Agave Caramel Popcorn is Just the Ticket!
Written by Gayle
I wanted to make a healthier version of caramel-chocolate popcorn for my Valentine this year, so I went searching for alternatives for the sugary, fatty recipes that we know and (unfortunately) love. I found several that looked good, so I played around and came up with this delicious version!
Lots of us are trying to cut back on our sugar consumption. But it tastes so good! Agave syrup has a lower glycemic index than table sugar, and is 1.4 times sweeter. So less is more! Agave is also vegan, and the darker varieties have not been heated over 118 degrees, so are considered raw as well.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups agave syrup
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP butter
Pinch of salt
Optional: 2 bars of organic chocolate (Chocolove brand or similar)
Directions
Boil until the mixture turns a dark caramel color.
Cook to a soft-ball stage. If you have a candy thermometer, that's about 235-245 degrees. To test without a thermometer, drop about 1/2 tsp of the mixture into cold water and allow to cool. Pick it up with your fingers -- if it holds together but isn't crunchy or hard, it's just right.
Pour half of the caramel sauce over the popcorn, and stir well to coat. Add the rest of the sauce, stirring to coat the popcorn.
Pour the caramel popcorn out onto a clean counter, spreading it to one layer. Allow to cool, then break up the pieces.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot water. Do not put it directly onto the heat.
Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled caramel popcorn. Allow to cool and then package in a romantic package!
Note: If you would like to make caramels rather than caramel popcorn, cook the sauce longer until it is firmer when tested. Pour into a buttered pan, allow to cool, and cut into squares with a sharp, buttered knife. If you like salted caramels, sprinkle sea salt on the top of the warm caramel!
What sounds good ?













