These old fashioned popcorn balls are crisp, chewy, and coated in buttery caramel made with Karo syrup—just like the Betty Crocker classic from 1972.
They’re easy to make on the stovetop with a candy thermometer or digital thermometer and a few pantry staples, perfect for Halloween or holiday treats. A tradition worth keeping—classic Karo caramel flavor and a new memory for the kids.
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Featured Comment by Sandra:
"The best recipe ever for popcorn balls. Crispy, tasty, not gummy or sticky."
Short Personal Story: For me, Halloween in a tiny town meant a handful of houses and one unforgettable treat—Mrs. Cackler’s popcorn balls. I’ve tried other versions over the years, but I always come back to this one. It’s simple, reliable, and tastes like childhood.
💕 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Classic, authentic caramel – Adapted from a 1972 Betty Crocker recipe. The caramel is made from Karo syrup—no marshmallow shortcuts here—for that crisp-and-chewy texture everyone remembers.
- Halloween & holiday favorite – Homemade popcorn balls are always a hit at parties, in treat bags, or as a nostalgic seasonal gift.
- Beginner-friendly – Step-by-step photos make the process easy to follow, even if you’ve never made candy before.
- Customizable – Add nuts, candy pieces, or a little food coloring for festive flair.
🍿 Ingredients
- Popcorn – Freshly popped using stovetop, microwave, or an air popper.
- Vegetable oil – For stovetop popping, if not using an air popper or microwave.
- Caramel coating – White sugar, brown sugar, light Karo corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and butter.
👨🍳 Step-by-Step: How to Make Old-Fashioned Popcorn Balls (Caramel from Karo)
This is a visual overview, not the full recipe. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for complete instructions and exact measurements.
1. Pop the popcorn
Pop with care and remove all unpopped kernels. Mix in any extras like nuts or candy now.
2. Make the caramel
In a non-stick pan, combine white sugar, brown sugar, Karo corn syrup, water, white vinegar, and salt.
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 260°F on a candy thermometer or digital thermometer.
Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla, then return to low heat until butter melts.
✅ Pro Tip: Use a candy thermometer or a digital thermometer to make sure the caramel reaches the right temperature for the best crisp-and-chewy texture.
3. Coat the popcorn with caramel
Slowly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn while stirring with a PAM-coated spatula.
Stir for a few minutes until slightly cooled.
4. Forming into balls
⚕️Safety Tip: Coat your hands with PAM or butter and test the mixture before touching—it will be hot. Keep cool water running nearby in case of burns. Use repeated sprays of cooking spray on your hands and equipment as needed.
Use a PAM-sprayed metal measuring cup to shape balls on wax paper. Work quickly, don’t overcompress.
Cool completely before wrapping in plastic. Store at room temperature for up to 3–4 days.
👇 Scroll down for more tips and options.
⚕️ More Safety Tips for Making Popcorn Balls
This caramel is HOT — you’ll be forming the balls while it’s still warm, so take precautions. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before touching.
If you don’t feel safe, skip forming them by hand. Do not let children help with this step.
- Protect your hands – Coat with butter or cooking spray.
- Use tools – A one-cup metal measuring cup coated with butter or PAM helps with sizing and reduces contact.
- Stay near running cool water – For quick cooling if needed.
- Work fast – Lightly press the popcorn together; don’t over-compact or you’ll end up with a rock.
✅ Pro Tip: Work quickly — once the caramel cools and firms up, there’s no undoing it.
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🥣 Popcorn Balls Variations
These “plain” popcorn balls are classics, but there’s room to customize.
Reminder: Be mindful of food allergies, and don’t hand out homemade or unsealed treats to strangers on Halloween.
- Classic caramel flavor: Stick with Karo corn syrup for that true old-fashioned taste—non-corn syrups change the texture.
- Mix-ins – About 1 cup of chopped nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc.), candy pieces, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, or crushed pretzels for extra crunch.
- Color & flavor – Add a few drops of food coloring, or spice it up with cinnamon.
- Party favors – Wrap each ball in gift paper and tie on a small toy for a fun party treat.
📋 Other Sweet Treat Recipes
Try more homemade candy and snack recipes for the holidays:
🍿 What Popcorn to Use
Use an air popper, microwave, or stovetop—any method works as long as the popcorn is fresh and free of unpopped kernels.
For this recipe, the old fashioned stovetop method feels right and helps minimize unpopped kernels.
Safety Tip: Always check for and remove unpopped kernels before mixing in the caramel. Skipping this step can lead to a dental injury.
❄️ Storing Popcorn Balls
Popcorn balls are best within 24 hours for the chewiest texture. Store airtight for up to 3–4 days at room temp.
Don’t refrigerate or freeze—the caramel from Karo gets sticky and loses its snap.
❓FAQs
It’s all about temperature. Use a candy or digital thermometer—the caramel must reach 260°F (firm-ball stage) for that perfect chewy texture.
If it’s softer, you didn’t get hot enough; if it’s hard or crunchy, it went past 260°F. Don’t guess—use a thermometer every time.
Sticky popcorn balls mean the caramel didn’t reach 260°F or they weren’t completely cooled before wrapping.
Caramel is sugar that has been heated until it breaks down, developing a sweet, nutty flavor and brown color. Other ingredients can be added to adjust the texture or taste.
The cooking temperature affects both the texture and color — lower temps make softer caramel, while higher temps make it firmer and darker.
Fun fact: While it looks similar to the Maillard reaction (the browning you see in seared meats), caramelization only changes carbohydrates. The Maillard reaction involves proteins.
