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Caramel Corn Puffs
These delicious, caramel-covered, buttery, corn puffs are my favorite treat in the whole world! I could eat them ALL day long! If you are a caramel lover, you can also try out The Best Microwave Caramels for an easy-to-make caramel recipe.
Now, back to Caramel Corn Puffs. There’s something about the texture and the buttery, caramel goodness that is impossible to resist. You find yourself going back to the bowl for just one more little handful until, before you know it…….the bowl is empty. Sniff, sniff. 🙁
This recipe can be made two ways, soft or crunchy. I love both, but the last few times I’ve made it, I have made the soft version.
Delicious Cereal Treats
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Corn Flake Treats
- Chocolate Scotcheroo Rice Krispies Treats
- Snicker Bar Rice Krispies Treats
- S’mores Rice Krispies Treats
- Best Ever Chewy Chex Mix
- Classic Chewy Chex Mix
Depending on where you live, it can be a little tricky to find the butter-flavored puffed corn. They are usually in the chip aisle near cheddar flavored cheese puffs. Even if you have to hunt them down, have a relative send them to you (I know people who do this) or order them online. It’s worth it! They come in packs of 12.
If you end up ordering in bulk online, you can freeze unopened bags for months. I love simple treats that are easy to throw together at the last minute. These puffs definitely fit that bill and always bring rave reviews.
They’re also a really fun treat to give friends and neighbors during the holidays.
how to make caramel corn puffs
- Pour puffed corn into a large bowl, large enough to stir the final mixture without making a huge mess.
- Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan.
- Boil 2 minutes, if you want soft corn puffs, stirring continually.
- OR Boil 4 minutes, stirring continually, if you want the crunchy version.
- After the allotted boil time, remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Mixture will foam.
- Pour mixture over puffed corn and stir until all pieces are evenly coated.
- If you are making the soft version, you are done. Enjoy!
- OR if you are making the crunchy corn puffs, lightly grease or spray a large cookie sheet or roaster pan.
- Heat oven to 250 degrees.
- Quickly spread mixture onto baking sheet. (You need to move fast. It will start to harden up in the bowl.)
- Bake at 250 degrees for 45 – 60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
- Let cool, and then break into pieces. Enjoy!
The Best Tips for making Caramel Corn Puffs
- Use butter-flavored corn puffs.
- If making the crunchy version, quickly spread mixture onto baking sheet before it hardens in the bowl.
COOK’S TOOLS:
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
- Measuring Cups
- Large Cookie Sheet or Roasting Pan
- Measuring Spoons
More Delicious Caramel Treats
- 1 bag puff corn (the size of the bag may differ....I use about 5 ounces which in the brand I can find is a bag and a half)
- 1 c. brown sugar
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ tsp. vanilla
- pinch salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- Pour puffed corn into a large bowl, large enough to stir the final mixture without making a huge mess.
- Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in saucepan.
- Boil 2 minutes, if you want soft corn puffs, stirring continually.
- OR Boil 4 minutes, stirring continually, if you want the crunchy version.
- After the allotted boil time, remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Mixture will foam.
- Pour mixture over puffed corn and stir until all pieces are evenly coated.
- If you are making the soft version, you are done. Enjoy!
- OR if you are making the crunchy corn puffs, lightly grease or spray a large cookie sheet or roaster pan.
- Heat oven to 250 degrees.
- Quickly spread mixture onto baking sheet. (You need to move fast. It will start to harden up in the bowl.)
- Bake at 250 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
- Let cool and then break into pieces. Enjoy!
You are going to LOVE THIS!!!!!!
I do love this. OH. SO. MUCH. You just have no idea.
Great for making popcorn balls around Christmas Time and sending them to your friends.
L.O.V.E.
Ash
Oh Ashlee, I have an idea how much you love this stuff! BWAHAHAHAAH! One day I will make you a swimming pool full so you can swim in it and eat it at the same time. 🙂
If I wanted to make for a nursing home, which version would be best, hard or soft? Not sure if the soft would be chewy and stick in your teeth Or pull dentures out…😊
I would suggest soft, sometimes the harder shell can stick to your teeth worse.
Hi I’m going to make the carmel puffs. Did you use the cereal corn puffs or the popcorn with butter
These were delicious
Thanks
Patti
Hi Patty, I do not use the cereal, I use the puffed corn that is butter flavored. They are so delicious, it’s dangerous for me. 🙂
Maria please give me recipe you yse
Does anybody know the nutritional value of this popcorn. Was going to make it for my grandpa but he can’t have over a certain amount of carbs/sugar.
