Horizontal photo of a large bowl of Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn with a smaller serving bowl in the foreground.
Recipes » Ridiculously Easy Recipes

Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn (with free printable labels for gifting)

By Chris Scheuer | Updated on June 3, 2024
5 from 8 votes
All the flavors of classic gingerbread magically transported to the BEST caramel corn. Make it in the microwave in way less than an hour. Dress it up for gifts with the free printable labels... no one needs to know it's ridiculously easy!
JUMP TO RECIPE

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.

I LOVE making caramel corn but it wasn't always that way. I used to think it was a huge pain in the neck labor of love... getting the caramel mixture just right, then trying to coat all the popcorn with the gooey sauce. After that there was the long stint in the oven that required frequent stirring and finally, cleaning up the big sticky mess. But a while back I discovered you can do the whole process in the microwave with minimal mess. It changed my grumpy mindset about making caramel corn and this Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn is the newest rendition in our ever-growing collection!

Horizontal photo of a large bowl of Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn on a festive red napkin.

A super-easy technique

If you haven't tried any of our caramel corn recipes, you're missing out on some amazing treats that you can throw together in less than an hour. The results are impressive and taste like expensive, gourmet caramel corn. How does it work? I knew you'd want to know:

  • Make your popcorn on the stovetop or in the microwave and transfer it to a clean paper grocery bag (yes, a paper grocery bag!).
  • Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and, in this recipe, gingerbread spices in a microwave-safe bowl.
  • Microwave till hot and bubbly. Cook, stirring a few times.
  • Pour the caramel mixture into the bag on top of the popcorn.
  • Microwave in 1-minute intervals, shaking the bag in between.
  • Pour it out onto a sheet of parchment paper and admire your beautiful Gingerbread Caramel Corn! Try not to snitch too much as you do want to share this with others... or maybe not.

See what I mean? Easy, ridiculously easy!

Vertical photo of bowls of Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn on festive holiday napkins.

What kind of popcorn is best for this caramel corn?

I've experiement with different types of popcorn. It's a little embarrassing but I've rarely ever made popcorn on the stovetop, so my initial attempts at caramel corn were with bags of microwave popcorn. It was good but I wondered if it could be better with stovetop popcorn.

I snooped around on the internet for tips and tricks on making stovetop popcorn, ordered a few different types of popcorn kernels and started experimenting. I have to agree with the "popcorn snobs" that stovetop popcorn (properly cooked) is fantastic but, honestly, there's nothing wrong with microwave popcorn.

Although there are many varieties of popcorn kernels, there are two basic shapes, mushroom and butterfly. Mushroom kernels will produce large round popcorn while butterfly kernels pop in whimsical, unpredictable shapes, with lots of "wings" protruding this way and that.

I tried both mushroom and butterfly and felt like the mushroom popcorn held up better in the stirring (shaking in the case of microwave caramel corn) and coating process. Also, because the mushroom popped kernels that are round, they have a larger surface to hold caramel coating.

Horizontal closeup photo of a batch of Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn.

Two downsides to using mushroom popcorn... First of all, it's more expensive and difficult to find than classic butterfly popcorn that you'll find at most grocery stores. Secondly, you have to get the oil really hot for the corn kernels to transform into beautiful round "mushroom" puffs, otherwise, it will still but will look more like traditional popcorn. Cooking it in the microwave or on the stovetop with medium heat, will not yield the beautiful round shape so that makes it not really worth the extra expense

So, what kind of popcorn really is best? That's totally up to you. I like to use mushroom popcorn kernels but traditional "butterfly" popcorn will also work as well as bagged grocery store microwave popcorn. If I use bagged microwave popcorn for this Gingerbread Caramel Corn, I like to stick with something simple like Orville Redenbacher's Naturals Simply Salted Popcorn.

Tricks for popping stovetop popcorn

As mentioned above I had to hone my skills a bit in regard to making stovetop popcorn. Here are a few tips:

  • Use fresh kernels
  • Use a good heavy-bottom pot or a popper that's specially designed for making popcorn.
  • Use plenty of heat.
  • When you hear the first one or two kernels pop, remove the pot from the heat for 30 seconds. This ensures that the oil doesn't get too hot before the kernels are ready to pop and promotes even cooking so that all the kernels pop right around the same time.
  • Return the pot to the heat and shake the pot continuously to redistribute the kernels and prevent burning
  • When the popping slows way down, remove from the heat and immediately transfer the popcorn to a large bowl to prevent sogginess.

