Salted Caramel M&M Popcorn
This post is sponsored by M&M's. As always, all opinions are mine alone.
Salted Caramel M&M Popcorn. It's sweet, salty, crunchy, and filled with M&M's. This is the perfect addition to any movie night.
As we may have touched base on many of times, I'm a fanatic of sweet and salty. One of my favorite movie night snacks is this salted caramel M&M popcorn. It's a treat my whole family can enjoy, especially me! My grandma actually started this tradition by just adding candy to her popcorn. I've tweaked it a bit lot over the years to satisfy my family's tastes.
I love to use M&M's in my popcorn recipe. The bite-sized candy coated chocolates are a perfect addition to each bite. They liven up the snack with their vibrant colors too. Here's a fun question! If you were an m&m, which kind and color would you be?
Most of us know that the Oscars are coming right up and you're going to need the best popcorn in town. Don't worry, I'll share my recipe with you. The best part is, there are so many different varieties of M&M's that can be swapped out for the plain chocolate m&m's. I was going to tell you my personal favorite and realized that I couldn't decide. I can tell you though, that I'm so excited that the crispy M&M's are back on the shelves.
Salted Caramel M&M Popcorn
Ingredients
- ยผ cup popcorn kernels
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ยฝ cup butter plus 2 tablespoons, cubed
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
- ยฝ cup M&M's
Instructions
- Using an air popper, pop the ยผ cup of corn kernels. You can also pop the corn kernels in a kettle with some vegetable oil. Keep the kernels moving and the lid on the kettle. I would use 1 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Set popcorn aside.
- Spray a large jelly roll pan (17¼ x 11½ Inch) with non-stick cooking spray. This will prevent any sticking.
- In a medium saucepan, add the sugar into a dry pan. Place the pan over medium heat. Every minute or two, give the sugar a swirl by picking the pan up and moving it in a circular motion. Don't use utensils. You'll start to see the sugar caramelize. Keep picking up and swirling the pan until all the sugar has melted. It will take about 17 minutes for the sugar to caramelize and melt.
- Once the sugar is melted, turn the heat down to medium/low. Add in the salt and vanilla bean paste. Do not use vanilla extract. It will make the caramel gritty.
- Add in all of the butter and whisk until the butter incorporates into the caramelized sugar and it becomes thick. It will take a good couple of minutes of whisking vigorously to have the salted caramel come together. I used salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the salted caramel into the bowl of popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is coated.
- Add in the m&m's and stir to combine.
- Spread the popcorn on the prepared jelly roll pan and let cool. As the caramel cools, it will harden.
- Break apart the popcorn and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
When I think of the Oscars, I think of total glam. Fancy dresses, flawless makeup, and food. Is that weird that I relate the Oscars with food? Nah, I'm probably just being paranoid. Everyone else grabs a snack and runs to the couch to catch the academy awards, right?
Do you have snack tradition for the Oscars?
Check out Red's Red Carpet Tips before you go! (They're extremely cute.) First tip. Second tip.
I just saw this on TasteSpotting and had to come get a closer look. YUM! This popcorn looks amazing and your site is absolutely gorgeous. Pinning!
Thank you Erin! I'm glad you came over to take a look. ๐