Coconut-Carmel Popcorn

coconut-carmel popcorn served in a wooden dish
Photo: Chris Simpson
Prep Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 45 mins
Yield:
8 cups

Crackly sea salt, dark-brown sugar, and tropical coconut flakes are a stellar combo in this cocktail-hour popcorn; stay with the island theme by shaking up a passion-fruit mojito to go with this sweet-and-salty snack.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil

  • ½ cup popcorn kernels

  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes

  • 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  • ¼ cup light corn syrup

  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon fleur de sel

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Heat oil and 3 popcorn kernels in a large, heavy pot over medium-high until kernels have popped. Add remaining kernels; swirl to coat in oil.

  2. Cover pot and remove from heat 30 seconds. Return to heat and cook, covered, until popping slows, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer popcorn to a large heatproof bowl; stir in coconut.

  3. In a saucepan, bring brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until slightly thickened, 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet, spreading in an even layer.

  4. Sprinkle with salt and bake, stirring occasionally, until popcorn is just golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Caramel popcorn can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Cook's Notes

This recipe was developed using Grenadine Sea Salt's Original Wild One sea salt, available at grenadineseasalt.com.

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