These caramel popcorn balls are gooey, buttery, and chewy. This popcorn ball recipe is so easy to make and it is perfect for Halloween or parties of any kind. Make this tasty treat today to share with the ones you love!
Place popcorn in a large bowl making sure there are no unpopped popcorn kernels in the bowl. Set aside until syrup is ready.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Combine sugar and corn syrup with butter. Bring caramel mixture to a boil.
Add sweetened condensed milk and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent scorching.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and stir gently to coat completely. Set mixture aside to cool about 5 minutes.
Scoop out about ¼ cup measure of popcorn mixture and shape into balls. Place on waxed paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel.
Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
Top Tips
Be sure to remove any unpopped popcorn kernels from the bowl.
Once the syrup has come to a boil, immediately add the sweetened condensed milk, then stir constantly the entire 5 minutes of boiling time. Not stirring constantly causes the syrup to burn.
Start a timer for 5 minutes as soon as the sweetened condensed milk is added to the syrup. Don't go over the 5 minute cooking time as you take the chance of hardening the syrup.
As soon as the 5 minutes is up, slowly pour the vanilla extract into it. The vanilla extract will bubble quickly when added so be careful when stirring it in so you don't spatter yourself with hot syrup.
Use cooking spray or butter on your hands when shaping the popcorn balls. This will prevent the syrup from sticking to your hands.
Don't be too anxious to start shaping the popcorn balls. Make sure to let it cool down enough to not burn your hands when shaping.