Description
Cotton Candy Popcorn is a fun and whimsical treat that combines the light, airy sweetness of cotton candy flavor with crispy popcorn coated in a homemade sugar glaze. Perfect for parties or a sweet snack, this recipe offers a colorful twist with gel food coloring and a delightful cotton candy aroma.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn
- 8 cups popped popcorn (plain, air-popped or lightly salted)
Sugar Coating
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cotton candy flavoring (or to taste)
- Gel food coloring (pink, blue, or your choice)
Instructions
- Prepare Popcorn: Place the popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside to prepare for coating and cooling.
- Mix Sugar Ingredients: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, butter, and salt. Stir continuously until the mixture begins to boil.
- Cook Sugar Syrup: Stop stirring and allow the mixture to boil for 3–4 minutes, or until the sugar syrup reaches about 235°F (soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
- Add Flavor and Color: Remove the saucepan from the heat and quickly stir in the cotton candy flavoring and a few drops of gel food coloring to achieve the desired hue and taste.
- Coat Popcorn: Immediately pour the hot sugar mixture over the popcorn and gently toss with a spatula to coat the popcorn evenly. Work quickly as the sugar will begin to set fast.
- Cool and Set: Spread the coated popcorn onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Let it cool completely for the coating to harden.
- Serve: Once cooled, break the popcorn into clusters and serve as a festive, sweet treat.
Notes
- Use a candy thermometer to ensure accurate cooking of the sugar mixture to the soft-ball stage.
- Be cautious when working with hot sugar syrup to avoid burns.
- Gel food coloring is recommended to achieve vibrant colors without affecting the sugar syrup consistency.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container to keep popcorn crisp.
- Adjust cotton candy flavoring to taste if you prefer a stronger or lighter flavor.
- This recipe works well with plain popcorn; avoid heavily salted or buttered popcorn for best results.
