definitely trying this. Next road trip, this will be in the car with us!
Carlee
Saturday 8th of September 2018
Yay! I hope you love it!
Christine @ Rustic-Refined
Tuesday 4th of September 2018
Looks good, I now want to have it for breakfast;-)
Carlee
Saturday 8th of September 2018
I say go for it!
Books n' Cooks
Saturday 1st of September 2018
Oh goodness... I just can't make it - I'd eat the whole batch. Sounds soooo good!
Carlee
Saturday 8th of September 2018
It is really hard to share!