Guess what? Halloween is just around the corner, which means it's almost the first excuse of the year to eat as much candy as your heart desires (moderation, of course!).

Guess what should be on your list of snacks as you stay at home and watch terrifying Halloween movies (WHY was Don’t Look Under The Bed a kid’s movie?!)? This Vegan Caramel Popcorn. You get all the candy sweet satisfaction that you want, with a whole lot less guilt and calories. Also, in just 25 minutes.

We’ve been making this vegan caramel popcorn (do you say popcorn or vegan caramel corn? ) for the last two years, albeit a much harder version. Fast forward to years, this version tastes even better, is done in just 25 minutes from start to finish, and is a lot healthier.

The vegan caramel sauce for this caramel popcorn is made with salt, vegan butter, almond milk, maple syrup, cane sugar and vanilla. This caramel is so addictive that I knew I had to do a separate post on a vegan caramel sauce (yes yes yes!). The key ingredient to turning this delicious caramel sauce into salted caramel popcorn is, *drumroll* baking soda. Baking soda completely changes the texture of the caramel as it’s bubbling and makes it much lighter, and much easier to coat the popcorn with. This was the missing ingredient from our first vegan caramel popcorn and let me tell you, the difference is phenomenal. All you have to do next is coat the popcorn, then bake. Done, and done.

Don’t forget to share! Seriously, this vegan caramel popcorn makes an amazing gift (HINT to any of my friends). It’s very easy to care for, easy to make, and a pretty cheap but thoughtful gift. Of course; you should make your own batch, and a batch for your friends.

Ingredients

  • 10 cups plain, unsalted, organic freshly popped popcorn
  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons almond milk
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • Instructions

    1. 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place popcorn into a large metal bowl. Set aside.
    2. 2. In a pot over medium-high heat, add the vegan butter, half the salt, the almond milk, maple syrup, cane sugar and vanilla and stir to combine.
    3. 3. Allow to come to a boil and then add in the rest of the salt. Add the baking soda and watch closely. The mixture will change colour and is more susceptible to burning now, so reduce heat and stir frequently for 1 minute. 
    4. Remove from the heat and pour over popcorn. Working quickly, toss with a spatula to evenly distribute over all the popcorn.
    5. 4. Spread popcorn onto the baking sheets until evenly distributed.
    6. 5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the popcorn to cool on a fresh sheet on parchment paper. The popcorn will crisp up.
    7. 6. Eat immediately, or place in an airtight tupperware container to keep crispy. Enjoy!

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    Recipe Notes

    This popcorn is vegan and gluten-free. You can store this in an airtight tupperware container in the fridge, but it tastes best and crunchy fresh!

    This post was originally published on Jessica In The Kitchen. Check out more awesome posts like this here.

caramel popcorn , halloween , healthy food , jessica in the kitchen , popcorn , vegan