vegan sea salt caramel corn!

While I'm walking the busy streets of downtown Chicago, a favorite scent of mine comes from the famed Garrett Popcorn stores. The decadent caramel smell wafts through the air and finds me every time! Since Katie isn't vegan, the one time we did stop at Garrett's, she enjoyed the classic Chicago-style blend and I was stuck eating plain popped corn--not fun! So after finding non-GMO popcorn and fair trade coconut oil at our local Open Produce, I modified this recipe to make a much cheaper and healthier option we enjoy together: 

Ingredients:

12 cups popped organic popcorn (1/2 cup kernels)

1 cup fair trade sugar

1 teaspoon molasses 

1/2 cup Coconut Nectar 

1/3 cup organic coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3/4  teaspoon additional sea salt

1. Pop corn in an air popper or in a large saucepan (with a lid!) on your stove top. Eliminate any unpopped seeds and pour into a large bowl. 

2. Mix together sugar, molasses, coconut nectar, and coconut oil in a medium sized saucepan on medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to help the oil mix well with the sugar.

3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Immediately pour over popcorn, slowly stirring with a metal spoon until caramel is evenly distributed. 

4. Line two cookie sheets or 9x13 baking dishes with parchment paper and spread popcorn out evenly. Sprinkle extra sea salt over the top.

5. Bake for 15 minutes at 250 F, stir, and return the pans to the oven for 15 more minutes. 

6. After 30 minutes, remove the popcorn from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Store in an air-tight container and enjoy!

Ready for the oven:

Ready to eat: