Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

It's rainy and cold, so it felt like a good day for fall treats. I found this recipe in my search for a good caramel corn. Amazing! And I actually had all of the ingredients (except almond bark, so I substituted white chocolate morsels and it worked out just fine). Twelve cups of popcorn might sound like a lot, but it's really not. This would be a great one to hand out as gifts. We also used the caramel mixture to make a caramel apple--definitely my go to recipe to make those in the future. SO much better than the bag of caramels.

Printable Recipe

 Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

from Our Best Bites

12 cup popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)*
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup light corn syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
1 stick real butter (1/2 C)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
3 squares almond bark (or 1/2-3/4 cup white morsels and 1 TBSP shortening)

*You can use air popped or microwave popcorn. If using microwave, it's better to use a “natural” flavor that’s low in butter and salt.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Place popped popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2-qt, microwave-safe bowl. Mix well.

Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture.

Pour corn syrup (or honey) over the top of everything.

Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine.

Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes.

Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda.

Pour the caramel over the popcorn and pecans.

Stir immediately until everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan.

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Give it a final stir and spread it out on a clean piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

Melt the almond bark according to package directions. If using white morsels, place in microwave-safe bowl with the shortening, and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until melted.

Drizzle over the popcorn mixture; allow it to harden, then break into pieces and enjoy!