I hope you had a great weekend! We spent some time in White Rock on Sunday. It was an absolutely beautiful morning to walk through the farmer’s market and spend some time in a park with the kids. We couldn’t fit everything we wanted to do into our trip so there are definitely want to go back as there a few more things I’d like to do there this summer including: walk along the waterfront, get fish and chips, and take the street car. Spencer saw the street car while we were there and definitely wanted to go for a ride.
Growing up my mom would make caramel popcorn every once in a while. She would usually make a big batch but it didn’t last long with five kids. The other day my best friend gave me the most delicious, caramel popcorn with a twist. I honestly ate most of the bag myself! It’s a healthier version which is made with nut butter, spices, reduced maple syrup and freshly popped popcorn. It is also vegan! It’s the perfect snack to munch on when you want something with a bit of sweetness.
I’d love to hear if you try out this recipe.
Cinnamon Maple Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients
For the Popcorn:
- ⅓ cup popcorn kernels
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
For the Cinnamon Maple Caramel Corn
- 6 cups popped popcorn
- ¾ cup sliced almonds or other nuts (optional)
- ½ cup real maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons almond butter or nut butter of choice (peanut butter and cashew butter)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toast the nuts: Once the oven has preheated, arrange the almonds (or other nuts) in a single layer on the parchment paper. Roast the nuts in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. If you’re using whole nuts, chop the toasted nuts into small pieces on a cutting board.
- Pop the popcorn: First, place a large mixing bowl near the stove. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid. Turn the heat up to medium, add 2 kernels of corn, and cover. Once the kernels pop, remove the lid and pour in the remaining popcorn kernels. Cover the pot and give the pot a little shimmy to distribute the kernels evenly.
- Cook over medium heat, shaking the pot occasionally. Crack the lid just a little bit so the popcorn stays crisp, and cook until the popping sound slows to about one pop per every few seconds. Remove the pan from heat and dump the popcorn your bowl, making sure not to pour in any unpopped kernels at the bottom of the pot. If necessary, pick out any unpopped kernels that made it into the bowl with a spoon.
- NOTE: You could also pop the popcorn in a popcorn machine.
- To make the caramel sauce: In a small, heavy bottomed pot, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Keep a watchful eye on the syrup and continue boiling for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, reducing heat only if necessary to prevent overflow. Remove the pot from heat.
- Add the nut butter, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon to the pot of maple syrup. Whisk until well blended.
- Drizzle the mixture over the popcorn and toss with a rubber spatula or large spoon until well mixed.
- Pour the popcorn on the parchment-covered baking sheet and arrange it in a single layer.
- Bake the popcorn for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional cinnamon and salt, to taste. The popcorn will continue to crisp up as it cools.
- Break the popcorn into chunks and serve.
- Note: To store, put in a sealed plastic bag and remove as much air as possible. It should last a few days.