I make it with pancake syrup instead of corn syrup and the entire batch has 2,345 calories. Depends on how many servings you get out of it. I generally get 7, so for me 335 (ouch)! Wish I didn’t just add that up LOL!
I’m so glad to know that it works with pancake syrup.. not so glad to know the calorie count. 🙂
I use the buttery white cheddar puffs. Very good!
Can you use corn puff cereal.
Hi Holly, Corn puff cereal will make it very sweet. Microwave popcorn would be a better choice. I have used this mixture on regular popcorn too and it is good. Some people even like to put it on Cheetos.
Does it taste ok with white cheddar puff corn?
I haven’t ever made it that way, but I have a friend who uses cheddar puffs and they love it.
I took this Christmas Day for a snack for all the kids, a big hit. My sister-in-law eats very little sweets or carbs, she could not stop eating this
Lol, it really is the best and soooo hard to stay out of once you have a taste! Thanks for sharing Joyce!
I use the buttery white cheddar puffs. It’s very good!
Awesome, good to know, those are a little easier to find!
What about storing until giving away finished product, freezer or just in airtight container
I usually store it in a ziploc bag if I am going to give it away in a day or two.
#marchgiveaway
This stuff is amazing I added cashews!!! 🤤
Thank you! Yum, Cashews are a great addition!
What brand of puff corn do you use? The only ones I have found are butter flavored, and I’m not sure if they will work.
I use the butter ones, I use whatever brand I can find.
Chester makes a good one 🙂
I’ve made this the crunchy way before, and I know they have a hard-ish shell to them. When you make them soft, are they sticky and messy to eat? If not, I’d really like to try them that way…
Thanks for the info on the soft version!
They are sticky, sort of like chewy chex mix or caramel popcorn.
When you said 5 oz of puffs did you really mean 5? Or the 15 oz bag?
5 ounces, they are really light weight. 🙂
The only bag I could find was for 15oz. also. Would you just triple the recipe?
Yes, That would work great or if you don’t want that much you could just use a third of the bag.
I make these in the microwave, using same recipe but pouring the puff corn into a brown paper bag sprayed with Pam pour caramel over the corn and shake the bag microwave 1 1/2 minutes take out shake then microwave another 1 1/2 minutes shake and pour out in waxed paper. Yummy!!!
Awesome. I am going to try this next time. Love the brown bag idea!
So, does this method create soft or crunchy?
Thanks, Lorrie D
Hi Lorrie, the directions tell you how to make it either way. The difference comes in how long you boil the mixture (2 minutes for soft, 4 minutes for crunchy) and with the crunchy there is an additional step of baking it in the oven for a little while.
Ahhh. So the brown bag suggestion is from step 8 in your directions. Gonna try this today. Thank you.
I have made this both ways a few times now and my family loves them. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Awesome! So glad to hear your family loves them! They are one of our all time favorite treats!
I just made these again but this time we threw in some cinnamon. It was a yummy twist, you should try it. Thanks for this super addicting recipe.
Well, Well, Well, I happen to have some corn puffs in the pantry just waiting to be made into this…I’ll have to give the cinnamon addition a try! 🙂
HI,
I have made these so many many times and every time I get requests for more ! Next time I’m adding nuts….
Love hearing this! I made some this weekend too. Nuts would be a great addition!
This is perfect for folks who have dentures that love caramel corn but have trouble with the hulls
Totally! You are so right! Nothing worse then chomping down on a hull.
Sounds great! How far ahead can I make these?
If you live in a humid area, I wouldn’t make them more then a day in advance and make sure you keep them in an airtight container. If you live in a dry climate a couple days in advance should be fine as long as you keep them in an airtight container.
Wanted to try this weekend. I can’t find the puffed corn in stores. Has anyone tried with Kix (puffed corn cereal)?
Hi Amanda, so sorry you are having a hard time finding the puffs :(. Unfortunately it will not be the same with Kix.
Yes I have used Kix cereal and its great ! Although I don’t add the baking soda or the vanilla. Ill have to try that!
To find corn puffs try gas station on the chip aisle.
Surprisingly, Menards carries Puff Corn!!! Try looking there!
Awesome! Lucky you!
All I can find are the cheddar puffed corn. Will that work?
No! Cheddar will make it taste cheesy.
