Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn | The Recipe Critic

Crunchy and sweet, red hot cinnamon popcorn is like caramel corn with a hint of cinnamon! The butter and sugar mellow out the bold cinnamon flavor of red hots, resulting in a buttery, lightly spiced treat. It’s less intense than cinnamon bears but just as addictive. Perfect for fans of caramel corn and red hots!

Bright Red, Flavorful Popcorn

This festive popcorn is so beautiful and makes the perfect addition to any Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or Christmas party. It tastes amazing and is easy to make with minimal ingredients. If you’re a fan of hot tamales, but they can be too spicy, this is the snack for you! It has the perfect amount of cinnamon without overwhelming heat!

How to Make Red Hot Cinnamon Popcorn

When my sweet tooth hits, I love having a poppable snack like cinnamon popcorn! It only takes 10 minutes to prep! Be sure to plan ahead because it takes some time to bake and then cool.

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a large, deep roasting pan or a large oven-safe Dutch oven with pan spray and add your popped popcorn to it. Set aside.
2. Melt Butter: Add the butter to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat.
3. Heat Ingredients: Once the butter is melted, add the corn syrup, sugar, salt, and red hots candy to the saucepan.
4. Stir and Boil: Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the red hots are melted and the mixture is boiling. Stop stirring and let it boil for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in Baking Soda: Turn off the heat and stir in the baking soda. The red hot mixture can bubble up a bit at this stage. Make sure the pot you use has high sides, and you stir continuously until the bubbling up subsides.
6. Coat Popcorn: Pour the red hot mixture over the popcorn and stir it as best you can until the popcorn is as evenly coated as you can get it.
7. Bake, Stir, Cool: Bake the cinnamon popcorn for 1 hour, stirring thoroughly every 15 minutes. Once the hour is up, turn out the popcorn onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper and let it cool completely before breaking into pieces and serving.

More Delicious Snack Recipes

Here are some of my other favorite snack recipes to try—perfect for any craving or occasion! Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet, savory or a little of both, these snacks are sure to hit the spot.