Yes — this recipe uses real caramel made with sugar, Karo syrup, and butter for the binding, not melted marshmallows. It gives a crisp-and-chewy texture that holds together better and tastes more authentic.
Karo syrup (light corn syrup) helps prevent the caramel from crystallizing, keeping it smooth and easy to coat the popcorn evenly. It also gives that classic texture found in old fashioned popcorn balls.
Make a batch, wrap a few for gifts, and save some for yourself — these old fashioned popcorn balls disappear fast.
📖The Recipe Card
Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls (Caramel & Karo Syrup Recipe)
Ingredients
- 8 cups popped popcorn - about ½ cup un-popped
- vegetable oil - for popping
- cooking spray - to prevent sticking
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup (light or dark)
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup butter
Step-by-Step Instructions
Pop the popcorn
- Start by popping the corn.
- Place ¼ cup oil over medium-high heat with three kernels. When one pops, remove from heat, add ½ cup unpopped kernels, and cover. Let sit 20–30 seconds so all kernels heat evenly, then return to medium-high and pop, shaking occasionally.
- Measure 8 cups of popped corn. Remove unpopped kernels by shaking the container and transferring the top layer to another pan.
- Spray a large pan and a spatula with cooking spray. Add popcorn, optionally add 1 cup of nuts or candy if desired—mix well.
Make the caramel
- In a non-stick pan, combine ¾ cup white sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar (light or dark), ½ cup light Karo corn syrup, ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until mixture reaches 260°F on a candy or digital thermometer.Remove from heat, stir in the butter and vanilla, then return to low heat until the butter has melted.
- Pro Tip: Use a candy thermometer or digital thermometer to hit the right temperature for the best crisp-and-chewy texture.
Coat the popcorn with caramel
- Slowly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn while stirring with the sprayed spatula. Stir for a few minutes until slightly cooled.
- SAFETY NOTE: Coat your hands with butter or cooking spray and test the mixture before touching—it will be hot. Keep cool water running nearby in case of burns.Use more cooking spray as needed. See the post for more safety notes.
Forming into balls
- Scoop about 1 cup of coated popcorn with a sprayed measuring cup. Drop onto wax paper or a silicone mat and shape quickly with sprayed hands.Re-spray the cup and hands about every two balls. Work in a quick rhythm: scoop → dump → shape → cool hands if needed → spray → repeat.Don’t over-compress—lightly pack so they hold together without becoming too hard.
Cool and store
- Cool completely before wrapping in plastic. Store airtight at room temperature for 3–4 days.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Fresh popcorn is best—stovetop, microwave, or air-popped.
- Always check for unpopped kernels to avoid dental surprises.
- Add color with a few drops of food coloring, or extra flavor with cinnamon.
- This is hot caramel—be cautious. If you don’t feel safe shaping by hand, skip it.
- Not for children to shape.
- Storage: Best within 24 hours for freshness, up to 3–4 days wrapped airtight. Do not freeze—caramel turns sticky.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published October 28, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Corrie says
Aaack! I'm already to go with my 2 grandkids and all they have is White wine vinegar, rice vinegar, and Apple cider vinegar! Panic! What do I do? I'll be remembered as the failure popcorn ball grandma:-(
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Corrie,
Welcome to the blog.
Use apple cider vinegar. All the vinegar does is add some acid to the caramel, it needs to be there and the apple cider and white can be interchanged. The others you have may have different amounts of acid.
I hope that helps.
Dan
Madeline says
Thank you for posting this recipe! Fond memories of our church mothers making these for us.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Madeline,
Welcome to the blog. Sorry the delayed response, life happens fast some times.
You are right, it is a "memory" recipe. And hopeful inspire some to try it.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
David Godinez says
Could I possible substitute the water and vinegar with a tawny port. I was thinking of going slightly over the measurements and reducing to the right amount. Thoughts?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi David,
Welcome to the blog.
The vinegar is provides an acid pH for the caramel to crystalize correctly. Wine is acidic but how well it would work to make caramel is unknown to me. You can experiment with it, it may work or it may not.
Dan
Betty Terry says
Glad l found this site! Been looking for recipes for two!
DrDan says
Hi Betty,
Welcome to the blog.
I hope we don't disappoint. Have a look around and don't be afraid to ask questions. That is what we are all about. And remember the recipes are mostly (not all) for smaller households. That does not mean only two servings. I cook a lot for leftovers. See https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/recipes-not-two-servings/ for more discussion.
Dan
Kathleen says
Add 9cups popcorn great recipe
Sandra Davis says
Too much butter
Sandra Davis says
The best receipe ever for popcorn balls. Crispy, tasty, not gummy or sticky
DrDan says
Thanks, You need to get a copy of that cookbook. It is the 1972 Sears holiday "pie" version. I pick a "new" used on up on eBay 2 months ago for only $30. The one in the picture is now in a place of honor on the shelf never to move again.
Da
Shannon Kehn says
I have made these since my kids were young, and my daughter's writing is in the cookbook. Our notes included spray the bowl with Pam!! We also air pop 1 cup of small white popcorn kernels, and found we made more(16)popcorn balls and liked them better that way.. I make them now for my grandsons, and they really like them. I used to make them for my dad, as when I was a child, one woman in our town made them, and Dad usually ate ours before we got home after treat or treating. (We lived out of town on a dairy farm, so Dad was driving)
DrDan says
Hi Shannon,
Once you had popcorn balls as a child, you will always remember it fondly. I hope you didn't burn your hands.
Dan