Is this okay to make ahead of time? I have a holiday party Friday and wondered if I made it today if it would get stale or?
So sorry I didn’t see this earlier. I have been out on Maternity leave and am just getting back to blogging. If you make it a day or two in advance it will be fine it just needs to be kept in an airtight container.
Substituting margarine for butter is a SIN!!!
You may want to look through your instructions. Very confusing (sorry). But, if I’m going to bake in oven shouldn’t they go in a pan/roaster that can actually be stirred every 15 minutes instead of using a cookie sheet?
Hi Jo Ann. Yes, butter is better 🙂 I do it on a cookie sheet because it fits nicely and it helps them cook more evenly so they all have the nice crunch. Using a roaster or a large metal bowl also works well, I just prefer a cookie sheet.
I have used this recipe for 4 years now and it is always a hit and a frequent request. I always have a little trouble mixing quickly enough to get the ‘popcorn’ all fully coated – I use a giant oblong roaster and the ‘popcorn’ is in a single layer. I also always use the ‘crunchy’ method. I have also made this and drizzled it, very lightly, with chocolate or white chocolate. Can’t thank you enough for the years of enjoyment!
Yum! Sounds amazing. Sometimes I do a recipe and a half if I want a thicker coating of the caramel.
Can you freeze the caramel puff corn
I haven’t ever tried it, I would suggest freezing a small amount to test it, so you don’t ruin a whole batch if it doesn’t work.
Can you freeze? If so, how and how long. Thank you 😊
Hi Kris, I haven’t ever tried freezing it. I think it would probably still taste good, but may be stickier after being frozen….or worst case scenerio, it might get a little soggy. Might want to try it with a small amount first.
if you make the soft kind but do not want them to be a sticky mess to eat , is it possible to leave them out on the counter to dry longer so they will not be sticky ? or can i boil the sauce midpoint between the soft and crunchy and let them sit out on counter till dry , i just do not want them sticky <<<< little sticky hands make messes !
Yes, they will get a little more stiff if left out. Or you can cook them longer, the issue with that is that it is harder to pull apart when grabbing some out of a bowl.
I have trouble finding the puffed corn in our rural area, but I just found it at General Dollar! 😋
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Brenda!
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen?
I have never tried it. I would suggest trying it with a few pieces first and see how it works.
These with the cheese puff corn make the perfect puff corn Chicago Mix
Wow that sounds awesome
I love Chicago Popcorn that’s makes me very happy to hear this.
Visiting my best friend in the world and told her about these. We too found the puffs at Dollar General and will be starting the recipe shortly, wish us luck……with the recipe AND our weight lol.
🙂 Awesome!
Oh no! I just made these and forgot to add the baking soda before dumping it over the puffs. Will they still taste ok? I made them before and everyone loves them!!
They’ll still be fine, the baking soda just helps the mixture foam and spread easier.
I made this but the Carmel pops have a taste of the soda . what I’m I doing wrong?
Sometimes the puffs are saltier than others and I’ve also had it where the soda tastes more pronounced. Maybe just use a smaller amount of soda next time to be safe.
My in-laws have a friend who delivers a gallon size ziplock bag of this every Christmas and we call it Christmas Crack because we can’t put the bag down!! They color theirs red or green… do you think you could use white sugar and food coloring to get the same effect but in fun Christmas colors? Either way I can’t wait to try this recipe, thank you!!
Hi Carrie! It would definitely be worth a shot but I’ve never tried it with white sugar so I can’t guarantee it’ll work.
I plan to make this for my veterinarians and staff; however, it is important to know how long the Caramel Corn Puffs will “keep” in an airtight container. I am sure this has been answered but heck if I can find it. Please respond—I know your are busy but I do need to know. Thank you.
Hi Karen, It’s never lasted more than a day at our house because people it so darn quick…but it should stay pretty fresh for two days in an airtight container.
I apologize; I read the actual recipe (printed it out) and did not see the time line with which to keep the Puffed Corn. I did finally read the “comments” and saw the responses about the number of days it will remain fresh in an airtight container. Thank you Maria. (Ironically, I was just about to contact you about my oversight when I saw your response to my previous question).
No problem Karen, I’m always happy to help.
Hi,
Love this recipe…..wondering if any one has added a pinch or so of cayenne to the caramel mixture for a little kick?
Hi Catherine, I’ve never tried that. Sounds like a great idea. I’ve done it with kettle corn and it’s delicious!
