M&M’s Caramel Popcorn

I just love cooking with M&M’s.  When I am trying to think of something fun and delicious to add to a recipe M&M’s often come to the rescue.  You could say they are the Hero of many of my yummy treats.  So when I was planning a family movie night to watch some Captain America movies with the family I knew that a treat with M&M’s would be perfect!

This M&M’s Caramel Popcorn is so easy to make. Place it in some cups and add my fun patriotic printable and you have an impromptu movie night ready to go.

Let me show you how easy it is to make the popcorn!

M&M’s Caramel Popcorn Recipe

I used the same caramel popcorn recipe I shared previously on my blog but just tweeked it a bit.  I halfed the recipe and then let M&M’s come to the rescue and add a delicious chocolatey yumminess to the recipe!

Ingredients Needed:

• M&M’s – 1 medium sized bag of your favorite kind – 1 bag is slightly less then 2 cups of M&M’s
• Popcorn – I used 3 bags of microwave popcorn
• 1 stick of butter (not margarine)
• dash of salt
• 1/2 a can of sweetened condensed milk (7 ounces)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white corn syrup

In a saucepan melt the butter.  Add your brown sugar, vanilla and salt.  Stir in corn syrup and mix well.  Add milk and cook over medium heat to apx. 210 degrees with candy thermometer constantly stirring.

*I do not own a candy thermometer so what I did was cook at medium heat, constantly stirring, until it came to a low boil.  I then kept stirring for 3 minutes and then took it off the heat.

I like a soft chewy caramel corn, and this is what it will make.  If you want a crunchier, harder corn then cook the caramel sauce a bit longer.

While this is cooking  put your popcorn into a big bowl and get your M&M’s ready

Once the caramel sauce is ready drizzle it onto the popcorn.

Stir a little bit then add most of the M&M’s.  I reserve a few of the M&M’s to sprinkle on top of the treat cups.

Mix until all of the corn and M&M’s are covered in caramel.  A few of the M&M’s with melt and that is okay.  Let cool for a few minutes.  It is yummy warm too though if you can’t wait for it to cool off.

Doesn’t this look so delicious!!  Next grab some blue cups (these were purchased at Walmart – 5 pack for .99 cents).  Print out my Free Patriotic Circles Printable and cut the circles out.  Tape one circle onto each cup.

Fill the cups with the M&M’s Caramel Popcorn and your family is all ready for their movie night!  My  kids thought this was so fun and they couldn’t wait for their cups of popcorn.

If you have any M&M’s Caramel Popcorn left over store it in an airtight container and enjoy it some more once you have dropped your kids off at school!  That’s what I plan to do.