The Easiest Maple Popcorn (Sweet and Salty!)

This Maple Popcorn recipe is a taste blending sensation: maple’s natural caramel sweetness with the light and crunchy of popcorn. In this post, we will delve into the mouth-watering universe of maple popcorn and reveal why it has become a go-to snack for people of all ages.

When sweet, delicious maple syrup fuses with crunchy popcorn, you get a harmonious flavor experience. To make maple popcorn, you pour over freshly popped corn a great gush of maple syrup. The syrup sticks to the popcorn, imbuing it with all that unique taste, playing a role in an excellent texture contrast between crunchy and smooth, sweet.

Looking for more easy-to-make recipes? Try my air fryer peach cobbler, 3 ingredient ice cream, or this magnificent baklava.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love It
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Storage & reheating
• Tips and Tricks
• FAQs
• More Delicious Recipes
• Related
• Maple Syrup Popcorn (Only 3 Ingredients!)
• 💬 Comments

Why You'll Love It

You will love maple popcorn with maple syrup for several reasons:

• Sweet Taste: The syrup popcorn together, a delicious balance of the sweet. The sweetness of pure maple syrup in every piece of delicious popcorn is a delightful treat.
• Distinctive Flavor: Maple syrup is a unique sweetener and yields a perfectly unique flavor. And with earthy undertones and caramel-like notes, it also brings an added level of dimension and sophistication to the popcorn, turning it from snack food to gourmet delight.
• Crunchy: Popcorn gives a good and crunchy texture with the smoothness of the maple syrup. With a satisfying crunch in every mouthful, the Snack is perfectly tasty.
• Versatile: Maple popcorn can be eaten on many different occasions. Whether you’re looking for a tantalizing snack at home, sharing a treat at a gathering, or a tasty indulgence at the holidays, maple popcorn can accommodate any situation.

Ingredients

• Popcorn Kernels: Use good quality popcorn seeds for this the best outcome. Seek out varieties advertised for popping, butterly or mushroom varieties. These varieties of kernels are a bit more expandable and give you the lighter, fluffier popcorn.
• Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup, grade A or B are best to get the pure flavor. Grade A syrup is less strong in flavour and grade B is stronger and more robust in flavour. Both work well for maple popcorn — use whichever you prefer.
• Unsalted Butter: Butter gives the maple popcorn a rich, slightly savory note. I like using unsalted butter to monitor the salt levels in the end product.
• Salt: a pinch of salt not only cuts the sweetness from the maple syrup but also quite simply makes everything taste a lot better especially popcorn. You’ll need fine sea salt, or kosher salt will be fine for a more even layer.

Instructions

Pop the Popcorn:

Decide how you want to pop the popcorn. You can use an air popper, stovetop or microwave.

If using an air popper, pop the popcorn according to the manufacturer's instructions.

To pop on the stovetop, place a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (vegetable or canola oil) into the pot and warm it up.

Pour in the popcorn kernels, making sure they are in an even layer. Cover the pot with the lid.

Move the pan back and forth slightly to prevent burning. Keep shaking every now and then, as the kernels begin to pop.

When there is 2-3 seconds between pops, turn off the heat and allow the covered pot to sit for a minute so that the last kernels to pop can do so.

Carefully uncover the pot (watch out for the heat steam) and pour the popped corn out into a big bowl. Discard any unpopped kernels.

Make the Maple Syrup Coating:

MELT the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in maple syrup and salt into the melted butter until well combined.

Allow to gently simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally when the mixture gets too hot. The syrup should be thickening as it cools.

Cover the Popcorn In Maple Syrup:

When it’s ready, pour the seasoned maple syrup mixture over the popped popcorn in the large bowl.

With a spatula or spoon, gently stir the popcorn to try to get it coated. Just be sure not to mangle the popcorn as you mix.

Cool Down the Maple Popcorn:

Once the popcorn is coated, spread on a sheet pan or parchment paper in a single layer.

Allow the maple popcorn to cool and set for a few minutes. This will allow the syrup to set and keep the popcorn from being sticky.

Serve and Enjoy:

After the maple popcorn cools and dries, pour it in a serving bowl or store it in individual servings.

Enjoy your maple popcorn as soon as it’s done, or let it cool and keep it in an airtight container for later.

Literally let your taste buds explore as you enjoy the sweet sticky maple syrup and crunchy popcorn.

Substitutions

In summary, here’s what you may be able to swap out if you’re missing any of the ingredients for maple popcorn:

• Instead of Popcorn Kernels: if you don’t have any popcorn kernels in your pantry, or are looking for a different type of snack base, you can now easily swap them out with some puffed rice cereal, puffed corn, or even pretzel pieces. These substitutes will give you a crunch like popcorn.
• Maple Syrup: As this is maple popcorn, maple syrup is key, but you can test out other sweeteners if you absolutely have to. Here are a few options:
• Honey: In place of maple syrup, substitute with an equal amount of honey. Note that honey does have a slightly different taste profile, so the flavor of the popcorn will be a little different.
• Agave Syrup: You can substitute agave syrup in equal amounts with maple syrup. It has a light, sweet flavour and goes well with popcorn.
• Caramel sauce: You could replace the maple syrup with caramel sauce, if you love caramel flavor. Pour the sauce over popcorn and use tos to mix it until if covers evenly.
• Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter if you do not have unsalted butter. But just note about the salt in the recipe and take that into consideration.
• Salt: If you're trying to cut back on sodium or you like a different type of salt, you can play around with the following alternatives:
• Sea Salt: Use kosher salt or fine sea salt in the same quantity as regular salt. Sea salt also gives a slightly different taste profile that can make the popcorn taste even better.
• Flavored Salt: If you want to jazz up your maple popcorn you can use flavored salts; for example, truffle salt, smoked salt or Himalayan pink salt. These salts add an additional dimension to the flavor.

Storage & reheating

To store maple popcorn properly and maintain its freshness and crunchiness, follow these guidelines:

• Cool Completely: Before transferring to an airtight container for storage, ensure the maple and pecan popcorn has cooled and dried. This prevents moisture from forming and will help keep your steak crispy.
• Store in an Airtight Container: Put your maple popcorn into an airtight container or sealable bag. Clean and dry the container before pouring in your popcorn. This will help to keep the popcorn fresh and not let it get stale.
• Keep it Dry: Do not let this vessel come near moisture as that’s popcorn’s biggest enemy, store it in a cool, dry area. It should not be kept in high humidity or by hot items, which may cause it to turn soft and lose its crispness.
• Don’t Stuff: Be sure you are not pressing the popcorn down in the container as that causes the popcorn to get soggy! And best to store it with some room around to keep its texture.
• Do Not Leave in Bag or Box for Too Long: Although this marple popcorn can sit for a bit, it is the best within 2-3 days. Over time, the popcorn can lose its crunch, and freshness. Try to eat this kara sevimmediately for great taste and texture.
• Re-crisping: If the popcorn loses its crispness, you can re-crisp it by spreading it out on a baking sheet and warming it up in a preheated oven (set at a low temperature of about 200°F or 95°C) for a few minutes. Be vigilant as it browns in case you burn something.

FAQs

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