Ingredients
Scale
- 10 cups popped popcorn (plain and unsalted)
- 2 cups dried apple chips, slightly broken
- 1 cup pecan halves (optional)
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent the caramel from sticking.
- In a very large mixing bowl, combine the popped popcorn, broken apple chips, and pecans. Make sure to remove any unpopped kernels from the popcorn before mixing so no one bites into a hard shell later.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring and let it bubble for exactly 5 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately stir in the ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and baking soda. The mixture will foam up and become light in color; this is normal and helps the caramel spread easily.
- Quickly pour the hot caramel mixture over the popcorn and apple mix. Use a large spatula to gently toss everything together until the popcorn is evenly coated with the golden caramel.
- Spread the mixture evenly across the prepared baking sheets. Place them in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, take the pans out and stir the popcorn to ensure even drying and coating.
- Remove the pans from the oven and let the mix cool completely on the sheets. Once cooled and hardened, break any large clumps apart with your hands before serving.
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free