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    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn

    November 24, 2019 • Updated: August 23, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | A treasured family recipe, Mary's Sticky Popcorn is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it's nickname, it's not sticky at all! | The Good Hearted Woman #popcorn #caramelcorn #caramelpopcorn #treats #holidayrecipes

    A treasured family recipe, Mary's Sticky Popcorn is the best Soft Caramel Corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it's not sticky at all! 

    Large clay bowl filled with light-colored caramel corn.
    Jump to:
    • What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
    • How to Make Mary's Caramel Corn Recipe
    • FAQs & Expert Tips
    • Related Recipes
    • Best Ever Soft Caramel Popcorn

    What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

    Today I am sharing a very special treat; one my girls grew up calling Sticky Popcorn (although it's not sticky at all). This ridiculously easy caramel corn recipe takes less than 10 minutes to make, and will completely turn your idea of caramel corn on its head! 

    But first, I want to tell you about Mary.

    Mary | The Good Hearted Woman
    Mary with Cheryl's daughter, Emily. Emily has kiddos of her own now!

    Back when my oldest girls were little (before some were even born), we lived in a cul-de-sac, three doors down from my BFF Cheryl. Next to Cheryl lived a little woman named Mary, age 90ish. Mary lived on her own long past the time when most folks need to have more assistance, and I learned a lot by watching her.

    Mary was able to stay independent for so long for two reasons: First, she lived next door to Cheryl and her family. (If you know them, that is all the explanation you need: they are amazing examples of loving and serving their neighbors.) Second, Mary learned to adapt.

    My favorite example of Mary's modifying life to meet her needs was her Christmas tree. Mary kept a fully decked Christmas tree year round. The tree was only about three or four feet tall, and it sat eleven months out of the year in her garage, protected by a white plastic garbage bag tied closed at the top of the tree.

    Every December, Mary would ask someone would bring her tree in from the garage, sit it on a little table, and untie the twist-tie that held the bag closed. (One year, I was the someone who got to put up Mary's tree. I felt so special!)

    Once her tree was standing on its little table, Mary would carefully pull down the bag to reveal the tree already hanging with ornaments. Then she arranged the bag around the base like a tree skirt, and stand back to enjoy her beautiful decorations.

    When the holidays were over, someone would go over to Mary's, pull the bag back up to the top and tie it off, and then put her little tree back in the garage until the following Christmas.

    Brilliant!

    Which brings me back to Sticky Popcorn.

    Mary's (Un)Sticky Popcorn

    Every Christmas season, Mary would make her soft caramel corn recipe. As the buttery-sweet popcorn cooled, she formed it into popcorn balls, which she later handed out to the neighborhood kids for the holiday. 

    Normally, I don’t like popcorn balls at all. Never have. They are hard and stick to your teeth, and the popcorn in them is always gross. In fact, the first time one of my girls offered me a bite of Mary's caramel corn, I turned her down.

    But then I noticed that, as she ate it, there was no distinctive crunch-crunch-crunching and side-of–mouth biting going on, like there always was with typical rock-solid popcorn balls. Instead,  my daughter was taking neat little bites and chewing them with satisfaction, making her way around the popcorn ball as if she was eating an ice cream cone.

    So I snuck a little bite. And another. And then another. (Good thing she was just a toddler, or I would have never gotten away with that many bites!)

    I soon discovered that Mary’s popcorn balls were different from any I had ever had, in all the best ways. The caramel was soft and didn't stick to my teeth; the texture was smooth and buttery; and in addition to being easy to eat, the caramel popcorn itself was absolutely delicious!

    As soon as I could, I asked Mary for the recipe and was floored by the simplicity of it - just five ingredients, including the popcorn!

    I was soon making Mary’s caramel corn as a family treat almost weekly, although we dispensed with the "popcorn ball” model almost immediately. Now we always just eat it straight from the bowl. This caramel corn recipe - now a family tradition - is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it's nickname, it's not sticky at all!

    Mostly, it's just wonderful.

    Mary has been gone for many years now, but every time I make Sticky Popcorn, I think of her. I asked Mary once what the best thing about getting old was, and I will never forget what she said:

    By the time you get to be about 80, you can say anything you want to, because no matter what you say, people either think you’re wise or you’re crazy. 

    Mary Burroughs

    So now, my friends, I am passing this little bit of Mary's wisdom onto you. Enjoy!

