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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Buffalo Popcorn

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Buffalo Popcorn, sweet with a little heat, this buffalo popcorn will be your next favorite treat. Perfectly crunchy and extra delicious, this snack will be great for your next BBQ or tailgate party!

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    buffalo popcorn in a bowl
    This sweet and spicy snack will be your new favorite way to eat popcorn!
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    I originally came up with this recipe when I wanted to have a unique football game watching treat. We all love eating buffalo wings during a game so I thought I’d combine that delicious flavor with my favorite snack and make Buffalo Wing Popcorn!

    YUM! This homemade buffalo wing popcorn is the perfect balance between sweet and spicy!

    holding a piece of buffalo popcorn
    I love how delicious this treat is!

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    Popcorn has been one of my favorite treats since I was a kid. I love it anyway you make it- sweet or savory.

    We even had caramel corn at my wedding.

    So, I knew making a spicy caramel corn would be an instant favorite- and it was!

    What ingredients do you need?

    • Popcorn- I just use microwaved butter popcorn, but you can pop your own with kernels!
    • Butter
    • Brown Sugar
    • Corny Syrup- I prefer light corn syrup for this recipe
    • Buffalo Wing Sauce- I love Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce
    • Salt
    • Cayenne Pepper
    • Baking Soda
    pouring caramel over popcorn in a bowl
    Making this spicy popcorn is really simple!

    How to make Buffalo Popcorn:

    1. Pop your popcorn and remove the unpopped kernels. Then divide popcorn between two large rimmed and parchment lined baking sheets.
    2. Combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a sauce pan and melt. Stirring to combine.
    3. Once combined, stop stirring and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the hot sauce and boil another 2 minutes.
    4. Then remove from heat and stir in the cayenne pepper and baking soda.
    5. Pour over the popcorn, stir to coat, then bake 1 hour. Stir the popcorn every 15 minutes (so 4 times).
    6. Then remove from oven, allow to cool, and enjoy!
    • butter and sugar and salt in sauce pan before melting
    • butter and sugar melted in sauce pan
    • caramel in sauce pan boiling
    • adding hot sauce to caramel
    • boiling caramel
    • stirring in baking soda to caramel
    • adding cayenne to caramel
    • stirring in baking soda to caramel
    • pouring caramel over popcorn on baking sheet
    • stirring popcorn on baking sheet
    • buffalo popcorn on baking sheet after baking
    • buffalo popcorn on baking sheet

    High Altitude Adjustments


    If you’ve made my regular caramel corn you know I recommend adjusting the original recipe for high altitude.

    However, with the addition of extra liquid via the hot sauce you don’t need to make any adjustments for this recipe.

    Frequently Asked Caramel Corn Questions:

    Why do you bake caramel corn?

    You bake caramel corn so that the popcorn will last longer. I think it has to do with breaking down the structure of the sugar crystals and how they reharden afterwards but I am not 100% sure about it.

    What does baking soda do for caramel corn?

    Baking soda is a base and reacts with the acid in the brown sugar and corn syrup to form carbon dioxide. The chemical reaction forms air bubbles that when the caramel cools will create a softer texture instead a hard candy texture.

    buffalo wing popcorn in a bowl
    I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

    Don't miss my latest posts:

    • Cowboy Candy
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    buffalo popcorn in bowl with cayenne pepper in background pinterest image
    Don't forget to pin this recipe!

    Watch how to make this recipe!

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    buffalo popcorn in bowl with cayenne pepper in background featured image

    Buffalo Popcorn

    Author: Lisa
    Buffalo Popcorn, sweet with a little heat, this buffalo popcorn will be your next favorite treat. Perfectly crunchy and extra delicious, this snack will be great for your next BBQ or tailgate party!
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 14 Cups Popcorn

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 bags of popped popcorn
    • 1 cup butter
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • ½ cup corn syrup
    • ½ cup buffalo wing sauce I recommend Franks Buffalo Sauce
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda

    Instructions
     

    • Line 2 baking sheets with foil and preheat oven to 250°F.
    • Pop bags of popcorn in the microwave. (3 bags of buttered popcorn)
      popcorn on baking sheet
    • Remove unpopped kernels by placing a cooling rack over a baking sheet and pouring the popcorn onto it. The kernels will fall through but not the popped popcorn. Divide popcorn between prepared baking sheets.
      popcorn on cooling rack
    • Melt butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in sauce pan, bring to a boil stirring constantly. (1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup corn syrup, ½ teaspoon salt)
      butter and sugar melted in sauce pan
    • Once at a boil let boil 5 minutes* without stirring*.
      caramel in sauce pan boiling
    • Stir in hot sauce and return to a boil. Boil for 2 more minutes. ( ½ cup buffalo sauce)
      adding hot sauce to caramel
    • Remove from heat and stir in cayenne pepper and baking soda. The caramel will foam up a bit- this is normal. (1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
      stirring in baking soda to caramel
    • Pour over popcorn (half goes on each tray) and stir to coat the popcorn.
      pouring caramel over popcorn on baking sheet
    • Bake for an hour stirring every 15 minutes.
      popcorn on baking sheet after stirring
    • Once done baking, allow to cool and then enjoy! *
      buffalo popcorn on baking sheet after baking

    Notes

    Tips and Tricks
    • *Stop stirring once the mixture starts to boil. This prevents the sugar from crystalizing and the caramel from becoming grainy.
    • * Store any leftover buffalo wing caramel corn in an air tight zip lock baggie.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 541mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 2gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 486IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.5mg
    Keyword buffalo caramel corn, buffalo popcorn, Spicy Popcorn
    Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram at @atablefullofjoy

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Alison

      February 26, 2023 at 9:30 pm

      5 stars
      The recipe says it will make 45 cups and that is just not possible with a single batch. I only got 13 cups

      Reply
      • Lisa

        February 27, 2023 at 1:25 pm

        Oh good catch! That was definitely a typo on my end! Thank you for letting me know, I fixed it, and hope you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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