Peanut Butter Caramel Corn with Butterfingers

Sweet and salty with a satisfying crunch, Peanut Butter Caramel Corn makes a perfect snack and an even better gift! Add some holiday shaped chocolates and wrap in a jar with a bow to make someone’s day.

If you love peanut butter, like me, be sure to try our peanut butter fudge, 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies, and of course our peanut butter brownies.



Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

Each year, I like to bake a special treat to give as gifts to teachers and school staff. My favorite teacher gift year after year is popcorn. Not just any popcorn though…homemade chocolate covered caramel corn.

It’s always a hit! I’ve had more than one person tell me they look forward to getting their container of caramel corn more than any other treat this time of year.

This time, I’ve thrown a little twist into this tasty treat. I added some peanut butter to my melted white chocolate, creating a delicious peanut butter coating.

Since it’s almost Christmas, I also threw  in some Nestle Butterfinger Jingles (and some mini Butterfingers) to add to the Peanut Buttery goodness!

This recipe makes a BIG batch, perfect for separating into gift bags, boxes or tins!

Ingredient Notes

  • Popped popcorn – Use bags of microwave popcorn or homemade microwave popcorn. Remove any unpopped seeds before using popcorn in this recipe.
  • Nestle Butterfingers Jingles – These are the mini butterfingers shaped like bells. If you’re making this when it’s not the holiday season, substitute with regular mini butter fingers.
  • Vanilla candy coating – Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers are my favorite candy melts to use in caramel corn.

Easy Instructions

After popping all your popcorn (and removing the seeds), place it in a large bowl.

Make the caramel sauce on the stove top, then pour it over the prepared popcorn. Transfer to broiler pans lined with foil and bake the caramel corn for an hour.

Melt the vanilla candy wafers and stir in the peanut butter. Pour over the baked caramel corn and mix to coat. Fold in the butterfingers and jingles candies. Let the caramel corn cool for 30 minutes before enjoying or storing!

Tips & Tricks

  • Stir. You need to stir the caramel corn every 15 minutes while it’s baking. This ensures the popcorn gets baked evenly and helps prevent the caramel from burning.
  • Break in to pieces. After baking, the caramel corn will likely have formed several large chunks (or even be stuck together in one big clump. Break it into pieces with your fingers BEFORE adding the melted white chocolate and peanut butter.
  • Storing and serving. Store Peanut Butter Caramel Corn in an airtight container at room temperature. When giving it as gifts, I transfer it to a paper gift bag or a decorative holiday tin!

Recipe FAQs

How long will caramel corn keep?

It should stay good for about 2 weeks, but it never lasts that long in my house. Caramel corn is too addictive!

Can I substitute white chocolate chips for the candy coating?

Yes, but I find that melted chocolate chips don’t set nearly as smoothly as the wafers meant for melting.

Can I make this with other candies?

Of course! Reese’s cups and mini snickers bars would be delicious substitutes for the butterfingers.

What peanut butter should I use?

I prefer creamy peanut butter that’s shelf stable. The all natural kind has a different consistency and doesn’t melt as smoothly to combine with the white chocolate.

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Peanut Butter Caramel Corn with Butterfingers

5 from 2 votes
By: Aimee
Sweet and salty with a satisfying crunch, Peanut Butter Caramel Corn makes a perfect snack and an even better gift! 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 bags microwave popcorn prepared (REMOVE SEEDS)
  • 2 packages vanilla candy coating 16oz each
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 package Nestle Butterfinger Jingles about 30 candies, unwrapped
  • 1 package Mini Butterfingers 10oz
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Instructions 

  • Pop 3 regular sized bags of microwave butter flavored popcorn. Remove all unpopped seeds. Place popped popcorn in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Line two broiler pans (or large disposable foil pans) with foil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
  • Melt butter in medium saucepan over high heat. Add in sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil one minute, remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla.
  • Pour over popcorn. Mix well. Pour evenly into two pans. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and pour onto a large piece of parchment paper to cool. Break into pieces. Return to large bowl.
  • Melt vanilla candy coating according to package directions. Whisk in peanut butter until creamy. Pour over popcorn. Mix gently until all popcorn has been coated. Add in Butterfingers.
  • Pour onto parchment paper again to cool and set, about 30 minutes. Store in covered, air tight container. ENJOY.

Notes

  • Stir. You need to stir the caramel corn every 15 minutes while it’s baking. This ensures the popcorn gets baked evenly and helps prevent the caramel from burning.
  • Break in to pieces. After baking, the caramel corn will likely have formed several large chunks (or even be stuck together in one big clump. Break it into pieces with your fingers BEFORE adding the melted white chocolate and peanut butter.
  • Storing and serving. Store Peanut Butter Caramel Corn in an airtight container at room temperature. When giving it as gifts, I transfer it to a paper gift bag or a decorative holiday tin!

Nutrition

Calories: 493kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 191mg, Potassium: 88mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 58g, Vitamin A: 237IU, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Just try to say no to a handful of crunchy Peanut Butter Caramel Corn with soft bites of chocolate mixed in! Make this for a loved one this holiday season or whenever you want to show someone you care.



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About Aimee

Aimee is a dessert lover (specifically rice krispie treats), workout enthusiast, self-taught foodie, and recipe creator.

Learn more about Aimee.

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Posted on December 11, 2012

Comments & Reviews

  1. Howdy very cool blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing ..
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  2. This looks so good! As a teacher, I wished I had parents that made me gifts like this 🙂 anything that includes peanut butter & chocolate is the best thing ever in my opinion 🙂

  3. Popcorn with all sorts of yummy goodness dumped over it…sounds like my kind of popcorn. Love it! Lucky duck teachers;-)

  4. Oh my goodness – this looks dangerous! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop eating these!

  5. These look great!! And, OMG, I’m ALWAYS so nervous that I’m forgetting someone for Christmas thank you treats! This year seems to be Emma’s todder “coming of age” year, and all of a sudden I have preschool teachers and directors, and Nursery leaders, and speech therapists that I have to remember now too! Ahhh!

  6. I love those Holiday bells, every single one, the butterfingers, the reese’s. Just something about putting them into a holiday shape makes them better. A great teacher gift!

  7. a sweet popcorn like this is a perfect gift to give Aimee!! Who wouldn’t love receiving something like this? You have all your essentials… popcorn…peanut butter…chocolate…and candy. Yep, prety sure this stuff should be illegal. 🙂

  8. I too love popcorn, even more with chocolate and peanut butter on it! Love the Jingle Bars too….they look so moist and chocolatey!

  9. I love popcorn, caramel corn, basically this is totally me – and of course, love that you used PB with it! I have a recipe sort of like this from ages ago – I need to go read my old recipe and make yours or mine or something!

      1. http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/02/vanilla-cake-batter-and-white-chocolate-chip-caramel-corn.html

  10. I can easily speak for my teacher father when I say he LOVES getting teacher gifts like this 🙂 too bad your kids don’t have him as a teacher haha. This popcorn is creative and looks SO delish–love the jingles + the butterfingers inside!!

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