Peanut Butter Caramel Corn
Caramel corn is one of my favorite snacks. I can eat my way through more than I should in one sitting. Because of this, I rarely make it at home. I whipped up this Peanut Butter Caramel Corn for hanging out with some friends a couple weeks ago. Everyone really enjoyed it.
I used Peanut Butter and Co’s White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter. I think it has a hint of caramel flavor in it and figured it would pair well with the caramel. I think this would be delicious with regular old peanut butter, but I really enjoyed the flavor using the white chocolate PB.
Two Years Ago: M&M Cookies
Three Years Ago: Vegan Chocolate Banana Caramel Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Caramel Corn
Caramel corn kicked up a notch with peanut butter thrown into the mix.
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn kernels and cover. Cook, shaking the pan frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until the popping almost completely stops. Remove the pan from the heat and when the popping stops, remove the cover and add the almonds.
In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the peanut butter and vanilla. Drizzle over the popcorn and use a rubber spatula to toss to coat.
Spread the popcorn on the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.
Recipe from Tracey's Culinary Adventures
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I love freezing dough but somehow most ends up in my tummy unbaked when I do that 🙂
What a great gift! I’m thinking that would be wonderful for all sorts of occasions. Thanks for the idea!
These are adorable and I love that idea! Two questions, though: 1) Were these as good as the cookies from the other recipes? and 2) When you freeze them, do you bake right from frozen?
Great questions Carly – As far as comparing them to the other cookies. I enjoyed the chocolate M&M cookies the best, but they were REALLY chocolatey. The other non-chocolate M&M cookies were a bit more chewy and they had nuts in them, so they had a different vibe. This recipe was more of a classic M&M cookie for sure.
As far as baking from frozen, you can def just go straight from freezer to oven. Bake them ~13 minutes instead of ~11 and take them out when they look done.
these were delicious!
they look so cute all frozen up 🙂
I love the pink and red M&Ms. Thanks for the idea of freezing the cookie dough.
I was going to ask you the same thing as Carly, well the first question. These cookies are cute. Your freezing method reminded me that I have a bunch of sugar cookies still in the freezer! Do you know how long cookies can stay in the freezer?
I don’t know how long they will last in the freezer. I have a tendency to forget about things in my freezer… I’d guess a couple months? Anyone have ideas?
What festive little cookies 🙂 I love them! I also like the fact that you froze them. I bet they were delicious. Make sure to enter the All Through the Year Cheer event for Valentine’s Day 🙂
I think that sounds like a great way to spend valentine’s day. It can be intimidating the way it’s so hyped up. The cookies look very festive, love ’em!
We don’t do “valentine’s day” either since my MIL was born on the 14th and daughter’s birthday is the 15th – besides, its more important to say you love someone everyday, not just one day out of the year. Love the idea about freezing the cookie dough in preshaped form and giving that away. Wonderful idea!
I am looking for cookies that travel well for my soldier adopted through Soldier’s Angels and these look like a winner!!
Mmm, these were so tasty! Happy Valentine’s Day!
These are just too cute!! I love M&M cookies too!!
http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com
Just had to add my two cents on the idea of giving cookie dough frozen and ready to be baked – genius! For some reason, I’ve never thought of that, even though I’ve given cookies frozen to people to be defrosted when they’re ready to eat. I love the dough idea!
YUM-these look absolutely delicious! I love the pink and red M&Ms!