Gingerbread Pretzel Popcorn
Ingredients
- 16 cups popped salted popcorn (from a 6.4-oz. bag)
- 10 oz. mini salted pretzel twists, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together popcorn and pretzels in a very large heatproof bowl. Combine cinnamon, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
- Place sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and a candy thermometer reads 255°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in spice mixture and vanilla.
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Immediately pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn mixture. Use a large spoon or rubber spatula to toss until fully coated. (Work quickly because the sugar mixture will cool and harden.)
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Divide the popcorn mixture between 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until shiny and slightly darkened, about 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe courtesy of Real Simple
