Sunday’s are my very favorite- especially during football season. We love to spend long lazy days in sweatpants cuddled up with snacks and the Seahawks. Pathetic or Dreamy? Maybe both.
But I think after how crazy the weeks tend to be we just need a day to just totally decompress. And sometimes that is all about completely shutting off. I don’t work out, I try not to work and I get pretty much zero steps on my fit bit. But I get great Snuggles from my girls, foot rubs from my hubby and Wilbur is my own personal heating pad which is pretty relaxing.
And then there is the snacking. Today it is all about Nachos with no cheese (wahhhhh!!!) They are a tad bit naked but still oh so good! But the real star of the show around here the last few days has been this Spiced Apple Cider Caramel Corn with Candied Pecans. I’m sure you can hardly blame me considering? I mean a light and crispy Caramel coating that was made with reduced spiced apple cider combined with crunchy salty popcorn and candied pecans. (Although if you are llergic to nuts- you could totally omit these. 
Ha! This after my little chat with you on Friday about how I have to check myself in the healthy department. Can you believe I even have the audacity to wonder why I need to start exercising more? But I guess I have to pay to play, huh? So pass me one more bowl full of this amazing caramel corn and then I gotta lace up my sneakers. Or maybe I will wait till tomorrow….
- 2 cups spiced apple cider
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 cups popcorn
- 2 cups candied pecans
- Candied Pecans:
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 2 cups raw pecans
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne(optional)
- For the Nuts: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cover the sheet pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Toss the nuts with the coconut oil, sugar, salt and spices and then spread them out on the sheet pan. Bake them for 10 minutes, toss and bake 5 more. Set aside to cool.
- lower the oven to 300F and prepare a sheet pan with parchment or a silpat.
- In a large pot add the apple cider and cook over medium-high heat until it has reduced to ½ cup.
- Add the oil, corn syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk together until smooth. Simmer for 3 minutes until thickened and then turn the heat off and add the 12 cups of popcorn to the pot and start tossing the popcorn to coat with a spatula.
- When the popcorn is all coated, transfer it to the prepared sheet pan and spread it out. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring at the 10 minute mark. Toss with the candied pecans and store in an airtight container.
Print Recipe
I love lazy Sundays too – the best! This popcorn looks ah-making!!
This could be dangerous for me on a lazy Sunday afternoon on the couch. Looks delicious! A great idea for a Halloween party treat too.
Ahhhhh, this caramel corn!!! So so pretty and crazy good!
Sundays are definitely the best! I would love to spend the afternoon making this and then the evening devouring it! Yum!
sundays, sweatpants and snacks is never pathetic and always dreamy!! the only thing more dreamy than that is this popcorn!! WHOA! deliciousness
I need a bowl of this stat!
Wow, that is some glamorous popcorn!
Beautiful photos & I totally need this popcorn in my life!
Another awesome recipe Heather! Some of the best caramel corn I ever ate was in Chicago, busting to give yours a try! Pinned 🙂
I would NOT be able to stop snacking on these during tv time!!
This looks like a great recipe. Can’t wait to try. I’m a huge fan of both popcorn and Seahawks….
GO HAWKS!
Since I had some very yeasty smelling unpasteurized orchard fresh apple cider, I decided to try this recipe. It is so good! I think that I will give it as a Christmas present to a few people on my list! Thank you Heather!