This small batch Buffalo Ranch Caramel Popcorn is sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy all rolled into one bite. Serve this spicy caramel popcorn for Game Day or for movie night.

Everyone knows me as a sweets kind of girl, but honestly my weakness is snacks. Chips, nachos, popcorn, cheese puffs, crackers, beef jerky, even some weird wasabi nori snacks I buy at the local Asian market. I have pretty great self control around desserts, probably because I know that eating a dozen cookies is bad, but snacks? Once I ate a whole sleeve of Town House crackers as is, no dip or spread necessary. I know that’s bad for me too, but for whatever reason it doesn’t click in my brain. It’s why I can’t buy bags of potato chips because nobody else is around to eat them. I do keep a bag of popcorn kernels in my pantry so I’m not completely snackless. Hey, if I’m going to snack, might as well work for it, right? I’m not talking microwave popcorn either. I’m talking oil and kernels in a pan and heat until popping. It may not be much work, but I do have to stand by the stove shaking the pan around.
If I’m going to spend my calories snacking, then it needs to be worth it. Take this Buffalo Ranch Caramel Popcorn for example. Totally worth it. You got sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy all rolled into one recipe. Even though I was reaching for a cold glass of water (I used too much hot sauce the first time around), I couldn’t stop eating it. Good thing I only made a small batch of it. Since the recipe is based off of buffalo chicken wings (without the chicken part of course), this spicy caramel popcorn would be perfect to munch on during Game Day. And if it’s no longer football season, movie night at home works too.

I first saw this recipe for buffalo wing popcorn in an issue of Bon Appetit magazine. Instantly I was intrigued and saved the recipe. At first I thought it would be a basic popcorn recipe with some cayenne sprinkled on top, but it was actually a spicy caramel popcorn made with hot sauce. Caramel popcorn and…hot sauce? Bon Appetit wouldn’t have published it if it wasn’t good, right? And right they were indeed as it was spicy, salty, sweet, and just plain addicting. I added my own touch with some ranch seasoning mix because after all, you can’t have buffalo sauce without ranch.

I don’t want to scare you, but you do need to be extra careful when boiling the sugar as it’s super hot, hotter than boiling water. Don’t have any distractions in the kitchen and make sure you leave an open path to your sink. Years and years ago I burned my finger while making caramel, so I’m extra cautious. Also, as tempting as it may be to lick the spatula when stirring the sauce with the popcorn, please don’t. Your unburned taste buds will thank you.
*3 1/2 cups of popped popcorn is roughly equal to 2 tablespoons unpopped kernels plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. To make popcorn on the stove: Find a pot with a wide bottom and a lid. Add the oil and stir to coat the bottom. Add the kernels and shake the pan until coated. Turn on the heat. Shake the pan every so often so the kernels move around a bit. After what seems like forever, a kernel should pop. Once that happens, add your lid. Once the popping stops, remove the pan from the heat. Pour into a giant bowl and let cool for a bit. Sift through popcorn to remove any unpopped kernels and possible burnt pieces.Buffalo Ranch Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Adapted from Bon Appetit
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