When you bite into these Caramel Popcorn Cookies, you’ll be surprised how much they taste like caramel popcorn. Crisp, sticky and deeply caramelized, they make a perfect holiday treat or an everyday indulgence.
This cookie filled a gap in my recipe collection I didn’t even know was missing. The idea and technique are adapted from Joanne Chang’s book “Pastry Love,” which is full of thoughtful recipes and baking tips.
Pastry Love is a celebration of baking — its recipes, stories and generous tips reflect the joy of sharing baked goods. The caramel popcorn cookie comes from Joanne and her team, and it’s a standout for its texture and caramel flavor.
About this Caramel Popcorn Cookies recipe
- You can make the caramel popcorn from scratch using the recipe below or substitute a store-bought caramel popcorn if you prefer convenience.
- For neater, more uniform cookies, pulse the caramel popcorn in a food processor before folding it into the dough.
- The cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to a week before baking, which can help flavor development and make portioning easier.
- These cookies freeze well after baking — store them in an airtight, freezer-safe bag.
HAPPY BAKING!!!
More recipes you might enjoy:
- Triple fudgy chocolate chip cookies
- Angel Apple Bars
One more thing…
If you bake these cookies, tag @OneSarcasticBaker on Instagram — it’s always fun to see your versions!
Caramel Popcorn Cookies
25 mins
40 mins
24 Cookies
Dikla Levy Frances
Ingredients
Caramel Popcorn
- 1 TBS Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 Cup Unpopped popcorn kernels (60 g / 2 oz)
- 1 Stick Butter (113 g / 4 oz)
- 1/2 Cup Light brown sugar (100 g / 3.5 oz)
- 1/8 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
Caramel Popcorn Cookies
- 1 1/2 Cups Light brown sugar (295 g / 10.5 oz)
- 14 TBS Unsalted butter, softened (200 g / 7 oz)
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
- 2 Cups All-purpose flour (280 g / 10 oz)
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 6 Cups Caramel popcorn
Instructions
Make the Caramel Popcorn
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over high heat and add the popcorn kernels. Shake the pot so kernels coat evenly with oil.
- When popping slows to about three seconds between pops, remove from heat and transfer popped popcorn to a large bowl.
- In the same pot, combine the butter and brown sugar and return to medium heat. Let the mixture melt, become foamy and begin to darken slightly.
- Stir with a wooden spoon and cook about 1 minute more, then remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and salt.
- Pour the caramel over the popped popcorn and toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the coated popcorn on the prepared sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove and let cool until crisp.
Make and Bake the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, then fold in the caramel popcorn on low speed just until incorporated. If you want rounder cookies, pulse the popcorn briefly in a food processor before adding.
- Portion the dough with a cookie scoop onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies for spreading.
- Sprinkle a little of the remaining kosher salt over the tops and bake 12–15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until edges are set and lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.