Simple Toffee Popcorn Recipe (2024)

This homemade toffee popcorn recipe is a buttery caramel toasted popcorn and tastes like a richer Fiddle Faddle butter toffee popcorn (or a little like Crunch and Munch, if you remember that!). Some people use the terms toffee popcorn, caramel corn and kettle corn interchangeably, but they do have different recipes. We’ll cover differences between toffee popcorn vs caramel popcorn and more!

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Simple Toffee Popcorn Recipe (1)

Easy Toffee Popcorn Recipe

If you want to make toffee popcorn at home like you get at fairs or festivals, you’ll love this quick toffee popcorn recipe!

How To Make Toffee for Popcorn

How do you make toffee popcorn?

  • Popcorn
  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Corn syrup
  • Salt
  • Vanilla

(see full recipe for popcorn toffee below)

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Before we get to the recipe for butter toffee popcorn, here are some questions people have when making this dessert snack:

What is the difference between toffee and caramel popcorn?

You may be wondering is toffee popcorn the same as caramel corn? Toffee popcorn has a lighter, buttery than caramel corn because toffee popcorn uses light corn syrup, while a caramel corn recipe uses dark corn syrup.The toffee for popcorn recipe is made with light corn syrup, butter, and sugar.

If you’re wondering how to make caramel corn, it’s a very similar recipe, except swapping out the light syrup for dark corn syrup and dark brown sugar.

Why is my caramel corn so sticky?

If your recipe for caramel corn or toffee corn is sticky, it might be because you didn’t dry it properly or long enough. Be sure to spread your caramel corn / toffee popcorn recipe in a single layer on foil and allow it to dry completely before storing it in an airtight container.

YOU’LL ALSO LIKE THESE RECIPES FOR POPCORN:

Purple People Eater Popcorn Balls Recipe

Old School Stove Top Popcorn Recipe

Can you make a caramel corn recipe without corn syrup?

Yes, you can actually leave out the corn syrup from your caramel corn or toffee popcorn. The texture may be a little different than you’re accustomed to, but you will still have a yummy coated popcorn recipe to enjoy!

Kettle Corn vs Caramel Corn

Is kettle corn the same as caramel corn?

Kettle corn is not the same as caramel corn. Kettle corn is made by popping popcorn in sugar mixture, while caramel corn is made with butter, dark corn syrup, and dark brown sugar. Kettle corn is a lighter, sweet and salty treat. While caramel corn is just as yummy, it is a darker and richer simple sweet treat.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Kettle Corn On The Stove Recipe

Ok!

Let’s get to popcorn toffee recipe easy to make with your kids!

Simple Toffee Popcorn Recipe (2)

Easy Toffee Popcorn Recipe

This toffee popcorn homemade treat is an easy go-to for a birthday party treat or anytime you need an easy dessert or snacks for kids.

We didn’t add them for this recipe, but you can also make this butter toffee popcorn with nuts. Just add in a half cup of your favorite shelled nuts (like pecans or walnuts) to your toffee popcorn ingredients before adding the toffee popcorn sauce / glaze.

TIP: There is no special toffee popcorn machine. We use our popcorn popper like this oneSimple Toffee Popcorn Recipe (3) all the time and we love it. It’s perfect for this butter toffee popcorn recipe (and other popcorn recipes), too! Some people make this with microwave popcorn, but we prefer to pop or own popcorn.

Some people have also told me that they doubled the toffee glaze because they like their popcorn with toffee sauce extra gooey. So keep that in mind.

Here’s how to make toffee popcorn in a pan…

Simple Toffee Popcorn Recipe (4)

Easy Toffee Popcorn

This crunchy toffee popcorn recipe is so buttery and sweet. You can vary the toffee popcorn ingredients by adding nuts or leaving them out.

4.95 from 60 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 228kcal

Author: LittleCooksReadingBooks.com

Ingredients

  • 10 cups popped popcorn ½ cup of kernels before popping
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Butter a large, rectangular baking pan. Set aside.

  • Pop popcorn. Remove unpopped kernels.

  • Spread popcorn (and nuts, if using) in the pan.

  • In a pot, melt the butter, sugar, corn syrup, salt on low. Stir continuously until the sugar has melted and the sauce has become smooth and thickened, usually around 8-10 minutes.

  • Remove sauce from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.

  • Drizzle the sauce over the popcorn, stirring the until all the popcorn is completely coated.

  • Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after the first 15 minutes.

  • Remove from oven. Spread on lightly buttered tin foil and allow to cool completely.