Can you use sugar free brown sugar to make it just a little more keto friendly?
Hmm, that’s a good question, I haven’t ever used that form of brown sugar, does it convert one to one? It it does it should work just fine.
I noted you wrote that the Caramel Corn Puffs should stay fresh two days in an airtight container. I assume the Corn Puffs are in the container on the counter. I plan to drizzle melted chocolate chips on top with nuts; thus, I wonder if (with the aforementioned added ingredients) the Corn Puffs will maintain a crunchy texture/flavor if kept on the counter, or if I should place in the refrigerator AND if that would alter the crunchy texture/flavor of the Corn Puffs? I hope I am not asking a question that cannot be answered, but I would appreciate your professional opinion. I plan to make this 10-13-20, and I must add, I appreciate your diplomatic responses answering certain questions/comments.
Hi Garner. Melted chocolate and nuts will be delicious on this treat. I think either way. Adding the chocolate and nuts and then storing on the counter or storing on the counter and adding chocolate and nuts a little before serving (enough time for chocolate to set) would be fine. If you store them before adding chocolate and nuts you could test one and see if it softened at all. If it did you could just pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes to firm them up again. Hope that helps.
Ahhh….I could only find the original corn puffs and need to make this for tomorrow! Can you think of anything I could/should add to the original to make it work like the butter kind?
Hi Susie, I’m sorry I didn’t see this earlier. I think the original should taste fairly buttery so they should be fine.
My batch turned out chewier than we like. Can I put it the oven again to make it crispier??
Yes, 10- 15 more minutes should do it.
I have to limit how often I make this because I Can. Not. Stop. Eating it. The only thing that makes me stop eating it is if it’s all gone or if I’ve had so much I’m starting to feel sick, and that doesn’t always stop me either, lol!
HA! Same girl, Same! Feeling sick rarely stops me either! That texture and flavor combo is my absolute favorite!
I made this every year for Halloween and it’s gone in seconds!!! My friends and family loves and looks forward every year when I make this, with the Pandemic I have decided to give my friends and family a surprise and made super large patches of this and shipped them I got so many texts saying they love it 🙂 I will forever use this recipe!
Such a sweeeeeeet thing to do! I love that so much! I am soooo glad you love this recipe!
Love this recepie, thank you!! I only stir once, add cayenne pepper and I use cheese flavored puffs, then mix with the rest of the puffs and cheese popcorn!! YUMMY!!
Awesome! That sounds delicious!
Adding to my previous comment … I only turn once in the oven is what I meant to say!! I was afraid that someone would only stir the Carmel sauce once … LOL
This sounds awesome. My one question is does anyone know which version would be a closer match to beaver nuggs? Anyway thanks for posting.
Sorry this reply is so late, I think that cooking it in the oven will make it more like the Beaver Nuggets. They are crunchy right?
These are one of my favorite holiday treats! So excited to try this recipe!
#novembergiveaway
You are going to love it!
Simple, easy, yummy, yummy, and yummy. Hardest part was finding the popcorn puff in the store.
Right! I love this recipe, but yes, it can be a challenge to find the corn puffs!
Can you make it without corn syrup?
You could try using rice syrup or honey, but I haven’t ever done that and can’t say if it affects the taste and texture.
Can’t believe how good this recipe turns out and how close they taste to Buc-ees Beaver Nuggets. We live at least an hour away from Buc-ees and I made the terrible mistake of buying beaver nuggets on our last trip. With gas prices so high, seemed silly to travel that far for a couple bags of snacks. I bought the Aldi version of the buttered puffs hoping it would be kind of the same but nope, had no taste. Luckily I didn’t throw them away and found this recipe. I couldn’t find maple extract in our local stores so subbed store brand pancake syrup for that and corn syrup. Pancake syrup is corn syrup, coloring and maple flavor. I followed the rest of the recipe exactly for harder nuggets. I was sure it wouldn’t work, but it was sooo good! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Awesome! I love hearing that Tracy! This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE recipes!
Some in my family call this Christmas crack. I delay the solidified caramel by placing my biggest stainless bowl over my cast iron skillet at medium. Then add the puffcorn, then the caramel. It allows time to evenly distribute the caramel before it becomes cement. I do the 4 minute cook and then the oven dry for 40 minutes. If you like nuts, roast and add at oven time. Better than crackerjack.
That a great idea to heat the bowl. I’ve never added nuts, I’ll have to give that a try. This stuff really is crack…soooooo good!