Vanilla Cake Batter Caramel Popcorn

Don't you love that it's warming up outside?!?  Ever since I moved to Utah I knew I had mild seasonal depression.  Winter makes me sad and it just lasts way too long here!  But I don't realize how I really feel until the sun starts to come out and I feel warm again.  It's like I'm a new person!  I want to be outside and run around!  I just love the warm weather.  We really need to move back to Southern California someday...

Anyway, I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it the other day.  It's amazing!  I had to share it with you!  It's called Vanilla Cake Batter Caramel Popcorn and I found it on the Love Veggies and Yoga blog.  I'm sure she would love a visit from you!

Here's how you make it.

Vanilla Cake Batter Caramel Popcorn
(Makes approximately 8 cups of caramel corn)


1 bag of popcorn (I used buttered popcorn which also gave it a salty and sweet taste) or 6 tablespoons popcorn kernels, unpopped (6 to 8 cups popcorn, popped)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white cake mix (or vanilla, yellow, funfetti, or similar)

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Light Karo syrup  (or light-colored corn syrup)

pinch of salt, optional to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.

2. Pop the popcorn - whichever method you choose to use.  

3. Put the 6 to 8 cups of popcorn in a large bowl and make sure all the unpopped kernels are taken out.  Those are no fun to chew when you're not expecting it!

4. Then melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan on the stovetop. After the butter has melted, add the cake mix, sugars, Karo syrup, and salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Do not let the mixture boil. It’s okay if it bubbles, but don't let it boil. 

5. After 3 to 4 minutes and mixture is smooth and has thickened, remove it from the heat, wait at least 30 seconds, and add the vanilla extract. 

6. Then pour the mixture over the popcorn in the large bowl, tossing it to evenly coat the popcorn. After tossing and coating the popcorn, spread the popcorn into a flat, even layer onto the baking sheet and bake for 18 to 24 minutes. 

7. After removing the baking sheet from the oven, toss the popcorn with a spoon or spatula so it picks up any caramel that fell on the cookie sheet. 

8. You can sprinkle the white chocolate or regular chocolate chips on the popcorn here and let them melt as the caramel corn cools.  I did this the first time and it was kind of messy.  The second time I made it, I didn't add the chocolate and I think it was much better that way.

9. I put the popcorn on a new sheet of wax paper to let it cool and since it was less gooey on the wax paper, it was way easier to get off the popcorn and eat it.  So I would suggest putting it on new wax paper after it comes out of the oven.

9. Allow the popcorn to cool and harden and then break it up and eat!  This is one of our new favorite snacks!  Enjoy!

- Alexis