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5 from 1 vote

Gingerbread Caramel Pretzel Popcorn

This Gingerbread Caramel Pretzel Popcorn is totally irresistible! If you're a fan of gingerbread you MUST give it a try! The recipe makes the perfect amount for indulging on your own AND for sharing with family and friends this holiday season!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: caramel corn, Gingerbread, popcorn, snack,
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 615kcal
Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Ingredients

  • 16 cups popped salted popcorn
  • 10 oz. mini salted pretzels
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Stir together popcorn and pretzels in an extra large heatproof bowl. In a small bowl combine cinnamon, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
  • Add brown sugar, butter and corn syrup to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Clip on a candy thermometer to the pot and simmer until thickened and until the thermometer registers 255 degrees, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the spices and vanilla extract and mix well.
  • Immediately pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn. Using a rubber spatula toss quickly until the popcorn and pretzels are well coated. Divide the mixture between the two prepared sheets and bake for 10 minutes until shiny and slightly darkened. Cool on baking sheets to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

Notes

As mentioned above, you can use a candy thermometer or use the tip from Real Simple to know when your mixture gets to temperature.
I used really mini pretzels by Snyder's Pretzels. If you can't find super mini pretzels you can use ones that are a bit bigger, just break them into smaller pieces.
You could also add some nuts to the caramel corn too. I would add about one cup.

Nutrition

Calories: 615kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 842mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 627IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg