Caramel Popcorn

A low FODMAP caramel popcorn with air-popped popcorn, butter, brown sugar, rice malt syrup, vanilla, and baking soda, baked until crisp.

Prep 10 min

Cook 1 hr 10 min

Serves 8

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

• 12 cups (about 100g) plain air-popped popcorn, from about 1/2 cup kernels
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (85g) rice malt syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Each of the 8 servings is about 1 1/2 cups of caramel popcorn.

Instructions

Get ready

1. Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line two sheet pans with parchment.
2. Put the popcorn in your largest bowl, picking out any unpopped kernels.

Make the caramel

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, rice malt syrup, and salt.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring, then boil without stirring for 4 minutes.
3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The caramel will foam up.

Coat and bake

1. Pour the caramel over the popcorn right away and fold with a greased spatula until everything is coated.
2. Spread the popcorn over the two sheet pans in a single layer.
3. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
4. Cool completely on the pans; the caramel crisps as it cools. Break into clusters.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use plain popcorn. Microwave bags often have butter flavor and additives; air-popped or stovetop popcorn with no seasoning is the base.
• Why rice malt syrup. Corn syrup has not been FODMAP tested; rice malt syrup keeps the caramel smooth and has been.
• Add nuts. Toss in 1 cup of peanuts or pecans before baking; that is about 2 tablespoons per serving.
• Halloween bags. Portion 1 1/2 cup servings into bags or wax-paper cones.
• Stirring matters. Skipping the stirs leaves soft, sticky patches.

Why This Works

• Low-temperature bake. An hour at 250°F drives off moisture so the coating snaps instead of sticking to your teeth.
• Baking soda. It makes the caramel foam into tiny bubbles, which gives a lighter, crunchier coat.
• Tested sweeteners. Brown sugar and rice malt syrup are both low FODMAP, and rice malt syrup keeps the caramel from turning grainy.

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Humidity softens it, so seal the container well. Do not refrigerate.