Medium Dessert Snack

Grandma's Caramel Popcorn Balls

Name: Grandma's Caramel Popcorn Balls
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Unknown
Ingredients: 8 quartss popped popcorn; 2 cups evaporated milk; 2 cups white sugar; 1 cup dark corn syrup , such as Karo; 1 cup margarine; 0.13 teaspoons salt

Total Time

58 min

18m prep · 40m cook

Servings

4 people

Rating

—

Difficulty

Medium

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My mom used to make these delicious caramel popcorn balls when I was growing up. While doing my Christmas candy and cookie baking, I came across her recipe. I made the family recipe for the first time this year. My daughters, grown with their own families, asked why I hadn't made these sooner. Thirty-plus years later, this recipe will now be a family tradition at Christmas.

Ingredients

8 quartss popped popcorn
2 cups evaporated milk
2 cups white sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup , such as Karo
1 cup margarine
0.13 teaspoons salt

Instructions

1

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2

Sort through popcorn, discarding unpopped kernels.
3

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, corn syrup, margarine, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil; stir constantly until caramel reaches 246 degrees F (119 degrees C) on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes.
4

Place some of the popcorn into a very large bowl. Pour in some of the caramel; stir until evenly coated. Add remaining popcorn and caramel in batches, stirring well after each addition.
5

Scoop some of the popcorn mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Gather and twist the plastic wrap to gently shape into a ball. Place popcorn ball on the prepared baking sheet; repeat with remaining mixture. Let cool until set, about 15 minutes.