I love making homemade gifts—there’s something meaningful about taking the time to create or bake something for someone you care about. Whether it’s a hand-crocheted scarf or a warm loaf of pumpkin bread, homemade always feels better. One of my favorite treats to make for the holidays is caramel corn: portioned into cute bags with a handwritten tag, it’s a simple, thoughtful gift that almost everyone adores.
Traditional caramel corn recipes rely heavily on butter, and I found dairy-free butter didn’t give me the flavor or texture I wanted. So I swapped in full-fat coconut milk—and it turned out to be the winning choice. The creamy coconut milk blends with brown sugar to form a golden caramel that coats each popcorn kernel. After baking the caramel stays slightly soft, just the way caramel corn should be: sweet, salty, crunchy and slightly chewy.
This dairy-free caramel corn is seriously addictive. If you leave a bowl out, family members will be sneaking handfuls before you know it. It makes a great snack for movie nights and a lovely gift during the holidays.
- 16 cups plain popped popcorn* (about 2/3 cup kernels)
- 1 3/4 cups organic brown sugar
- 1/2 cup culinary full-fat coconut milk, stirred (use your preferred brand)
- 2 tablespoons organic light corn syrup or brown rice syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (about 95°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the popped popcorn into a large bowl suitable for stirring, removing any unpopped kernels. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, coconut milk, corn syrup and salt. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Continue stirring occasionally and cook until the caramel reaches 245°F (use a candy thermometer).
- Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract until blended.
- Immediately pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Stir carefully to coat evenly, taking care as the caramel will be very hot.
- Spread the coated popcorn onto the prepared baking sheets in an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the pans every 15 minutes for even baking.
- Allow the caramel corn to cool on the baking sheets for about an hour, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container.