This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
You probably all know this already, but it was news to me! I just learned that you can make popcorn in the microwave - in a brown paper lunch bag! It's cheap (costs pennies per batch), nutritious (you can make it with no added oil and no artificial ingredients), super easy and no mess (just throw out the bag when you're done!).
I was in the mood for caramel corn and decided to have some fun today. I used my Microwave Caramel Corn recipe, adapted it a bit and gave it an seasonal twist with pumpkin pie spice and pecans. This Pumpkin Pie Caramel Corn is delicious and would be perfect for gift giving ................ if you can resist gobbling it up yourself, as it's quite addictive, don't ask me how I know...
So there you have it - popcorn in a lunch bag and a wonderfully simple recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spiced Caramel Corn!
Scroll Down for the Recipe - or Save It to Your Inbox
We’ll email you the recipe so it’s easy to save, print, or share.
Pumpkin Pie Spiced Caramel Corn
Ingredients
- 14 cups popped popcorn, I make mine in the microwave in a brown paper lunch bag, see recipe.
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a large microwave safe bowl (mine is 7 quarts), combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup vanilla and salt. Place in microwave and heat on high for one minute. Stir to mix well and return to microwave, heat another 2 minutes, stirring after each minute, to dissolve all sugar. Add baking soda and stir well. Mixture will foam up a bit. Add pecans and stir to coat.
- Immediately add popcorn to bowl with the brown sugar mixture. Stir gently, trying to coat popcorn as much as possible with caramel. Don’t worry about getting every piece covered at this point. I stir from the bottom up, being careful not to break the popcorn pieces as I stir.
- Place bowl back in microwave and cover loosely. Cook for 1 minute on high. Remove from microwave and stir. Cook again for one minute, stir and repeat for one more minute. Turn popcorn mixture out onto waxed paper to cool.
- Popcorn is ready to enjoy at this point. However, if you’re not eating it right away, or you are planning to give it as a gift I recommend one more step. Preheat oven to 200˚F. Lift up parchment paper (with caramel corn on top) and place on a sheet pan. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. This will ensure that your popcorn stays nice and crisp.
Scroll Down for the Recipe - or Save It to Your Inbox
We’ll email you the recipe so it’s easy to save, print, or share.
Microwave Popcorn
Ingredients
- ½ cup good quality, fresh popcorn kernels
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, I like to use popcorn salt as it's very fine and tends to combine better
Instructions
- Combine popcorn, oil and salt in a small bowl and stir to coat well. Pour popcorn mixture into a brown paper lunch bag (I like to use the jumbo lunch bags). Fold the top down twice.
- Place bag in microwave with folded side down. Microwave on high for 2½-3 minutes or until popping slows down and there is a second or two between pops. Watch carefully at this point as it can burn quickly
Shop Our Café Loves
We’ve gathered our favorite kitchen tools, tableware, and entertaining treasures in one place, the Café Loves store. It’s a wonderful spot to find something special for yourself or the cooks and hosts you love!
May I have the PDF printable labels for the Pumpkin Pie Spice Corn? Thank you very much.
Sure, Silvia!
Sorry, but you are sending me the wrong labels. I need de PDF labels for de Pumpkin Pie Spice Corn, not the caramels.
Thank you
Sorry about that! Just sent the correct version.
This recipe is sooooo yummy! I made it for my grandkids in college! They loved it!
Thank you!
Just made the popcorn recipe. Think I died & went to heaven. It is awesom
🙂
Chris- I made this last week with my food science class and today for another class - they all loved it! Big hit. Yes, I made it in microwave and oven - its fine both ways. I also added some candy corn - after it had cooled- to look fun.And we used almonds - no pecans in the house. Yummy!
Hi Christina, how fun that you made this at school. Thanks so much for letting me know and I'm so glad it turned out so well for you. I have a friend who makes this almost every night 🙂
Chris, is is by far the most delicious popcorn that I have seen in a very long time - all those wonderful spices, the caramel and you added lovely pecans too - I have to give this recipe a try and impress the whole family! Wonderful recipe, Chris, many thanks for posting! I do not think that I have ever made popcorn in the microwave before - it will be fun and a new experience to make this treat!
Hi, Delicious pop corn, yum yum
The pop corn like almost popping out of my screen. LOL
Fantastic pictures, very professional skill. 2 thumbs up for your hubby.
Have a great week ahead.
Wow Chris I can't believe how far mouse has come, how fantastic! He's quite the pro now.