If you're looking for a super easy, fail-proof way to prepare delicious stovetop popcorn, try one of these Whirley Pop Popcorn Poppers. I ordered one for myself and absolutely love it. It's light, super easy to use and cleans up well. If you have any popcorn (or caramel corn) lovers in the family, this would make a wonderful gift.

Vertical extreme closeup photo of a batch of Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn.

The difference between high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup

If you check the recipe below you'll notice that it calls for corn syrup. You may have heard some controversy about high fructose corn syrup... that it's bad for you. It seems that increasing numbers of people are reluctant to use corn syrup because of the negative health effects reported with high-fructose corn syrup.

But did you know that corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are two different products? According to The Kitchn, "both products are made from corn starch, but regular corn syrup is 100 percent glucose, while high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has had some of its glucose converted to fructose enzymatically." The article goes on to say, "scientists are examining the potentially negative effects of consuming large amounts of fructose in the form of HFCS, but regular corn syrup is not part of that consideration, as it does not contain fructose".

I use Karo brand corn syrup for this Gingerbread Caramel Corn which does not contain fructose. Its ingredient list includes, "corn syrup, salt, vanilla". To be safe, I would recommend checking the label of the corn syrup you purchase.

This makes a delightful gift!

I generally have a decent amount of willpower when it comes to sweets, but NOT with this stuff! It's crazy delicious and almost impossible to stop eating. That's why I feel compelled to portion out this crazy good caramel corn and give it away.

Vertical closeup photo of free custom Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn labels for gift giving.

We dropped some off for a friend yesterday and last night I got this text:

I CAN'T STOP EATING YOUR POPCORN!! 🥰🥰🥰

That pretty much sums up the reaction we've gotten from everyone. Need a new friend? Want to welcome the new neighbors? Have a rocky relationship that needs a bit of patching? Want to say thanks to a kind teacher, hairdresser, co-worker... Start with a bag, box or jar of this delicious Gingerbread Caramel Corn.

We've created a few labels that we're happy to share for your gifting pleasure. If you'd like to receive our free printable PDFs, simply scroll to the bottom of this post and leave a comment letting us know that you'd like the labels. We'll email a PDF that you can print on your own computer along with instructions on just how to do that.

Vertical closeup photo of the tops of quart jars filled with Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn with custom labels for gift giving.

We're planning to leave this Gingerbread Caramel Corn out for Santa this year. Well, let me rephrase that... we'll leave it for Santa IF it doesn't get gobbled up before then. Hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Vertical photo of a gift box of Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn with a custom label and a letter to Santa from The Café.

Café Tips for making this Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn

  • Start requesting paper bags at the grocery store! They are the perfect vehicles to use for this microwave caramel corn. There's no mess except in the bag which is disposed of after use.
  • You'll need a large microwave-safe bowl (at least 2-quart) to make the caramel for this recipe. A microwave-safe bowl is one that won't melt or heat up when used in the microwave. For this recipe, it's really nice to have one with a handle as you need to remove the bowl from the microwave several times to stir. I love this Pyrex microwave-safe bowl and use mine ALL the time. The handle does not get warm so it's easy to work with.
  • As mentioned above, this recipe calls for corn syrup. If you live in the UK or other areas of the world where corn syrup is not available, I tested this recipe using an equal amount of Lyle's Golden Syrup in lieu of corn syrup with successful results. On the other hand, I also tried subbing maple syrup for the corn syrup with disastrous results. The syrup was thick and grainy and didn't coat the popcorn well.
  • I like to use mushroom popcorn (see discussion on types of popcorn above in the post) popped on the stovetop for this Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn but stovetop butterfly popcorn and microwave popcorn can also be used.
  • Whether you make your popcorn on the stovetop or in the microwave, it's important to transfer it to a bowl and gently lift and lightly shake the popcorn to allow any unpopped kernels to sink to the bottom of the bowl. No one wants to bite into a delicious handful of caramel corn only to find a hard kernel adhered to it.
  • If you decide to use microwave popcorn, I recommend a natural type without any additional flavoring. I like Orville Redenbacher Natural microwave popcorn. It's lightly salted but additional ingredients are minimal.
  • I like to use a combination of light and dark brown sugars but 100% light brown sugar will also work. I don't recommend using all dark brown sugar as I've found that the syrup can get grainy.
  • Every microwave is a little different regarding the way they heat as well as the power level. These instructions work well on my microwave which is 900 Watts. If your microwave has a lower wattage, you may want to go an additional minute or two. If it's a higher wattage, you may want to shake the bag every 45 seconds instead of every minute as directed.
  • If you finish making this Gingerbread Caramel Corn and it's completely cooled and you find it's not as crisp as you'd like, simply return it to a clean paper grocery bag and microwave it for another minute or two, shaking well after each additional minute.
  • I LOVE my Whirly Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper. It makes popping real popcorn failproof, super easy and super fast!

