Cashew Caramel Popcorn

When flying through Chicago a lot people try to avoid O’Hare. It is crowded. Your gates are almost guaranteed to be at opposite ends of the airport. And you have a high likelihood of being delayed.

But I prefer O’Hare (and possibly being delayed) for one deliciously important reason. They have a Garrett’s Popcorn outpost.

This Chicago based small-batch, kettle cooked delight is by far my favorite popcorn. I grew up in Illinois. A part of the corn belt and a state where popcorn is the official state snack. There are a lot of competitors for the best popcorn.

While many of them are pretty darn good, there is just something about Garrett’s that sets it apart. Is it the kettles? Is it the caramel to popcorn ratio? Is there some secret ingredient I’m not aware of? Who knows!

Unfortunately, I haven’t lived near a Garrett’s shop in a long time. Yes, they ship tins of their popcorn, but it can get pricey and sometimes you just can’t wait for that popcorn fix.

So, I developed my own version of my favorite Garret’s flavor – the Cashew CaramelCrisp. It is actually quite easy and although it won’t replace the original (I don’t have a big kettle after all), it is pretty damn close.

Cashew Caramel Popcorn

• Author: Ashley
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Category: Sweets

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Description

An easy oven version of cashew caramel corn. Sweet and salty and perfect for sharing. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 16 cups popped plain popcorn (I used a big bag of Skinny Pop)
• 2 – 3 cups roasted salted cashews
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 16 Tbsps butter (two sticks)
• 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 tsp baking soda

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 
2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. 
3. Place popcorn and cashews in a large bowl or combine and spread on the lined cookie sheets. 
4. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and cream of tarter. 
5. Once the butter is melted, turn the head up to medium-high and boil the mixture for 5 minutes. 
6. Remove pan from the heat and add baking soda. Stir well. 
7. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and nuts. Stir with a plastic spatula to ensure even coating. Spread evenly onto lined cookie sheets. 
8. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 
9. Once baked, slide parchment paper off the hot pans onto the countertop so popcorn and caramel can cool. 
10. Once cooled, break apart into clusters. 
11. Store in a metal or plastic container. 

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Notes

When adding the baking soda the mixture will foam up – this is normal. 

Substitute whatever nut you fancy.