  • Store leftovers in a air-tight, covered container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 223mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g

Cooking With Books: Recipe and Read For Kids

Here are children’s books that would be great paired up with this recipe (obviously, any popcorn theme book will work well!):

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE TOFFEE POPCORN RECIPE!

LOOKING FOR FUN COOKING PRINTABLES FOR KIDS?

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Simple Toffee Popcorn Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between toffee popcorn and caramel popcorn? ›

Ingredient Differences

Toffee is a product of heating sugar or light corn syrup and butter at 300F. Therefore, it tastes like light buttery, and sugary candy. The sweet buttery taste balances well with the saltiness of the popcorn. On the other hand, caramel has dark corn syrup, milk or cream, and water.

What is the best butter for popcorn? ›

Clarified butter or ghee, a type of clarified butter, is the best bet for coating your kernels. Regular butter contains water and milk solids, which lead to a soggy snack.

What are good mix-ins for popcorn? ›

Whether you want a sweet and salty mix or a strictly sweet treat, these 9 awesome candies will work wonderfully in your recipe.
  • White Chocolate Chips. White chocolate chips are amazing with salty popcorn. ...
  • Candy Corn. ...
  • Sprinkles. ...
  • Milk Chocolate Fudge. ...
  • Oreos. ...
  • Peanut Butter Cups. ...
  • M&M's. ...
  • Mini Marshmallows.
Apr 17, 2023

Can I substitute caramel for toffee? ›

Toffee vs Caramel

The difference between toffee and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas toffee is made with butter and brown sugar and cooked to 295 - 309 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is the secret ingredient in movie theater popcorn? ›

The flavor all comes down to one ingredient: Flavacol. You've likely never heard of Flavacol because, really, only movie theaters use it. Essentially, it's butter-flavored salt. It's a really fine, bright orange powder that adds that buttery flavor you crave and the signature yellow color.

How to make popcorn at home taste like movie theater popcorn? ›

Instead, these two key ingredients give movie theater popcorn its signature taste and smell: popcorn popping oil and popcorn seasoning. Yup, it's that simple. Popcorn popping oils come in a few varieties, including pure coconut oil or a blend of canola oil.

Can dogs eat popcorn? ›

Is Eating Popcorn Safe for Dogs? Yes and no. Plain, air-popped popcorn is safe for dogs to eat in small quantities. Buttered popcorn or popcorn with other toppings is not safe for your dog on a regular basis, although eating a few dropped pieces here and there probably won't hurt them.

What is butterfly popcorn? ›

Butterfly popcorn has a very irregular shape with large bumps. It has a light crispy texture but can break easily. The mushroom-shaped popcorn is round with a rough surface. This shape makes it sturdy enough to stir and as you add tasty flavorings such as powdered cheese or sugar for sweet-tasting kettle corn.

How do you make melted butter on popcorn without making it soggy? ›

Use real butter and render it before you put in the popcorn kernels. Allow butter to boil in a pan on the stovetop and a white foam to build up on the top of the melted butter. Remove from heat and scrape the foam off with a spoon. Put the butter back on the heat, but be careful not to burn it.

What makes popcorn taste better? ›

There are three things that make movie theater popcorn delicious: butter, salt, and COCONUT OIL. Bet you didn't expect that last one! Most movie theaters cook their popcorn in a coconut oil blend, which adds an interesting depth and sweetness to the popcorn.

How can I enhance my popcorn flavor? ›

Method
  1. Add freshly popped popcorn to a large bowl.
  2. In a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and shake to evenly coat.
  3. Add salt and the remaining cinnamon and nutmeg. Gentle shake to distribute evenly. Enjoy!

What is the difference between toffee and caramel? ›

The difference between caramel and toffee is greater, as caramel has a more liquid consistency and is usually pure sugar (it doesn't contain butter or flour). Still, the taste of caramel, fudge, and toffee is relatively similar, as they are all made from mostly sugar (as well as butter in the case of fudge and toffee).

Is caramel popcorn toffee? ›

Caramel corn or caramel popcorn (toffee popcorn in the UK) is a confection made of popcorn coated with a sugar or molasses based caramel candy shell that is normally less than 1mm thick. Typically a sugar solution or syrup is made and heated until it browns and becomes thick, producing a caramelized candy syrup.

What does toffee popcorn taste like? ›

First taste fresh buttery caramel, followed by sweet toffee increasing in intensity as you finish. For allergens see ingredients in bold italic. Made in an environment where nuts, peanuts and sesame seeds are present.

What is the difference between caramel and toffee color? ›

While they share a golden-brown colour and a sugary base, toffee and caramel are distinct in ingredients, preparation, and texture. Toffee, known for its hard and brittle nature, contrasts with caramel's soft, chewy consistency.

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