peanut butter popcorn

This peanut butter popcorn is the sweet-and-salty fall snack I want in the biggest bowl possible. Popcorn gets coated in a peanut butter caramel, baked until crisp, then finished with peanuts, candy corn (contentious, I know!), white chocolate, and a little flaky salt. Share it if you want… I probably won’t!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 quarts popped popcorn (1 cup unpopped, subsequently popped)
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups roasted and salted peanuts
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup candy corn
• flaky sea salt, as desired

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour the popped popcorn into a large bowl and set aside. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a large baking sheet (or two regular-sized baking sheets) with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Make the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup and brown sugar until melted. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the butter, peanut butter, vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda, and mix until smooth.

3. Mix: Pour the mixture over the popcorn. Add the peanuts and stir to evenly coat. Pour the popcorn onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the preheated 250°F oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

4. While popcorn is baking, melt the chocolate: Heat the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 15-second increments until smooth.

5. Finish: Remove from the oven and add candy corn. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the popcorn. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired, and let cool. After cooling, break into pieces and serve.