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Caramel Popcorn Balls

Read Reviews (134)

"Easy to make and delicious. Kids Love them." — Suzanne

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 15 popcorn balls Change Servings

5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups unpopped popcorn
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Directions

Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. Place popped corn in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer inserted, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to boiling over medium heat. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly, until thermometer reads 238 degrees F (114 degrees C). Stir in vanilla.
Pour caramel over popped corn and stir to coat. Butter hands lightly; shape popcorn into balls about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

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I wanted to try these for a halloween party but I really expected them to be a flop. I'm not very good at making candy. However, they turned out great and it didn't take long either! Thanks to those who said it took 3 bags of microwave corn and to use plastic baggies on your hands-that really helped. Next time, I have to keep the kernels out! Also, I think I will use a brown paper grocery bag to mix the popcorn because I had to coat the corn in shifts because I didn't have a large enough bowl! Excellent recipe-thanks!

—SLEICHTENBERG

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 26, 2009

The flavor was good but the amount of popcorn far outweighed the amount of caramel. I made 28 popcorn balls and had two huge bowls of popcorn left with no caramel. Really easy to make though!

—andi.love.84

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159 Ratings

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Dec 22, 2003

This was fantastic. My whole family loved them. I used an air popper instead of cooking the popcorn over the stove. I also found it very easy to make into balls; I used ziplock sandwich size bags and put them over my hands. It kept the popcorn from sticking. This is one I will do again!

—THEA2MC2

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Dec 08, 2006

Unbelievably yummy... I use 3 bags natural flavor microwave popcorn and they turn out perfectly. The perfect treat for kids AND adults!

—bakergirl

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Oct 17, 2007

This was a quick, wonderful recipe. As some suggested, I used microwave popcorn, but I only needed 2 bags (it's probably just a personal preference of how "carmel-y" you want your popcorn balls, I like em' sweet). I used Orville Redenbacher's "Smart Pop" (to save the calories - he he). Seriously GREAT recipe! PS - I also used one of the recipes for Sweetened Condensed Milk found on this site and it worked better than the real stuff! (cheaper too!!)

—jdimom

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Nov 04, 2004

I listened to the other reviews and used half of the amount of popcorn that the recipe called for and they turned out great.... I took them to a child's halloween party and both the kid and adults loved them!!!! My boyfriend asked to me to make another batch. This is a great recipe!!!

—MMLONG

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Nov 28, 2006

These were sooo good. My husband had a hankering for popcorn balls so we made these last week. I didn't have a candy thermometer on hand so I just guessed when the caramel was done. Maybe I just got lucky but it was perfect- made chewy popcorn balls just the way we like them. The caramel in this recipe is so good! I wanted to eat the whole pot without adding popcorn! We popped 1 cup of kernals and it made the perfect amount of popcorn for the caramel mixture. Baggies on hands was also a great idea for forming the balls. These are very sweet- you'll only need one!

—KatieC155

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Jan 16, 2003

I used half the popping corn asked for and I ended up with 17 popcorn balls. I still used the same amount of caramel, so they would be extra good. These will definitely be used for Christmas gifts.

—SKOONUS

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Nutrition

Calories
322 kcal
16%

Carbohydrates
54.8 g
18%

Cholesterol
13 mg
4%

Fat
10.4 g
16%

Fiber
4.9 g
19%

Protein
5.2 g
10%

Sodium
51 mg
2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Caramel Popcorn Balls

Serving Size: 1/15 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 15
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 322
Calories from Fat: 94

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10.4g 16 %
Saturated Fat 3.4g 17 %
Cholesterol 13mg 4 %
Sodium 51mg 2 %
Potassium 168mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrates 54.8g 18 %
Dietary Fiber 4.9g 19 %
Protein 5.2g 10 %
Sugars 25g
** Vitamin A 3 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 7 %
Iron 10 %
** Thiamin 1 %
** Niacin 2 %
** Vitamin B6 < 1 %
** Magnesium 2 %
** Folate < 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.