America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Butter Toffee Popcorn

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 21, 2013

Time

1½ to 2 hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 14 (Makes about 3 1/2 quarts)

Butter Toffee Popcorn

Ingredients

3 quarts popped popcorn (see note)10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter 1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar ½ cup dark corn syrup ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon baking soda 2 cups salted peanuts

Before You Begin

It stores well and makes a nice gift packed in a decorative tin. If you don’t have a large roasting pan, bake the popcorn in a large disposable aluminum pan. Avoid popcorn with heavy butter seasoning.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Grease large roasting pan. Place popcorn in pan.
  2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla and baking soda (mixture will foam). Add peanuts and pour mixture over popcorn, tossing to coat.
  3. Bake, stirring occasionally, until popcorn is deep golden brown and caramel has set, 1 to 1½ hours. Cool to room temperature. Serve. (Popcorn can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.)
Butter Toffee Popcorn

Butter Toffee Popcorn

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

1½ to 2 hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 14 (Makes about 3 1/2 quarts)

Ingredients

3 quarts popped popcorn (see note)
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar
½ cup dark corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups salted peanuts

Ingredients

3 quarts popped popcorn (see note)
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar
½ cup dark corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups salted peanuts

Ingredients

3 quarts popped popcorn (see note)
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter
1 ½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar
½ cup dark corn syrup
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups salted peanuts

Why This Recipe Works

When selecting the base for our Butter Toffee Popcorn, we avoided popcorn with heavy butter seasonings, which were too intense when we added our own butter. Instead of using a large roasting pan to bake our Butter Toffee Popcorn, we found we could substitute a large disposable aluminum roasting pan.

Before You Begin

It stores well and makes a nice gift packed in a decorative tin. If you don’t have a large roasting pan, bake the popcorn in a large disposable aluminum pan. Avoid popcorn with heavy butter seasoning.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Grease large roasting pan. Place popcorn in pan.
  2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in vanilla and baking soda (mixture will foam). Add peanuts and pour mixture over popcorn, tossing to coat.
  3. Bake, stirring occasionally, until popcorn is deep golden brown and caramel has set, 1 to 1½ hours. Cool to room temperature. Serve. (Popcorn can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.)

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.