    How to Make Mary's Caramel Corn Recipe

    Pop the popcorn and set aside in an extra-large bowl or roasting pan.

    Overhead shot of popped popcorn in a stockpot.

    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients.

    Overhead shot of butter, sugar, and corn syrup melting together in stockpot.

    Stirring constantly, melt butter and heat mixture on medium until it reaches a full, rolling boil. (This is a boil that cannot be stirred down.) Boil for 1 minute, and then remove from heat.

    If you have one, you can check the temperature with a candy thermometer at this time. It should read 200°F | 95°C.

    If you don't have a candy thermometer, don't worry: in more than 20 years of making this recipe, the only time I've ever checked the temp was to prep for this post!

    Caramel in stockpot, with candy thermometer clipped on. Thermometer reads 200°F.

    Immediately remove the sugar-butter mix from heat and pour over popcorn.

    Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.

    You need to do the pouring-stirring step very quickly! My caramel got a little too cool because I was stopping the process to take pictures. If you watch the video, you can see that it is already getting stiff when I’m stirring the caramel in. If you do pour the caramel and stir it right away, without stopping in the middle to take a half a million pictures and video, it will stir in very smoothly.

    Butter and sugar mixture poured over popcorn in large roasting pan.


    When popcorn is evenly coated, allow it to cool. Enjoy it as is, or form into balls if desired.

    Overhead shot of popcorn in a clay bowl, tossed with light caramel sauce.

    FAQs & Expert Tips

    So just how good is this caramel corn?

    Mr. B always says he doesn't much like popcorn. Which must be why the first time I made Sticky Popcorn for him, he ate almost half a batch! All by himself!! Allow me to quote him: "This (nom-nom-nom) popcorn is (nom-nom) really (nom-nom) really (nom-nom-nom) delicious!

    When I updated this post in 2019 with new process photos, more concise directions, and a how-to video. (Thanks for the music, Mr. B!) So of course, I had to make a batch of Mary's caramel corn recipe for picture-taking purposes, right? Well, guess who ate more than half the batch by the time I got done editing images?

    I'm not naming names, but his name rhymes with Mr. G.

    Seriously, this stuff is really tasty, folks.

    Caramel corn ready to serve in large clay bowl.

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    4.50 from 2 votes

    Best Ever Soft Caramel Popcorn

    A treasured family recipe, Mary’s “Sticky Popcorn“ is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite its nickname, it’s not sticky at all! 
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Snack, Treats
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time:10 minutes minutes
    Total Time:10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 377kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Large, heavy saucepan

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1 cup unpopped popcorn about 8 quarts popped
    • 1 cup butter
    • ½ cup corn syrup
    • 1 ⅓ cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Instructions

    • Pop popcorn and set aside in an extra-large bowl or roasting pan.
    • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients.
    • Stirring constantly, melt butter and heat mixture on medium until it reaches a full, rolling boil. (This is a boil that cannot be stirred down.)
      Boil 1 minute.
    • Remove from heat.
      If you are want to, you can check the temperature with a candy thermometer. It should read 200° F [94° C].
      Note: This is the first time I have checked the temperature for this caramel, ever. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, no worries! Just boil it for one minute, and you’ll be golden!
    • Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn.
      Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.
      Immediately remove from heat and pour over popcorn.
      Stir popcorn with wooden spoon until popcorn is all coated with caramel.
      You need to do this step very quickly!
      NOTE: My caramel got a little too cool because I was stopping the process to take pictures. If you watch the video, you can see that it is already getting stiff when I’m stirring the caramel in. If you do pour the caramel and stir it right away, without stopping in the middle to take a half a million pictures and video, it will stir in very smoothly.
    • Stir and mix to cool. Form into balls if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 567IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Thank you for visiting the Good Hearted Woman. Remember to bookmark this site, and come back soon!

    UPDATE: This post was first published December 10, 2013.

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    About Renée B.

    Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.

