Brown Butter Maple Pecan Popcorn

Brown butter, maple syrup, and a generous pinch of salt are the secrets to success.

Updated December 23, 2024

Brown butter easily elevates everything it touches—and it couldn't be easier to make. In this delicious popcorn recipe, rich brown butter and maple syrup are cooked into a quick caramel, which is then used to both candy the pecans and coat freshly popped popcorn. A generous pinch of salt makes all those sweet-savory flavors pop. We like to think of it as pecan pie in popcorn form, complete with a maple twist. Don't worry though—it's not overly sugary. Instead, it's the perfect combination of flavors for your next gathering or movie night.

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Recipe Details

Brown Butter Maple Pecan Popcorn

Total 20 mins

Serves 8 servings

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Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 cups pecans, lightly crushed
Kosher salt
1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped (about 8 cups popped)

Directions

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat, stirring and swirling, until foaming has subsided and milk solids have turned a chestnut-brown color, about 3 minutes.
Add maple syrup and stir to combine.
Add pecans and cook, stirring, until a caramel forms and thickens enough to briefly leave a trail when a spoon is scraped along the bottom of the saucepan, about 4 minutes. Season with salt.
Place popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl and drizzle caramel mixture and nuts all over, tossing as you go, until popcorn is evenly coated in caramel. Season with salt, if necessary. Refrigerate popcorn until caramel is set, about 10 minutes. Toss to break up any clumps and serve. Popcorn can be refrigerated in a zipper-lock bag overnight.

This Recipe Appears In

Quick Snacks

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
297	Calories
28g	Fat
14g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g	35%
Saturated Fat 7g	35%
Cholesterol 23mg	8%
Sodium 243mg	11%
Total Carbohydrate 14g	5%
Dietary Fiber 3g	9%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 36mg	3%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 142mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.