Thought for the  day:

The angel answered,
"The Holy Spirit will come on you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Labor of Love

Square Cafe Email Subscription Button for subscribing to The Café Sucre Farine food blog posts.

If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations, and ideas for variations.

Scroll Down for the Recipe - or Save It to Your Inbox

We’ll email you the recipe so it’s easy to save, print, or share.

Horizontal photo of a large bowl of Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn with a smaller serving bowl in the foreground.

Ridiculously Easy Gingerbread Caramel Corn

Chris Scheuer
All the flavors of classic gingerbread magically transported to the BEST caramel corn. Make it in the microwave in way less than an hour. Dress it up for gifts with the free printable labels... no one needs to know it's ridiculously easy!
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 32 servings
Calories 117
PRINT PIN COMMENTS

Ingredients
 
 

  • 16 cups popped popcorn see post for types of popcorn
  • ½ cup corn syrup, (Not high fructose corn syrup - I use Karo. You can also use Golden Syrup)
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • ¾ cup butter, (1½ sticks) I use salted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar, (If you don't have dark brown sugar you can omit it and just use 1½ cups of light brown sugar.)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions
 

  1. Prepare a work surface (kitchen counter) by laying out a 4 feet long piece of parchment paper. After popping the popcorn, transfer it to a bowl. Lift the popcorn with your hands and shake the bowl lightly so the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom. Lift the 4 quarts of popcorn out of the bowl and transfer to a large brown paper grocery bag.
  2. Place the butter in a large (2 quart) microwave safe bowl and microwave on high power for one minute or until the butter is melted. Add the corn syrup and stir well to combine. Add the molasses, brown sugars, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and salt. Stir until everything is well incorporated. Place in the microwave and heat on high power for 2 minutes. Stir then return to the microwave for 1 minute. The mixture should be bubbling up furiously by this point. Remove bowl and stir then return to the microwave for another minute. Repeat this cooking for one minute and stirring two more times.
  3. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in the vanilla and baking soda. Stir until all of the baking soda is well incorporated.
  4. Pour the hot mixture over the popcorn in the bag. Fold the top of the bag down once and shake, shake, shake to distribute syrup through the corn. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bag and hold it at the folded down top and one of the bottom corners. You may need to use a pot holder as the bag will be hot. Shake well the return to the microwave for another minute.
  5. Repeat cooking and shaking two more times for a total of 5 minutes. Turn the popcorn out onto the prepared parchment paper. Allow to cool completely.
  6. Store in an airtight container. The caramel corn will keep well for 1-2 weeks.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn't have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition

Calories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 112mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 144IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.3mg
We love seeing what you made!Tag @thecafesucrefarine on Instagram for a chance to be featured.
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: American

Shop Our Café Loves

We’ve gathered our favorite kitchen tools, tableware, and entertaining treasures in one place, the Café Loves store. It’s a wonderful spot to find something special for yourself or the cooks and hosts you love!

