Step 1
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Step 2
Arrange bacon slices close together and slightly overlapping onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle bacon slices evenly with maple syrup.
Step 3
Place the baking sheet in the cold oven; set temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake until bacon is crisp about 20 minutes.
Step 4
Transfer bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Crumble cooled bacon.
Step 5
Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Step 6
Lightly mix popcorn rice cereal wheat cereal peanuts pretzels and crumbled bacon together in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.
Step 7
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; mix brown sugar corn syrup and salt into the melted butter. Cook stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Boil mixture without stirring for 4 minutes.
Step 8
Place popcorn mixture in the preheated oven to warm.
Step 9
Remove the butter mixture from heat and mix in vanilla extract and baking soda until caramel begins to foam. Drizzle caramel in a thin stream over popcorn mixture tossing to evenly coat.
Step 9
Bake caramel corn in the oven stirring every 15 minutes until caramel coating is set 1 hour. Let caramel corn cool completely before breaking into pieces.