When I was on a little weight-loss quest a few years ago paperbag popcorn was one of my favourite treats. I'd much prefer your version though.
Great post! Love the flavors. I'm doing microwave popcorn later this week, too! (Great minds and all of that.) Anyway super photos - thanks.
We make popcorn all the time. Depending on my mood I either pop it in a paper bag in the microwave or I use my Whirly Pop on the stove.
This recipe sounds so delicious. I'm sure it's easy to gobble it up in one sitting. That could be dangerous. Nice gift to give for the holidays in a tin.
Chris this popcorn looks so good and yes your hubby has improved quite a bit in his photography as do all of us as we keep blogging. My beginning photos are so bad but I didn't think so at the time. I love that cinnamon too from Kirklands I get it from my parents since we don't have it here.
I love good caramel corn but don't make it very often. I never thought to make it in the microwave and think this is a great idea! As always, great photos, Chris.
I discovered not too long ago that popcorn can be made in a paper bag like that. It's so easy and so much healthier than the traditional microwave popcorn. Definitely need to make some caramel corn. It looks amazing, and I bet it's so much better than store bought.
What a fantastic & tasty recipe!
I have never seen anything like this maybe it is because we rarely see popcorn over here!
What a great idea! That's so cool of you to show how to make your own pumpkin spice because we don't have that over here!! 🙂 Yummmm!
yea, scott has indeed made a tremendous improvement in photography, i checked the previous photo and it was still much better than mine now! the popcorns look amazingly good!
I'm a little scared of this recipe...basically because I could eat the whole batch myself! I tried to win your cookies at Veronica's bake sale, but someone out bid me! Trying another cookie...if I get outbid, I'm back to yours 🙂
A few of you mentioned the little glass spice container. I got this a local culinary store in Chapel Hill, NC called Southern Season. If you're ever in the area it's a must-go-to!
My gosh, this is one of the best looking & delicious popcorn I've seen! I love this autumn flavor and perfect for holiday get together!
That's awesome that the blogging community is getting together to help Suzie. What a terrible position to be in. I love the look of your popcorn and had no idea you could make it yourself in a microwave. I love the sound of the flavour of this but it's a shame we can't buy that pumpkin spice here in Australia xx
Scott's photography HAS improved so much, but it was great to begin with! This looks so good, Chris! And thanks again for donating to the bake sale-your cookies already have a bid of $25! I'd love it if you could include a link to the sale in your post b/c I know your readers will jump at the chance to bid on something you made!
This might be the best looking popcorn I have seen in a LONG while. So good that I even want some too.
Chris, your popcorn looks decadent and delicious! Love the pecans and pumpkin spices.
Loved the post...LOVED the little spice container even more! Can you tell me where you got it?
Terra, I think you could definitely make this in the oven. I would just bake it on low for an hour or so, stirring every 20 minutes. Let me know how it turns out!
I went back and looked at the old caramel corn photos. Yes, there has definitely been an improvement. But even back then, his weren't horrible, not like some of my early days. Hubby keep saying I need to redo them, but I then I tell him that means I have to make the recipe again and these magazines just keep coming so there's no time. 🙂
If you need my address in order to send me a batch of that amazing popcorn, just let me know! 🙂
I did NOT know you could pop popcorn in a paper bag! That is amazing! I love popcorn but the additives in the microwave stuff scare me.
I learned over 20 years ago with putting popcorn in a lunch bag and microwaving it. It was on the Martha Stewart Show. I drove my co-workers crazy with it, but I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I still kind of do! lol Your popcorn looks absolutely amazing!!!! Perfect for the fall!!
This post is terrific! I especially love the pumpkin spice photo - so pretty. I am inspired to make some spice this weekend!
Definitely trying this. Thanks!!
I have been making my popcorn the "old-fashioned" way for a few years now...you know, with oil in a pan on the stove. I just felt the hydrogenated oil associated with microwave popcorn was so completely unhealthy. I never knew it was possible to pop it in the micro without all that unhealthy oil. I'm definitely going to try it.
Yummy popcorn! And the photos are great! Have a wonderful weekend!
It's recipes like this one that makes me wish I had a microwave big enough to put more than a mug into! That caramel corn looks scrumptious. 🙂
The photographs are beautiful, Scott. And Chris, the popcorn looks delicious. And I just bought pumpkin pie spice at Trader Joe's. Perfect.
Fondly,
Glenda
I am always googling new popcorn creations. I'm a popcorn addict! 😉 I tend to do the salty/savory types but, this looks great! I'm amazed at the difference in photos...wow! Great job Scott!