Caramel Popcorn with a Crunch!

So, any of you that follow me know that I stick to mostly healthy recipes. This one is a bit of a stretch for me but there are many pluses in this recipe when it comes to being a much healthier version. Once thing is for sure, if you are looking for a big money saving snack to appease a sweet tooth, this one will do it!!!

In our house this has been a go to recipe for MANY occasions. We took a gallon bag of this to a family Christmas, which I think my husband still consumed 95 % of. This is a great snack to toss in Gavin’s lunch bag for school. And it really doesn’t last long when we make a batch and have two huge bowls full of it just sitting at home.

24 hours is about the max that one batch has lasted in our house. So, file this under the “addictive” category. This will also do the trick if you are wanting something crunchy!

I think one of the highlights about this recipe is that I have been able to successfully train the hubby how to make this without my assistance. This is a big deal because his skills and confidence in the kitchen are not real high. I think it really came down to “where there’s a will, there’s a way” with him on this one because the first time I made this, he requested that I start making it by the 5 gallon bucket full! It didn’t take him long to ask me to teach him how to make this recipe and he has made many batches successfully! If he can do this, anyone can!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup popcorn kernels (organic or non gmo!)
• 1/2 cup butter (preferably grass fed, organic)
• 1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar but sucanat is a healthier choice!) (read more about sucanat!)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Sucanat:

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Melt the butter, sucanat, and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes, stirring continuously.
• Meanwhile, place the popcorn (that you have popped) into two large bowls. Make sure there is plenty of room left in each bowl for stirring purposes.
• Once the mixture has simmered for 5 minutes, add the baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will become foamy.

• Remove from heat and pour over the popcorn. Stir until well coated. I use my hands but beware of the temperature of your caramel sauce. If its too hot for you, use a large wooden spoon.
• Place popcorn in a single layer onto two different cookie sheets. I used the cookie sheets with a bit higher sides on them.
• Place in your preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes. The caramel will harden when its completely cooled.

Remove from pans and place in airtight containers!

Happy Crunching!!!!