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    1. Teresa Brown says

      August 22, 2023 at 9:27 am

      First, thank you so much for adding the story about Mary, it gives this recipe life! Secondly, I have been making brown sugar caramel corn for years and years. I got my first recipe from my best friends grandmother and I made that on the stove for years with feeling like it took forever to bring to a boil stirring and then 8 minutes of boiling with no stirring. And then, I converted it to a microwave version that is so much easier and no one can tell the difference. However, even though I have won a blue ribbon at my county fair and a red ribbon at the state fair, I have a friend that was just "ok" with it. He always talks about his mother making a soft and chewy caramel corn, without brown sugar when he was kid. She passed away a couple of years ago so I unfortunately can't get the recipe. I am ecstatic to have found this recipe and can't wait to surprise him with it. You described just as he does, that even though it was a popcorn ball, it wasn't hard (I never liked hard popcorn balls either). I am fully prepared that it still won't be exactly as his mother made as that is a special memory for him, but I know it will still put a smile on his face for the effort. So once again, thank you so much for sharing the story and the recipe. I can hardly wait to make it!

      Reply
      • Renée B. says

        August 22, 2023 at 11:20 am

        Thank you so much for sharing this with us - you made our day! (Also, I had no idea you could enter caramel corn in the State Fair.) I do hope you both enjoy it!

        Reply
    2. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

      November 26, 2019 at 7:31 pm

      Oooo! I can't wait to make this! I love to snack on popcorn, and the caramel puts it over the top!

      Reply
    3. Vicky says

      November 25, 2019 at 5:33 pm

      I love the story associated with this! Mary sounds like a delightful woman and I know she would be proud to see her tradition living on in this way. I can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 26, 2019 at 11:35 am

        Thanks so much for the kind words, Vicky. ?

        Reply
    4. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      November 25, 2019 at 2:12 pm

      Such a fun sweet treat for holiday snacking!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 3:50 pm

        It definitely is!

        Reply
    5. Sarah says

      November 25, 2019 at 12:59 pm

      This looks like just the thing for a family Christmas Eve movie snack! My kids love popcorn!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 1:01 pm

        It would be perfect for Christmas Eve! ?

        Reply
    6. Erika says

      November 25, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      This looks like the best popcorn ever. Definitely making this.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 12:57 pm

        I hope you love it as much as we do!

        Reply
    7. Alison says

      November 25, 2019 at 12:18 pm

      This is a perfectly simple popcorn recipe for those cozy movie nights at home.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 12:19 pm

        Exactly!

        Reply
    8. Patty at Spoonabilities says

      November 25, 2019 at 11:57 am

      What a wonderful story AND wonderful recipe! I never realized how easy it is to make caramel popcorn!

      Reply
    9. Irina says

      November 25, 2019 at 11:17 am

      I do not think I could stop eating this caramel popcorn! I could become addicted. Making it right now!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 11:49 am

        That is exactly what happens with my husband. He starts eating it and then the bowl is empty! You are going to love it!

        Reply
    10. Raia Todd says

      November 25, 2019 at 11:06 am

      What a fun treat! My kids will love this. 🙂 Thank you!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 11:14 am

        That they will! You're welcome!

        Reply
    11. Ashley R says

      November 25, 2019 at 9:30 am

      What a sweet story of Mary. She seems to have been a wonderful soul. Thank you for sharing her with us.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 10:49 am

        Mary was a wonderful example of how to age right!

        Reply
    12. Jordan | Read. Eat. Repeat. says

      November 25, 2019 at 8:40 am

      This sounds amazing! I'm like you in that I don't like that crack your jaw hard caramel corn you usually get, so I'll have to give this recipe a try and see if I actually like caramel corn after all!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        November 25, 2019 at 10:51 am

        You really should - it's a completely different experience in caramel corn eating!

        Reply
    13. Yvonne @ Dress This Nest says

      December 12, 2013 at 7:42 am

      5 stars
      Yum! Reminds me of popcorn balls!

      Reply
    14. Barb says

      December 10, 2013 at 2:46 pm

      I love that story about the instant Christmas tree! I bet this popcorn wouldn't last long in my house. Must give it a go. Visiting via SITS.

      Reply
    15. Emily @ Words I Wheel By says

      December 10, 2013 at 12:54 pm

      Stopping by from SITS, and so glad I did, because this looks delicious!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | A treasured family recipe, Mary's Sticky Popcorn is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it's nickname, it's not sticky at all! | The Good Hearted Woman #popcorn #caramelcorn #caramelpopcorn #treats #holidayrecipes
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    Best Ever Soft Caramel Corn {Mary's Sticky Popcorn} | A treasured family recipe, Mary's Sticky Popcorn is the best soft caramel corn recipe ever! It is everything wonderful about homemade caramel popcorn; and despite it's nickname, it's not sticky at all! | The Good Hearted Woman #popcorn #caramelcorn #caramelpopcorn #treats #holidayrecipes

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