Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn
Updated March 05, 2020
You may have noticed I am a little obsessed with popcorn. I’ve recently made Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn and Twix Caramel Popcorn. I am having way too much fun with popcorn:) My latest creation is Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn. This popcorn is magical. There is something about it that will not let me stop eating it. I haven’t figure it out yet, so I keep eating. It is part of my research:) I am getting closer though. I think it has something to do with the caramel marshmallow popcorn that has a kick of sea salt, pretzel pieces, and Pretzel M&M’s. All of those ingredients in one popcorn bowl can only lead to addiction.
I love a good sweet and salty treat and this popcorn has the perfect balance of sugar and salt. The popcorn and pretzels get drenched in a salted caramel marshmallow mixture. I added a little red food coloring to turn the popcorn pink for Easter. You can use a different color or just leave the popcorn plain. I also stirred in Easter Pretzel M&M’s. They add a nice pop of spring color and the chocolate salty crunch goes nicely with the popcorn.
This Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn is a great spring and Easter treat. You will want to eat the entire batch all by yourself, but try to resist because this popcorn makes a great gift. Place the popcorn in bags and tie a pretty little ribbon around the end and you have a festive homemade gift. You can also put the popcorn in little Easter eggs and hide them or add them to an Easter basket.
Get in the Easter mood and make a batch of this Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn. It is easy to make and fun to share and to munch on!
Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn
Ingredients
- 6 cups plain popped popcorn
- 2 cups coarsely chopped salted pretzels
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt plus more for sprinkling
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- Drop of red food coloring-if you want to make the popcorn pink for Easter
- 1 1/2 cups Easter Pretzel M&M's
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine popcorn and pretzels. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and water to a boil over medium high heat. Boil, undisturbed, until mixture is amber in color, for about 8-12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream. Be careful because the mixture will bubble up. Stir until smooth and add vanilla extract, marshmallows, and drop of red food coloring-if using. Stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.
- Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pretzels and gently stir with a rubber spatula until popcorn is well coated. Stir in the pretzel M&M's. Transfer mixture to a large baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely.
- Note-I used air popped popcorn, but stove or microwave popcorn will work as well. I used red food coloring to make the popcorn pink for Easter. I also used Easter Pretzel M&M's. You can always change up the color or leave the popcorn plain. And feel free to stir in your favorite M&M's or other Easter candy. Robin Eggs or Mini Cadbury Eggs would be good too!
Have you tried this recipe?
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If you like this Salted Caramel Easter Popcorn, you might also like:
- Candied Popcorn from Heather Christo Cooks
- Party Popcorn from She Wears Many Hats
- Chewy M&M Chex Mix from Enchanted Mommy
Just made this for second time ( first time caramel burned) 2nd time better but ours tastes bitter as well & food coloring did nothing bc already caramel colored turned to amber very quick. Not sure if it’s the vanilla making it bitter- we’ll see how the nephews like it tomorrow.
I made the Salted Carmel Easter Popcorn but it is sticky. Wanted to put it in bags to give out but it’s too gooey! Tastes great but..not what I was expecting. What did I do incorrectly while cooking it?
WOW! Made it on this Easter morning! I was hoping to cut calories from the chocolate overload by making a popcorn dessert! But it’s so addictive it’s hard to stop snacking on it! Here in Manitoba, Canada I couldn’t find the Easter Pretzel M&M’s so I added one cup of chopped white chocolate covered pretzels and one cup of regular pretzels. I also added one cup of candy covered chocolate mini eggs and a cup of Spring Pastels M&M’s to the mix, then drizzled dark chocolate over it! This is the start of a new Easter tradition! Love your site!
I just love all your blog!!! I made this today, but my popcorn never got crunchy, it stayed sticky….what do you suppose I did wrong?? I just made it all into popcorn balls, and it was still oh so yummy!!! I would like to know how to fix it for next time though. Thanks!
LOVE this, especially since you’re incorporated CHOCOLATE into it! 😀
This looks perfect 🙂 planning on making this soon…is the popcorn crunchy or more chewy like a Rice Krispie treat?
How much ahead can i make this?
I just scarfed down a bag of Harry and David Moose Munch. Not going to lie I would like some more. This would be great for our guests(and me) next weekend.
wow – just made this and it was a total flop. so disappointed!
So I’ve made this a couple of times, thank you very kick for the recipie, but my popcorn always goes a kind of soggy and loses its crunch.
Am I doing something wrong or is it the wrong type of popcorn… Help please!
xo Freya
Thank you so much for this Easter popcorn I am going to try this, and would be great to have at a baby shower and you could do like you said and used any color you wish, this is going to be so good…I can not wait to try it! thanks a lot!!!!!
What a creative and colorful popcorn mix. This will definitely sell itself…
I agree with the others… it’s totally sticky, like a rice crispy treat. I want to put it in the oven to crisp it, but the problem is I have already added the m & m’s…
Mine stayed quite soggy too 🙁 Tastes great though! I couldn’t use it for what I planned but I will take a cue from others who had disappointing results and make popcorn balls instead.
Is this supposed to come out super sticky? I was anticipating a crunchy/dry caramel corn, but when I made this it came out really sticky. I’m not sure if I did something wrong or this was just a different type of caramel corn (like one to make into balls) than I was expecting.
I think this recipe maybe has a missing part..should it have been baked before adding M&Ms? Based on the many responses and my own experience, this popcorn doesn’t harden which just makes for a messy sticky glob? Maria, I love your recipes but this one needs to be revisited.
wow the tuned popcorn right?
hahah salted caramel is amazing!
You make the recipe really?
i ll make here and are so delicious
i say everytime the same things
the caramel popcorns are my favorite candy :D~~~
really
when i see this post i´m so happy
Sweet popcorn is a wonder . I was willing to do!
This recipe was a giant waste of time and money – I’m so disappointed.
The caramel mixture was so gooey and it never hardened properly. It was just one giant tray of gloppy, wet caramel. I’m not trying to be mean, but be warned – this was bad. Do NOT make it.
Made this so many times for kids birthdays. Always a hit with kids and parents!
Thanks for sharing.
I made the Salted Carmel Easter Popcorn but it is sticky. Wanted to put it in bags to give out but it’s too gooey! Tastes great but..not what I was expecting. What did I do incorrectly while cooking it?