This delicious Churro Popcorn is coated with a sweet buttery syrup and flavored with a warming cinnamon sugar mix. It's perfect for making last-minute snacking, and the whole family will love it!
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I'm obsessed with the cinnamon-sugar flavor of churros. We love making our favorite copycat Disneyland churro toffee to share with friends and neighbors and when I'm feeling ambitious I will even make homemade churros from scratch. But this churro popcorn lets me get my churro fix the easiest way possible in just about 10 minutes!
This Churro Popcorn has the perfect combination of buttery, sweet, salty, and spiced to level up your snacking at the holidays! Classic homemade popcorn is always a winner for snacking during the holidays, on family movie nights, and on game nights too. My friend Marianne brought this yummy churro popcorn to a party and she graciously shared the recipe with me.
If you're looking for more popcorn ideas, check out this Twix Caramel Popcorn or my Peppermint Bark Carmel Corn which are perfect for the holiday season. This colorful Lucky Charms Snack Mix is so much fun and makes the perfect sweet treat for any occasion too!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easily customizable to make your own type of popcorn.
- It uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- This recipe is quick and easy to make with barely any mess!
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Popped Popcorn - If you have popcorn kernels, make Stovetop Popcorn first.
- Brown Sugar - Light or dark brown sugar will work here.
- Corn Syrup - Light corn syrup is best, you can also use honey but it will turn out a bit sweeter.
- Butter - Use salted butter for enhanced flavors. You can use coconut oil to make it dairy free.
- Salt - Kosher Salt will further enhance the flavors and give a great sweet and salty contrast.
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla Extract - for a subtle added warmth.
- Sugar - White Granulated Sugar is good,
- Cinnamon - Use ground cinnamon for a warm spiced flavor.
How to Make This Recipe
Make syrup mix. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a large bowl that is microwave-safe. Cook on high for 1 minute to melt butter. Stir, then cook for another 1 minute. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 5 minutes until the sugar mixture is hot and bubbling.
Add baking soda and vanilla. Stir in the baking soda and the vanilla extract, mixing them together well. The mixture will foam a bit, then subside.
Coat popcorn. Fill a large paper grocery bag with the popped popcorn, then pour the caramel over the popcorn in the bag, stirring a bit to coat. Don't worry about coating every piece of popcorn perfectly, just mix the caramel around a bit.
Cook. Fold the bag over, then place it in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute.
Mix. Shake the bag well without opening it, then cook for another 1 minute. Shake again, then cook for 30 seconds, shake, and cook for 30 seconds more.
Make cinnamon sugar. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a jar and shake well to mix. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the caramel popcorn inside the bag. Shake the bag again to coat it, then pour the popcorn onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool before serving.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! Generally speaking, honey is a good substitute for corn syrup, but especially as we're not really baking this recipe, it won't make much of a difference. Your popcorn will turn out a bit sweeter, but it will still be delicious!
Personally, I think the best way to make popcorn at home is to make it on the stovetop. It tastes significantly better made this way, than air-popped popcorn or microwave popcorn. Use my Stovetop Popcorn recipe for best results!
Store leftover churro popcorn in a sealed container or Ziploc bag in a cool place for up to 6 days. The popcorn may soften over time.
Tips for Success
- Spices. Add more or less cinnamon as you like it. Ginger and nutmeg are great flavors for this too.
- Freshly made. Make this popcorn right before you plan to serve it. Freshly made popcorn is always best, plus the warm spiced aromas will be so comforting for your night in!
- Serving. Serve popcorn in small bowls or jars for individual portions, or make paper cones lined with parchment paper for a disposable option!
Use freshly popped popcorn!
Fresh popcorn is best for this recipe as it has a superior texture and flavor to already-popped popcorn. You can easily make it yourself on the stovetop or in the microwave. Use storebought popped popcorn in a pinch. You can use leftover popcorn to make Churro Popcorn, but it will be softer this way. Do not use popped popcorn that is over 3 days old.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make White Chocolate Churro Popcorn by drizzling the popcorn in melted white chocolate, and letting it set before serving.
- Add white chocolate chips, min pretzel pieces, Candied Almonds, or Candied Walnuts to the popcorn mix and serve as a Churro Trail Mix.
- Remove some cinnamon if you prefer a milder cinnamon flavor, or substitute some of it for nutmeg or ginger instead.
More Delicious Candy Snack Recipes
- Rainbow Marshmallow Popcorn Balls
- Monster Trail Mix
- Homemade Turtle Candies
- Valentine Chex Mix
- Twix Caramel Popcorn
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Churro Popcorn
Ingredients
- 15-16 cups popped popcorn plain
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high for 1 minute.
- Stir, then cook for another 1 minute. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 5 minutes until the sugar mixture is hot and bubbling.
- Stir in baking soda and vanilla, mixing well. The mixture will foam a bit, then subside.
- Fill a large paper grocery bag with the popped popcorn, then pour the caramel over the popcorn in the bag, stirring a bit to coat. Don't worry about coating every piece of popcorn perfectly, just mix the caramel around a bit.
- Fold the bag over, then place it in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute.
- Shake the bag well without opening it, then cook for another 1 minute.
- Shake again, then cook for 30 seconds, shake, and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a jar and shake well, then sprinkle over the caramel popcorn. Shake to coat, then pour the popcorn onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool.
Notes
- Store: Store leftover churro popcorn in a sealed container or Ziploc bag in a cool place for up to 6 days. The popcorn may soften over time.
