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A Healthy Caramel Popcorn Recipe, can you believe it?! Made with real maple syrup and coconut oil, this healthier snack won’t last long.
Caramel Popcorn
I don’t know about you, but Caramel Popcorn (also known as Caramel Corn) and I are BFF’s.
I don’t usually snack on anything late into the night these days, but sometimes I make exceptions and today is that day.
When my friends Christie and Claudia told me about their Clean Eating Caramel Popcorn Recipe, I couldn’t believe how good it was. Not only is this recipe super simple, but it is also:
- gluten-free
- vegan
- unprocessed
- contains no sugar
Sound a little too good to be true? Well, believe it friends! Give it a try and you be the judge!
Caramel Popcorn Recipe Ingredients
Coconut Oil – There are a ton of articles out there saying that coconut oil may or may not be healthy for you. All I know is that it is way better than plain ol’ butter and that this is what this recipe calls for. You be the judge of this and make this recipe with coconut oil or an oil of your choosing. It’s your body people, you decide what goes in it.
Popcorn Kernels – You can’t make popcorn without those kernels. Freshly popped popcorn just cannot be beaten. No matter how convenient the microwave kinds are.
Vanilla – What good, sweet treat recipe doesn’t have vanilla in it. It adds tons of flavor and the aroma of it just kills me every time.
Maple Syrup – Ok I know maple syrup has sugar in it. By healthy, I mean that this recipe is healthier than the traditional recipe because I don’t use processed sugars in it. Do yourself a favor and buy REAL maple syrup. It is SO good. And that is not just the Canadian speaking in me.
Sea Salt – What is more perfect that sea salt to top off this tasty recipe. It is the perfect compliment to all the sweet.
Looking for more delectable snacks to munch on? Check out these recipes: Deviled Eggs, Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, Smoothie Bowl Recipe for Kids, and Cream Cheese Fruit Dip Recipe.
How to Make Caramel Popcorn
Start with 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels.
Place them into a hot pan with some melted coconut oil and…
…pop the top on! Every 20-30 seconds shake the pan back and forth to make sure the kernels heat evenly so they pop evenly.
After about 5 minutes, all your popcorn should be perfectly popped 🙂 Set this aside.
Now onto the caramel! In a small saucepan, measure out some REAL maple syrup and more coconut oil. I also added in my sea salt to this mixture too, but feel free to save it for the end.
Lightly boil the mixture for 2 minutes until it thickens. Then add in some vanilla and pour over the popcorn.
Stir to coat and then eat immediately, or spread it out onto a baking sheet to set a little more.
Believe it or not, this doesn’t taste too coconutty or maply. The splash of vanilla that you throw in at the end makes such a huge difference! It’s seriously what makes this taste like caramel corn…so don’t forget to add it in 🙂
We scarfed this stuff down in no time and think your families will too. Plus it is practically guilt-free! Holla!
Print the recipe using the button below! Enjoy!
Even More healthy snacks you might like:
- Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids
- Homemade Protein Snack Boxes
- Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Healthy Caramel Popcorn Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon coconut oil into a deep pot or pan with a tight-fitting lid and melt over medium-high heat. Add in popcorn kernels and cover. Shake the pan back and forth every 20 seconds or so to heat kernels evenly. After about 2 minutes, kernels should start to pop. Once popping slows, remove popcorn from heat and pour into a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan, place remaining coconut oil with maple syrup and salt. Boil 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Drizzle over popcorn and toss to coat evenly. Spread out onto some parchment paper to cool 30 minutes or so. Serve.
[…] Healthy Caramel Corn Recipe […]
[…] Healthy Caramel Corn Recipe […]
[…] containers make it easy to overeat, putting you in a real pickle. Try making and pre-portioning homemade caramel corn. This recipe only requires three ingredients. That means you can double the portion size. Not a fan […]
So Good, I boiled it hard for 2 minutes, then added a pinch of baking soda and vanilla, coated the popcorn then baked it for 10 minutes in a 350 oven. It is hard to stop eating…Such a treat!!!
