if you grew up eating those Christmas tins of popcorn that had the perfect mix of salty & sweet then you are going to love this vegan caramel & cheddar popcorn!
This has been a recipe I have wanted to make for a long time. Nothing used to scream holiday season to me like these tins. So, I set out to make that perfect salty and sweet combo we all love. The best was always to mix both flavors together. They aren’t hard to make at all and they are also great to give as a gift. Now let’s go eat some vegan caramel & cheddar popcorn.
Caramel Popcorn
The caramel popcorn is actually much easier to make than you may think. You only need organic brown sugar, baking soda, vegan butter, maple syrup, and if you want to add in a little vanilla extract. You just bring everything to a boil over the stove and then pour it over your popcorn.
Cheddar Popcorn
My first idea was to try and dehydrate vegan cheddar cheese. However, from doing some investigating from other food bloggers the easier solution was to use a cheddar cheese packet. So, of course we have powdered vegan cheese from mac and cheese boxes! It gives the perfect cheesy flavor and makes it so easy to make.
More Holiday Snacks
Vegan Caramel & Cheddar Popcorn FAQ
- Can you use pre-popped popcorn? Totally! If you don’t feel like making popcorn you can get a lightly salted popcorn. You will need about 12 cups, 6 for each flavor.
- How long does this last? You can store in a container for up to one to two weeks.
- Any other flavor ideas? You can do a peanut butter popcorn, buffalo sauce or sriracha popcorn.
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Vegan Caramel & Cheddar Popcorn
Ingredients
Popcorn
- 1 cup (200g) popcorn kernels
- ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil
Caramel Flavor
- 3 tablespoons (45g) vegan butter
- ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup
- ½ cup (100g) organic brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2ml) vanilla extract
Cheddar Flavor
- 1 vegan cheddar cheese packet (about .8 ounces/20g)
- 1 teaspoon (5g) nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons (45g) vegan butter, melted
Instructions
- Heat up the vegetable oil in a large pot (at least 7 quarts) over medium heat. Add in 3 kernels and cover with a lid, once all 3 have popped the oil is ready to use.
- Remove the 3 popped kernels with a spoon, then pour in all of the kernels. Cover with a lid and occasionally shake the pot. Once you hear popping continue to shake the pot as the kernels pop. It is important to keep the lid on it so the popcorn doesn’t go everywhere. Once the popping slows down you can carefully check it and if your pot is full you are done.
- Divide the popped popcorn in half into 2 large bowls.
- Prepare the caramel sauce: in a medium pot add the caramel flavor ingredients and mix over medium low heat. Allow it to come to a foam and keep mixing until the sugar has dissolved. Pour it over the popcorn in aand toss to coat. Once everything is well coated spread it out on a parchment lined baking sheet allowing the caramel to harden.
- Prepare the cheddar popcorn: sprinkle the vegan cheddar cheese packet and nutritional yeast over the popcorn, then pour the melted vegan butter and toss to coat and mix. Optional: I also sprayed mine with some spray oil.
- Once both are made you can add them to a cute tin if desired and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- For vegan butter I like either Earth Balance or Miyokos.
- For the vegan cheddar cheese packet you just need a packet from a vegan mac and & cheese box! I used the one from Annie’s vegan mac.
- The pot I used
Did you try this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @plantifullybased to let me know how it went. If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
I have made this recipe like 3 or 4 times now this month and I can’t stop. It’s THAT good! Super easy to make, the flavors are amazing, and I will obviously be making it again! Plus, the CRUNCH once the caramel popcorn is set is unbeatable!
Hi Al! I am so so glad to hear you like it so much yay! I did the same thing when I made this recipe last year we were making caramel corn every other day haha!! thank you for trying it and taking the time to leave a comment/review!!
I keep coming back to this recipe! I was looking for something low-effort but tasty for holiday snacks and happened upon this recipe on Pinterest. This is fantastic and I had all the ingredients in my pantry! Highly highly recommend!
Hi Betty! Oh I am so so happy to hear how much you like this recipe. Yay and glad to know you found it on Pinterest. Thank you for the kind words and taking the time to comment and review means a lot!