Visit the Store
  • KitchenAid Artisan Mixer with Glass Bowl
  • Spatulas Farberware Silicon

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a comment and star rating Do you have a cooking question? Leave your comment below and let me know how I can help. Did you love this recipe? Just click on the stars to leave a rating!




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

154 Comments

  1. Love this site and make many of these recipes! I would like to gift the Carmel corn for work friends could you please send the labels?

    Reply

  2. I love all of your easy recipes , you make me look like a rock star haha! Please send the labels for the caramel corn. Thank you!

    Reply

  3. Hi Chris, do you have a recipe first apple cider bunt cake?
    This week I am going to make the caramel corn would you please send the labels to me? Thank you

    Reply

  4. This recipe looks like what I need! I love your jam recipe and everything I make is easy and turns out perfectly! I'd love the lables please!

    Reply

  6. This looks delicious! I can not wait to try it. I am putting together Gingerbread themed treat boxes for friends, and this will be a perfect addition. I would greatly appreciate the cute labels.
    I'll let you know how it turns out!
    p.s. I made your Tuscan Herb salt this summer with my fresh herbs, and it is wonderful! I have made more to give as gifts this holiday season.
    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  7. Hi Chris,

    You have created a monster. LOL
    I made 12 jars of the apple cranberry Christmas Jam
    and applied the labels to the mason jars. All ready for
    gift giving. Now I want to make the popcorn. Can you
    please send me the PDF file for the labels for the carmel
    corn.

    Thank you! All your recipes are amazing. I am compiling
    quite a file of your recipes and labels.

    Jan
    North Bay, Ontario
    Canada

    Reply

    1. Haha! You go girl - you have been busy! Thanks so much for your kind words, we'll be happy to send the labels. My daughter in law, Lindsay sends them out Monday-Friday, so they should be in your email by tomorrow.

      Reply

  8. I am so excited to have found your site! I would very much appreciate it if you would send me the printable labels.

    Reply

  12. Saving this recipe for Christmas 2025 - sounds amazing. I usually give Caramel Popcorn but am excited to try Gingerbread instead. Your instructions are so detailed and thorough, thank you! Would love to have a PDF of the labels please.

    Reply

  13. I would love the labels for gingerbread caramel l corn. The grandkids and I do gingerbread activities a lot,
    Thank you,

    Reply

  15. I just finished the orange cranberry Christmas jam. It is delicious. Now I'm doing the app cranberry and want to do this gingerbread Carmel corn too. I would love the labels please. So happy to have found you!
    Thank you!!

    Reply

  18. I bought the mushroom popcorn. I’m ready to try this, Please send the PDF labels. Thank you! Is there a way you can increase the font size, for when we type in this box, and for our name and email below. It’s so tiny that I can barely read it. I’ve been meaning to mention that for a while. Thanks!

    Reply

  19. Yum! Gingerbread Caramel Corn.... Yes, please do send me the pdf for the labels. Thank you so much! Happy Holidays to you and yours

    Reply

  20. Looking forward to gifing this delicious Gingerbread Caramel Corn for Christmas and would appreciate the pdf for the labels. Thanks!

    Reply

  21. Please send labels and thank you for taking the time to express yourself with your cooking and sharing those ideas to likeminded friends who put your recipes to good use for family and out in the community.
    Your voices carry a lot further than you know - thank you!!

    May I please have the labels ?

    Reply

  25. I have tried several caramel corn recipes, and this one is great.
    Please send me the labels. My granddaughter loves gingerbread, and I want to add some to her Christmas stocking.

    Reply

  26. I love all of your popcorn recipes and Cafe Tips. Please send me the free printable labels for the Gingerbread popcorn
    Thanks

    Reply

  27. These popcorn recipes look amazing!
    I am going to do the gingerbread one for Christmas

    Would you need so kind to send the labels for gingerbread popcorn
    Thank you

    Reply

  35. And not even a mention of a hot air popcorn maker? 😱
    I'd love to be able to make this, but unfortunately, except for lawn care season, and the attendant HUGE bags, or lunch bags, we have no access to any other paper bags where I live. The sole exceptions are drugstores, but their bags are heavily inked with advertising. I don't want to buy a package, when I'll only use one. Do you have any alternative suggestions?

