Old Fashioned Pink Popcorn
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Old Fashioned Pink Popcorn is one of my favorite popcorn recipes because it’s a sweet, crunchy, and delicious memory of childhood. Pink popcorn is a major hit at parties and with little kids—plus you can make it any color you want for any event or holiday!
I cannot express to you how excited I am to finally have found this recipe!! Do you remember this popcorn? My Grandmother made this countless times for us.
She would bring a recycled ice cream pail full of it to family gatherings, parties or she’d just have some prepared for us grand kids when we’d come to visit. My sweet Grandmother passed away many years ago and I haven’t been able to find the recipe… until yesterday!
I have tried several other recipes I’ve found on the web and none of them produced the result I was looking for. One of them even produced a wet coating similar to caramel corn (this is that amazing popcorn that dries and tastes like candy). If you, like me, ever ate this as a child then this popcorn will take you back in time.
There are so many memories attached to this recipe. For those of you who haven’t tried it before, now is the time! It is for kids and adults alike. I’m pretty sure I ate at least half the bowl in one sitting. This is the perfect treat for a party, gift giving, holidays (as you can choose the color), movie watching and just any time you need a delicious addictive treat! I hope you become as excited as me about this recipe! You’ll be fighting for the flakes straggling behind in the bowl (those are my favorite).
Ingredients for Old Fashioned Pink Popcorn
For this recipe you’ll need the following:
- Popcorn kernels (do not use microwave popcorn as it is already coated in flavors)
- Sugar
- Half and Half
- Light Corn Syrup
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Pink food coloring (or any color you want)
Other items that can make this pink popcorn recipe a little easier is butter, for greasing, large baking sheets, parchment paper or wax paper, a candy thermometer, and a cute serving bowl or treat box.
I have also seen people add other flavor to this candied popcorn, such as strawberry or coconut!
Easy Candy Popcorn Instructions
I love this popcorn as a snack or treat because it’s so quick and easy to make—as long as you can carefully watch your candy mixture boil in the pot without burning! Trust me—you do not want to scrape that candy coating that spills onto your stove! Keep it on medium heat as you combine the sugar in your medium saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Be careful with a lid, too, as it can make it hard to see the status of your low boil.
Follow Cooking Classy
Old Fashioned Pink Popcorn
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup un-popped popcorn kernels
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup half and half
- 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 drops red food coloring (or any other color you'd like)
Instructions
- Pop popcorn into a large bowl according to manufactures directions.
- Pour popped popcorn into two very large mixing bowls, set aside.
- In a large saucepan whisk together sugar, half and half, corn syrup and salt. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved.
- Heat mixture to 232 degrees, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from heat and pour in vanilla and food coloring. Drizzle mixture over popped popcorn.
- Gently stir popcorn until mixture is evenly coated and coating begins to dry (you'll notice the popcorn kernels separating).
- Pour mixture onto waxed paper and allow to dry about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container.