To make Cinnabon popcorn, start by preparing your ingredients. You’ll need 12 cups of popped popcorn, 1 cup of chopped pecans (optional), 1 cup of brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ cup of butter, ¼ cup of corn syrup or honey, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Optionally, you can use almond bark for drizzling.
Next, combine the sugar mixture. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and corn syrup or honey on top. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds to soften the butter, then stir. Continue microwaving for 2 minutes, stir, and repeat for another 2 minutes.
After that, add the vanilla and baking soda to the sugar mixture. Remove it from the microwave and stir in the vanilla and baking soda until well combined.
Now, coat the popcorn with the sugar mixture. Pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly until the popcorn is evenly coated.
Finally, bake the coated popcorn. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Spread the popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. If it’s not crunchy enough, bake for an additional 5 minutes. For an extra touch, melt almond bark in the microwave and drizzle it over the caramel corn. Let it harden, then break into chunks and enjoy!
Notes:
– You can use air-popped or microwave popcorn.
– Baking at 300 degrees for 13-15 minutes is an alternative method.
– If the caramel corn sticks to the hot foil, transfer it to a clean surface before drizzling with almond bark.