    When Canada 🍁 outlawed plastic bags, except for restaurant deliveries, years ago, many of our stores in Alberta opted out of stocking/using paper bags; we were all forced to purchase, if we didn't already have them, reusable fabric &/or laminated bags, or plastic baskets. Lord forbid you should forget your bags in the truck, with your order rung through. Gotta buy MORE bags 😖

    Reply

    1. Hi Terry, I haven't personally tried this, but you could try using a large microwave-safe bowl and stir with a large spoon in between the stints in the microwave.

      Reply

  36. Perfect timing on this post! I was just chatting with friends about how much we love gingerbread. Can’t wait to make this later today. It will make great gifts. Please send the labels. 🥰

    Reply

  38. I'm wondering about using the air-popper...didn't see anything about that in the above comments.
    I would like to have the labels for the gingerbread caramel corn, please.

    Reply

  39. Hi Chris, I love all your recipes and am getting ready to try your Gingerbread Caramel Corn for Christmas gifting. Please send the cute labels! Thank you, Patricia Beil

    Reply

  42. Haven't made recipe yet but sounds yummy! Can I please get the label art? Will make a great gift for my office mates...

    Reply

  47. Please send labels for caramel corn. This recipe looks great. We gave our kids the Whitley gig popper for Christmas last Christmas. We also love the mushroom popcorn. Will be trying this recipe soon. Thanks for all the great recipes! Dianne

    Reply

  48. Thank you for yet another of your fabulous recipes. Could you e-mail me the pdf fir the labels? I would greatly appreciate it and thanks again!!!

    Reply

  51. Can you please confirm the metric measurement for the Corn Syrup? The salted caramel corn recipe has a different conversion (1/3 cup equaling 79 mL). Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Stacy, that measurement is correct. The recipes are just a little bit different. But they both turned out fantastic!

      Reply

  57. Every Christmas season I make a treat for our postal deliverers to pick up at my door when they leave a package. This year it was hot chocolate mix in clear acrylic ornaments with instructions & ingredients along with a thank you card. I'm always on the look-out for something new & special & your gingerbread caramel corn fits the bill. I've printed it & put it at the front of my recipe book to remind me Christmas 2023 to make this.
    Could you send me the labels? Thank you for your enjoyable site. Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  58. I just happen to have all the ingredients for the popcorn in my pantry! Yay! Will be making this to take to a neighbor’s house tonight. Would love to have the cute labels!
    Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  59. Oh please send the label - planning on giving this to the "in-laws" (my three married kids' parents-in-law)

    Thanks SO much - and have a merry and Blessed Christmas!!

    Reply

  60. This was the most delicious popcorn I have ever made. Your instructions made it very easy to make.

    Kindly send me some labels.

    Merry Christmas!

    Michelle

    Reply

  61. You come up with the very best ideas.I would love this darling fun label.Thank so much ...you surely must be one of Santas' elves'! Merry Christmas

    Reply

  63. I’m just about to make this delicious looking Gingerbread Popcorn. I would love to receive a copy of the label. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  64. Yes! I would love a copy of the printable gift tag. It looks so yummy! Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes. I’ve made many and I’m never disappointed. Making your crumble cookies now. Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  67. actually I have a question... I have an air popper that I use to pop corn when I make caramel corn the oven way, would air-popped corn work here, too?

    I adore all of your recipes, especially the 'ridiculously easy' recipes (biscuits and scones are the best ever!!)
    Thank you for sharing these wonderful creations!
    Sherry

    Reply

  74. We loved your salted caramel popcorn and now I'll try this one. Please send me the labels as I'd love to share this with friends.

    Reply

  76. Please send a copy of the labels for the popcorn. It looks so good . Thank you. Wishing a blessed and happy Christmas and New Yera!

    Reply

  77. What a perfect last minute Christmas gift! Your packaging suggestions are always so nice as well as your labels. I would love a copy of the label pdf. I really enjoy your posted scripture selections along with the music selections. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

    Reply

  78. This looks delicious! I’d love to give this as a gift. Please send me the Gingerbread Popcorn label so I might gift the recipe.

    Reply