Caramel Popcorn Balls

Caramel and Popcorn: What's Not to Like?

I love caramel popcorn, and I think this recipe is where that love started. I don't remember when or why Grandma made Caramel Popcorn Balls, but they seemed like a special occasion treat that would be perfect for giving away. That's why I waited until the holiday season to test this recipe.   

How to Make Caramel Popcorn Balls

The recipe called for 5 quarts of popped popcorn or 20 cups. I used an air popper, although Grandma probably would have popped it in oil in a large pan on the stove. I haven't had much success with that method in the past, usually ending up with a bunch of burned kernels, so I stuck with the air popper.  

It took only three popping sessions of a quarter cup of kernels each to reach 20 cups of popped popcorn. I used a metal bowl with markings to measure it, but then I poured the popped popcorn into a large Tupperware to leave room for stirring. 

For the caramel, I added the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a pan and brought that to a boil. 

The sweetened condensed milk went in next. Fortunately, I had just enough left over from testing Butterscotch Roll, which also used a portion of a can. 

I brought the mixture back to a boil, lowered the temperature, then cooked and stirred until it reached the "soft ball" stage, meaning that a small amount dropped into a cup of cold water formed a ball that remained soft when pressed.  

I immediately pulled the pan off the stove and poured the caramel over the popcorn, stirring as I poured. 

The mixture was a little thicker than I expected, which made me wonder if I'd cooked it too long, but eventually, the popcorn was sufficiently covered.  

I washed and buttered my hands, then pressed the mixture into balls. 

The recipe said it yielded 15 large balls. These aren't super large, but definitely enough for a serving or two. 

The Verdict on Caramel Popcorn Balls

We dug into one of the balls right away, and it was yummy. There's something about the mixture of buttery caramel and crunchy popcorn that is hard (for me) to resist. The rest of the family liked them as well, but I had a hard time staying away from them. I had to wrap them in plastic and put them out of sight because they were destined for other purposes than my stomach. 

If you're looking for a nostalgic sweet treat to give away, Caramel Popcorn Balls are it.