Butterbeer Popcorn Recipe (Inspired by Harry Potter)
This homemade Butterbeer Popcorn recipe is inspired by Harry Potter! Just like J.K. Rowling described the iconic drink, it has a "less sickly butterscotch" flavor, but with the sweet buttery vanilla crunch of caramel popcorn.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 209kcal
Ingredients
- 12 cups air-popped popcorn about 2/3 cup of popcorn kernels (see Notes for how to make this on the stovetop)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon butter flavor
- 3/4 teaspoon rum flavor
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt use less if using regular fine table salt
Instructions
- Put the popcorn into a large bowl and set aside. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner; set aside. Sift together the baking soda and nutmeg in a small bowl; set aside. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, butter extract, and rum extract to a small bowl; set aside.
- Cook the butter, sugar, molasses, water, and salt in a medium-sized, thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305F (hard crack stage), stirring occasionally. Carefully stir in the mixture of extracts and then the baking soda/spice mix; pour the caramel over the popcorn.
- Use two heat-safe rubber spatulas to toss the popcorn around to distribute the caramel throughout. Spread the popcorn out onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Let the popcorn cool and then break it apart. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Adaptation: Recipe adapted from my recipe for Gingerbread Popcorn.
- To Make the Popcorn on the Stovetop: Add 3 tablespoons of oil (such as coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil) to a heavy-bottomed 5-quart pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add 2/3 cup of popcorn kernels, cover the pot, and cook until you hear about 1 second between pops. Remove the pot from the heat, and let it sit for 15 seconds before opening so you don't have any popcorn exploding out. While popping, it's important to use potholders to slightly shake the pan every so often so the popcorn cooks evenly. Additionally, if your lid doesn't have a steam vent in it, gently crack the lid a couple of times during the process so steam can escape so you don't end up with soggy popcorn!
- Making This on a Hot and/or Humid Day: If it’s a hot and/or humid day and the butterbeer popcorn is too sticky, you can dry it out in the oven. To do so, leave the butterbeer popcorn on the baking sheet and bake it in a 200F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing it every 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg