Upgraded Easy Rapadura Caramel Popcorn
By Erin Otto

I never would have attempted to make this recipe. Not because it’s difficult – because it is really quite easy. But because the recipe my daughter “adapted” it from called for two ingredients I never use, and I would never have expected caramel to turn out without them. But it did.

The two ingredients I don’t ever use: corn syrup and white sugar. And instead, my daughter substituted rapadura sugar and honey. To my complete surprise, not only did the caramel turn out, but this is the absolute best caramel popcorn we’ve ever had.

I love that’s made with ingredients you usually have on hand, and it’s rather impressive too. The work is all done in a matter of 5 or 10 minutes, and then all you have to do is wait for it to bake.

Ingredients

8 cups popped popcorn

3/4 cup rapadura, sucanat, or sugar

6 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Butter 2 9×13 baking pans and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Place the popcorn in a large mixing bowl.

In a heavy saucepan mix the butter, honey and rapadura. Cook and stir over medium heat until it boils. Then turn the heat down a little and continue boiling, without stirring, for 5 more minutes.

Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the baking soda and vanilla, and pour the whole mixture over the popcorn, stirring to coat.

Pour the popcorn into the prepared 9×13 pans and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan onto buttered foil to cool. Makes 8 cups.