[…] Healthy Caramel Corn – Lauren’s Latest […]
could i use butter instead of oil?
No sugar? Ok.. I like your recipes but I have to say, you got a couple things wrong here. You might want to update the article. If a diabetic who doesn’t know better comes upon this article and makes this recipe, they could go into a diabetic coma. I’m sure you didn’t understand this. This recipe isn’t Paleo, either. I do think it’s a good recipe, but I think you shouldn’t be afraid to admit your mistakes and correct them when you’re wrong. Natural sugar is still sugar. That’s why diabetics aren’t supposed to eat fruit, either. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Hi! I tried this and really loved it! The only thing is, the coconut oil separated from the maple syrup, so I basically had to pour out the coconut oil and the remnants was the nice caramel sauce. But then it was so sticky I could only coat a small bowl before it had set? Still incredible though!! Thanks so much for providing such incredible recipes!
[…] remember how I said I was addicted to Gossip Girl? Wellllllll, turns out that show just became too painful to watch. I’m sure if I was still in […]
[…] Healthy Caramel Corn […]
I just made this and it turned out amazing! Thankyou for sharing your recipe! I did add 1/4 t. Of B.S. which thickened it but next time I won’t add the salt as the B.S. adds enough salt flavor. I’m going to double the batch next time! With a family of 5 this didn’t make enough for everyone.????
[…] Healthy Caramel Popcorn […]
[…] Lauren’s Latest […]
I tried this! Absolutely delicious!!!!!! Will make again and again! Thank you for this recipe!????????????
[…] 22.Healthy Caramel Corn | Lauren’s Latest […]
About the teething ,If you get your child to chew on a green onion which will numb the gums or rub with your fingers a small amount of any sweet liquior which will do the same and if the teething is driving you Crazy a nice sized shot of it will help settle your nerves .I used this for 5 boys and always remember (I’d rather have abottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy ) Luck to you ,I’m trying your carmel corn tonite with kettle corn seed I got from a friend who sells it.
[…] for my taste, so I went looking for a healthier version. This recipe is loosely based on the healthy caramel corn on Lauren’s Latest with these tweaks: added bourbon, paprika, swapped maple syrup for […]
[…] recipe that did turn out for me this past weekend though was this delicious recipe for Healthy Caramel Popcorn. Oh my goodness, was it ever good, I’m still thinking about it. With no refined sugars or […]
Love the recipe! I’m addicted to caramel corn, but isn’t maple syrup filled with sugar? Please help!
Real maple syrup is natural sugar from maple trees that is typically 3-4x more expensive than table maple syrup that is made with high fructose corn syrup and maple flavoring.
No need to popcorn in warm oven?
i am definitely going to try this recipe but it is not paleo, corn is def not paleo. A little misleading
I wish I could but am allergic to coconut ,maybe adding butter for my needs?
I’m sorry, but I don’t see how this is a sugar free recipe. One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 20 grams of sugar. While it may not be cane or corn sugar, it still is not very healthy for diabetics and darn sure isn’t sugar free. It sure sounds delicious, but would most likely put me in a coma.
Thank you for highlighting that – that it’s not sugar free. It’s misleading. As an athlete, this is not something my coach would recommend as a “health snack.”
I love caramel popcorn and a coke zero on Sundays. So I wondered if there was a paleo version of caramel corn (other than the kernels). I seriously doubted I’d find one! I’m so excited. Thank you! !!!
Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!! WOW, made this last night. Everyone was sooo happy. We all loved it! Due to health issues I cannot tolerate white sugars and this made me especially sooooo happy. What an amazing treat! Thank you so much for sharing!
Syrup needs to be boiled longer or it makes popcorn soggy. I had to bake for 10 min at 350to crunch it up. Also very oily. I halved the coconut oil on second batch.
[…] corn. So naturally, when we came across this [semi] healthy recipe for the yummy kernels from Lauren’s Latest, we were all ears. […]
after my cooled off it was kind of soggy too. What to do about that?
Ohhhh my goodness….just made this recipe and it is DELICIOUS!! And I am a caramel popcorn nut! So glad to have found a healthy recipe, because I had given it up!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! 🙂
This looks delish! Is it relatively shelf stable (3 days ish)? I want to give buckets of this as work presents!
I’m not sure because whenever I make this it lasts less than 24 hours! You might want to make a sample batch and see how it tastes after 3 days.
If mine came out a little soggy is there anyway to remedy that? Maybe I didn’t pour evenly and some got too coated?
In my whirly handle stovetop popper I place 1/4 cup canola oil. 1/2 cup poping corn and 1/3 cup of white sugar. Place over medium high fire and stir continuously by turning the handle on the popper. When the poping stops remove from the heat and dump into a bowl immediately. This is like the sugary corn we buy at the fair ! When cooled it can be stored for days in plastic food storage bags
Omg Lauren! I can’t wait to give this a try. 🙂
Finally made this today and it is fabulous! I was so surprised at just how unmapley and uncoconuty it was… very much a caramel corn. Loved it!
This recipe looks amazing! I love popcorn in pretty much any form, much like I do gossip girl! I watched the whole show over about three months a little while back, such a guilty pleasure!
This recipe looks tasty but you should probably remove the statement about this being Paleo… Corn isn’t Paleo (as it’s a grain, not a vegetable) so it’s impossible for popped corn to be Paleo. Anyone familiar with Paleo understands this but for people just learning and searching who find your recipe it could be misleading. 🙂
[…] Healthy Caramel Corn & Homemade Microwave Popcorn […]
Thanks for the shout out friend! I am seriously addicted, like popcorn machine has become a permanent fixture on my counter, not sure I like that, but I can’t get enough!!
[…] remember how I said I was addicted to Gossip Girl? Wellllllll, turns out that show just became too painful to watch. I’m sure if I was still in […]
If you stir in 1/4 teaspoon baking soda after the vanilla, the mixture will foam up and make it soooo much easier to coat the popcorn perfectly! I make this all the time 😉
That’s what I do in my own recipe!
Made this last night and really enjoyed it! Thank you for a fun alternative to really bad for me desserts! 🙂
Is this something that would hold for multiple nights or does it have to be eaten after making?
Will have to try it….I make my granola with maple syrup.
This is such a fantastic idea!! Love it!
Just wanted to let you know I just made this and added a little cinnamon and it was SO yummy! Great idea!
I have got to make this! Who would of thought of maple syrup and coconut oil together!
Looks delish! do you use unrefined or refined coconut oil?
I used unrefined cold-pressed coconut oil.
This looks soooo good! And I totally love Gossip Girl – xoxo
Great recipe! Trying this on our next movie night 🙂
Hey there! I tried this, but my coconut oil separated when I made the caramel. Is this supposed the happen? any tips? thanks!
Is there a different oil I could use?? My 3yr old is severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Which coconut and coconut oil is a tree nut so we can’t use them. Thanks!
Try safflower or canola
I would use grapeseed oil. It is much healthier than the other two mentioned. Make sure it is 100% Grapeseed oil though. It is healthier that way. Grapeseed oil has a very mild taste.
Is this 8 – 1 cup servings??
Agreed.
Grapeseed oil has a high heat tolerance and may work.
While many people with tree nut allergies are also allergic to coconut, it is not actually a tree nut and not the same allergy. My aunt is deathly allergic to tree nuts and mildly allergic to coconut — but *not* to coconut oil. (And not at all allergic to peanuts, which are of course legumes.)
It’s reasonable to not want to risk it, but I still have to object to claiming that a fruit is a nut.
I seriously want to marry you for this. I LURVE caramel corn, but really just can’t justify it…until now! Hello dinner 🙂 Pinned!