Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn
A sweet and spicy snack that combines the crunch of popcorn with the bold flavor of cinnamon candy, perfect for movie nights and parties.
Ingredients
Popcorn Base
- 14 cups air-popped popcorn (½ cup kernels worth)
Candy Coating
- ½ cup butter
- 11 ounces red hots or cinnamon imperials (2 (5.5-ounce) boxes of Red Hots or 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large, deep roasting pan or a large oven-safe Dutch oven with pan spray. Add 14 cups of air-popped popcorn and set aside.
Cooking
- In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot, melt ½ cup of butter over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add 11 ounces of red hots, ½ cup of corn syrup, ½ cup of granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until the red hots are melted and the mixture starts to boil.
- Stop stirring and let the mixture boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon of baking soda. Be careful, as the mixture may bubble up at this stage.
- Pour the red hot mixture over the popcorn and stir until the popcorn is as evenly coated as possible.
- Bake the popcorn for 1 hour, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes.
Serving
- Once the hour is up, turn the popcorn onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper and let it cool completely before breaking into pieces and serving.
Notes
To keep your Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay crispy for about a week. Just make sure that it’s completely cooled before you store it to avoid any sogginess. Make sure to stir the candy mixture constantly when cooking to prevent burning. Use a pot with high sides when boiling the mixture to minimize mess from bubbling. If you like it extra spicy, you can add more cinnamon imperials for an intensified flavor.