This recipe for caramel popcorn that is naturally sweetened is absolutely incredible! A little bit like halva, it is made with tahini, sesame seeds, and maple syrup, and it has a flavour somewhere in between.
Popped popcorn, yields about 6 cup – ⅓ cup popcorn kernel – 1 tablespoon coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil Tahini caramel corn – 6 cups popped popcorn – ½ cup real maple syrup – 3 tablespoons tahini – 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract – ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt – ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling – 2 tablespoons sesame seed
Preheat oven to 350°F. Parchment a rimmed baking sheet. Pop popcorn: Start with a large mixing bowl near the stove.
Put oil in a large, lidded, heavy-bottomed pan. Add 2 corn kernels and cover on medium heat. Remove the lid and add the remaining popcorn kernels after popping.
Shimmy and cover the pot to distribute kernels evenly. Simmer on medium, shaking occasionally. Cracking the lid gently and cooking until one pop every few seconds produces crisper popcorn.
Remove the pan from heat and pour the popcorn into a bowl, avoiding the unpopped kernels at the bottom. Spoon out unpopped kernels from the bowl if needed.
Over medium heat, boil maple syrup in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan for the sauce. Boil syrup for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, reducing heat only to prevent overflow.
Remove pot from heat. In the maple syrup pot, add tahini, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk maple mixture until well blended, then drizzle over popcorn.
Stir with a rubber spatula or large spoon until well combined. Place popcorn in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly on popcorn.
Rotate the pan and bake the popcorn for 2 minutes after 6 minutes. Remove from oven and add cinnamon and salt to taste.
Popcorn crisps as it cools. After cooling, break or leave popcorn chunks and serve. Airtight containers keep this popcorn crisp for 3 days.