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Golden Gaytime Popcorn - copycat recipe!

Recipe video above. I love Golden Gaytime Popcorn. But it's expensive. So I decided to create a homemade version - with a 68% saving! It costs $8.96 to make this recipe which equates to 5 packets of Gaytime Popcorn which costs $28.75 ($5.75 per packet). After inspecting the packet ingredients, it's just caramel popcorn drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with biscuits crumbs. Easy!One batch makes 780g / 28oz, 12 cups = 5 packets of store-bought Golden Gaytime popcorn.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 12 cups
Calories: 339 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the popcorn
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (not required if air popping with a popcorn maker)
  • 1/2 cup popping corn
For the caramel
  • 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar , tightly packed cup
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup (sub glucose, Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp cooking/ kosher salt
  • 2 tsp toffee or caramel essence OR 1 tsp vanilla (substitute) (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (bi-carb) (Note 3)
Golden Gaytime Finishes
  • 1 1/4 cups dark or white chocolate melts or chips (US: semi-sweet chips), I used ~25% white and 75% dark (Note 4)
  • 4 plain sweet biscuits (like Marie Crackers) (Note 5)

Instructions

Popcorn
    Cup of Yum
  1. Test oil - Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add a few pieces of popcorn and wait until it pops, then quickly remove.
  2. Pop - Add remaining popcorn, elevate off stove to shake and spread corn out evenly. Cover with a lid. Once the popcorn starts popping in earnest, shake the pot gently once. Then crack the lid a tiny bit - let's steam escape for crisper popcorn.
  3. Remove from heat when the popping stops (when you can count to 3 between pops) and transfer to a (very!) large bowl.
Caramel:
  1. Preheat oven to 110°C/230°F (both fan and standard ovens).
  2. Combine - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, corn syrup and salt. Stir until just combined.
  3. Simmer - When it starts to bubble, simmer for 4 minutes - DO NOT STIR!
  4. Baking soda "foamy" - Remove from heat then quickly whisk in caramel (toffee or vanilla) and baking soda. When you stop whisking, the caramel will foam and increase in volume.
  5. Coat popcorn - Quickly pour straight over popcorn, toss until caramel cools and starts to harden.
Baking to crisp caramel coating:
  1. Spread popcorn on 2 large paper lined baking trays.
  2. Bake for 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so. Caramel will remelt for the first 2-3 tosses - tossing coats popcorn more evenly with caramel. (If using glucose, bake further 15 minutes).
  3. Cool - Remove from oven, leave to cool on the tray for 20 minutes. Then break up the popcorn - no need to be too pedantic, clumps are great!
Drizzle and crumbs
  1. Crumbs - Place biscuits in a ziplock bag and bash into crumbs.
  2. Melt chocolate - Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second increments on high, stirring in between, until melted and smooth - about 1 1/2 minutes. (If doing a small amount of white chocolate, reduce to 20 second increments).
  3. Piping bags - Transfer chocolate into a piping bag. Use scissors to snip a small opening at the tip. (Alternative: just drizzle with a spoon).
  4. Drizzle & crumb - Push the popcorn together but in a single layer. Drizzle criss-cross (or any pattern!) all over the popcorn. Sprinkle with biscuits crumbs while the chocolate is wet so it sticks.
  5. Fridge - Refrigerate for 15 minutes until the chocolate is firm. Gently break popcorn into pieces. EAT!
  6. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Stays crisp for at least a week. Our test batches never lasted any longer!

Notes

  • Corn Syrup  stabilises the caramel to ensure sugar crystallisation doesn't occur, plus makes it extra crisp and shiny. Common grocery item in the US and Canada ! Can be purchased online in Australia from USAFoods.com.au (here) and Amazon.
  • Glucose is a perfect substitute for corn syrup which is available in Australian supermarkets (baking aisle, clear thick syrup with honey consistency). Just a little harder to measure out because it's so thick. However, the popcorn needs to be baked for 15 minutes longer (because glucose as higher water content).
  • Toffee or caramel essence - Store bought Gaytime has a stronger albeit more artificial caramel flavour than homemade. To replicate this, use a caramel or toffee essence. Otherwise, just stick with vanilla like normal caramel popcorn!
  • Baking soda/bi-carb - This makes the caramel coating become sort of foamy and increase in volume when you whisk it in. Helps with even coverage on the popcorn. Without, you end up with big globs of caramel.
  • Chocolate - Store bought Gaytime popcorn has ~50/50 white and dark chocolate drizzles. And rather skimpy at that! This homemade version is much more generous with the chocolate.
  • Use any mix of dark and white chocolate you want. I used about 25% white chocolate and 75% dark chocolate.
  • Be sure to use the right chocolate! Use chocolate purchased from the baking aisle (designed to melt smoothly) not eating chocolate (designed to NOT melt when warm!).
  • Biscuits - Any plain sweet biscuits will work here. Just something to sprinkle on the popcorn. The Gaytime Popcorn ingredients just lists "vanilla biscuits" for the crumbs used!
  • Storage - stays 100% crisp and fresh at least 1 week, probably more (caramel popcorn lasts 2 to 3 weeks). Be sure to keep it in an airtight container in a cool dry place. If it's super hot and humid, fridge is best.
  • Nutrition per serving assuming 12 servings. It's not diet food!

Nutrition Information

Serving 46g Calories 339cal (17%) Carbohydrates 47g (16%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0.3g Cholesterol 19mg (6%) Sodium 166mg (7%) Potassium 101mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 40g (80%) Vitamin A 223IU (4%) Calcium 34mg (3%) Iron 0.4mg (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 339

% Daily Value*

Serving 46g
Calories 339cal 17%
Carbohydrates 47g 16%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 0.3g 15%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 166mg 7%
Potassium 101mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 40g 80%
Vitamin A 223IU 4%
Calcium 34mg 3%
Iron 0.4mg 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.