Caramel Corn
We know, we know. You clicked on this recipe thinking you must be in the wrong place; your eyes must be deceiving you; we didn't really just post a caramel corn recipe on a weight loss website, did we?! Well, this is NO Halloween "Trick" - this is 100% "Treat" and 100% real! Your taste buds really are 15 minutes away from experiencing the most delicious healthy caramel corn you never even knew existed! Enjoy as a late night movie snack or as a midday pick me up. We haven't really found a time that isn't a good time for sweet and crunchy caramel corn!
We've taken weight loss-friendly air-popped popcorn and covered it with a homemade sugar-free caramel sauce! Our sugar-substitute of choice for this recipe was Truvia. Of all the sugar-substitutes we tested, it seemed to hold up the best in terms of flavor and consistency when boiled down to caramel. If you've never made homemade caramel, don't worry it's got about as few steps as it does ingredients, and we've got "notes" in each step so you know exactly what to look for to get it perfect every time! You do not need to be a professional baker to knock this recipe out of the park! We do recommend, though, if you've usually got smaller hands that help out in the kitchen that you leave them on the sidelines for this one because it requires a close and careful eye over hot boiling liquid on the stove.
This recipe, when made in full, makes 8 servings. So there's going to be plenty for all of the hungry mouths wanting a bite (and we can assure you, they will)! If you'd like to cut the recipe down, just decrease your popcorn by 1 cup (1 cup = 1 serving) and decrease your amount of caramel sauce by 1/8 accordingly! Any unused caramel sauce can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. This caramel sauce also pairs great with sliced apples, Greek Yogurt, and more!
Ingredients
- 8 TBSP Grass-fed butter (1 stick)
- 32 packets of Truvia
- 2-3 TBSP MRC Vanillla Ready Made Drink*
- 8 cups air-popped popcorn
Instructions:
- Spread air-popped popcorn out on a large nonstick cookie sheet. Note: for easier clean up, first place parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on the cookie sheet.
- In a large saucepan, pour Truvia packets into an even layer, and heat over medium-high heat.
- Whisk the Truvia constantly until it's fully melted. Note: at first, it's going to clump - keep whisking until it's fully melted! This usually takes about 10 minutes.
- Once melted completely, you can stop stirring the Truvia and allow it to cook for a couple minutes more. If you prefer a deeper caramel flavor, allow it to cook until it's turned a dark amber color. Note: when the mixture comes close to "done" you may notice a nutty aroma alongside the change in color. Be careful, the color change will happen QUICKLY! So, don't let it go for too long or get too dark; otherwise, it will burn.
- Remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the grass-fed butter until combined. Note: the mixture will bubble up - this is okay! Keep whisking until the butter is fully melted and incorporated.
- Whisk in the MRC Vanilla Ready to Drink 1 TBSP at a time until it's well incorporated. Note: it will start to thin out (and become a more drizzle-able consistency) as you reach the end of 2 and 3 TBSP.
- Drizzle evenly over the popcorn. You can enjoy immediately or allow it to sit for a little bit (we like it both ways). Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight tin or container.
*If you don't have any MRC Vanilla Ready Made on hand, you can also substitute with a plan-friendly non-dairy vanilla flavored creamer.
Makes 8 Servings | Serving Size: 1 cup popcorn | One Serving Replaces: 1 healthy fat, 1 carbohydrate, daily sugar-free sweetener
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