No corn syrup Caramel/Toffee Popcorn ....a work in progress

I LOVE caramel popcorn, I don't love corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.  If I am going to eat caramel popcorn, or even kettle corn, I am going to have to make it myself.

I started with this caramel popcorn recipe and substituted simple syrup for the maple syrup with a little cream of tartar.  It made the popcorn soggy, but still tasty.  I forgot to scroll down and read the directions for OVEN baking it for a while before eating.  Oops.

The next batch I made after finding this marvelous looking toffee recipe using cane sugar and NO WATER or baking.  I made a double batch using half & half regular and brown cane sugar.  I also mix butter with coconut oil half & half and added some gelatin.  WOW, quick and easy, but gloppy and hard to blend well.  The fat did not want to stay mixed in with the sugar mix.  I suspect the coconut oil.  I thought it TASTED fabulous, it wasn't as sweet as the first batch, which I liked.

Current version:
1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 TBS beef gelatin
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup brown cane sugar
1 TSP cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of vanilla (optional)
1/2 tsp baking soda (added at very end)

1/2 cup white popcorn kernals

Mix powdered ingredients together (except baking soda) and add to softened/melted butter/oil. Stir over medium low heat until blended. (That's the theory anyway....)
Meanwhile, pop your corn by your own preferred method....I like my air popper, significantly decreases burning risk.

When sugar mix is ready, or you just can't wait any longer, stir the vanilla and baking soda in and pour over popcorn and mix as best you can.  It will stick together in large glops....like those pink, popcorn sugar bricks at the country fair.  The oil will pour out separately to some extent, so try to spread evenly.

Version #2
1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
2 TBS beef gelatin
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of vanilla (optional)
1/4 tsp baking soda (added at very end)

1/4 cup white popcorn kernals

This is basically the same recipe as above, but cut in half except the gelatin. I also forgot to halve the baking soda and it was a bit much, but still edible. I used all white sugar, didn't cook it as long, and eliminated the coconut oil.  The butter and sugar mixed up together better, but I lost some of the flavor without the brown sugar and/or not cooking it as long.  It was also wetter, like the first batch.  It spread a lot easier, so that's not a bad thing.  I suspect I may have started at too high a temperature the previous batch causing it to harden up right away.  Still looking for a happy medium and am enjoying the "mistakes" very much.