So I wouldn’t really call this a healthy caramel popcorn recipe, it’s more of a healthier caramel popcorn choice, as it doesn’t have corn syrup or sugar.
What’s the sweetener you might ask?
Good old maple syrup.
Growing up, my family loved to watch old movies together. I’m talking black and white kind of old. For a fun treat to enjoy while watching, my mom would whip up a batch of caramel popcorn. Actually popping the kernels the old fashioned way.
Apparently a lost art, because my husband and I brought some popcorn to an event not too long ago and a few people were surprised astonished that it wasn’t from a microwavable bag. Anyways back to my mom… She prepared three large bowls (I come from a family of 10) that were scraped clean by the movie’s end.
Just so you know, my mom doesn’t touch processed sugar. Sure we had granulated and brown sugar in bulk in our home to encourage our baking skills but my mother never cooked with it or bought food that had sugar in it. I used to think that when you became an adult you stopped eating sugar because my mom didn’t.
It wasn’t a sad life of just turnip greens and cod liver oil as a child. We still had desserts, but they were just sweetened a bit more naturally with the use of either honey or maple syrup. This recipe comes from my mom’s hankering for caramel popcorn but wanting a healthier version of it.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did/do!
Healthier Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients
- 1 cup 1 cup popcorn kernels
- 1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup coconut oil)
- 1 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat and then add maple syrup. Cook until bubbly and boiling then turn stove on medium low stirring occasionally. Once consistency has thickened (about 10 to 15 minutes) take off stove and pour over popped popcorn. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Oh, and John Wayne movies were some of our favorites. 🙂
This looks so good! I love maple syrup and that this is made with only 3 ingredients!
What a great idea! Maple syrup is pretty pricey though. Do you have any idea if honey would work similarly or to do some of both?
Hi Grace!
Honey works great as well. You would prepare and cook it just the same. My mom usually makes it that way for the grandkids since maple syrup is expensive. It has more of a ‘honey’ taste, but it is still very delicious!
AJ
Love the simplicity and the yumminess factor of this recipe! Can’t wait to try 🙂
🙂 Hope you enjoy it LZ! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh this looks Amazing! I cannot wait to try it! Your granola is my son’s favorite and I’m sure he’ll love this too. 🙂 Thanks for sharing it at Hit Me With Your Best Shot. Hope you’re enjoying the Summer!
~Ariean (http://onekriegerchick.com/)
Hi Ariean! What a compliment to recipe a ‘favorite food’ award, and especially from a child! 🙂 We definitely are enjoying our summer! Hopefully you are too!
We love caramel corn around here! I’ve never tried it with maple syrup before. I’ll have to try it!
I hope you enjoy it Cat! It really is quite tasty with the maple syrup, and you don’t feel quite as bad, although it isn’t exactly healthy. 🙂
This looks so yummy! Thanks for the recipe, I’m going to try this out! We are in need of more no sugar recipes.
Good luck! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
This sounds wonderful!
Oh it is, Susan!
This sounds amazing! I bet the maple syrup gives it a really nice depth of flavor too. I wish I had the become an adult and stop eating sugar gene. Maybe I’m just not grown up enough yet! 😉
Me too Carlee, me too! 🙂