Halloween Popcorn Balls
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 15 popcorn balls
Ingredients:
2 envelopes of microwave popcorn popped, ~18 cups of popped popcorn
8 cups miniature marshmallows
½ cup butter
Neon Green Food Coloring Gel
1½ cups M&M’s – Halloween colors
Halloween Sprinkles
Directions:
-
Pop popcorn, then remove any unpopped kernels. I like to pour the popcorn over a cooling rack, which lets the kernels fall through. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Spray an extra-large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and add popcorn.
-
In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt marshmallows and butter, stirring constantly until melted.
-
When melted, add in 2-3 drops of neon green food coloring and stir thoroughly. Add more coloring if needed.
-
Pour over popcorn and stir with a rubber spatula until popcorn is completely coated.
-
Add M&M’s and sprinkles, stir to distribute evenly. Spray hands with cooking spray and shape into balls- as big or as small as you want them to be. If your hands start to get sticky, just respray them.
-
Once formed, roll in more sprinkles. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets until cool and set up. You may need to go back and reshape them every few minutes until they set up completely.
Notes:
Removing Unpopped Kernels: If you place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet, then pour the popcorn over it, the kernels will fall through the cooling rack, leaving you with just the popcorn. It’s that easy!
Shaping Into Balls: I like to shape a few popcorn balls, then go back and repress the first few I made. Sometimes I have to repress the popcorn balls several times until the marshmallow is set up enough.
Substitutions and Variations:
Popcorn- Use kernels cooked in an air popper or pop the kernels in a pot with some oil on the stove. You want about 18-20 cups of popped popcorn in the end, which is equivalent to ~½ cup of kernels.
Color- I love using the neon green food gel coloring, but it’s fun to divide the marshmallow mixture and color it purple, orange, or any other fun Halloween colors!
Mix-Ins- Use any combination of sprinkles, candies, cereal, nuts, or pretzels to make the popcorn balls exactly to your liking.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Type of Food Coloring Should You Use?
I recommend the gel food coloring. You can find this at most grocery stores in the cake decorating aisle or on Amazon. Gel food coloring tends to mix better into things and is much more vibrant.
How Many Popcorn Balls Does This Recipe Make?
That depends on how big you make the balls. If you make small mandarin-sized popcorn balls, you can get 20 or more. I like to make medium-sized popcorn balls, which result in 12-15 balls.
How to Store Popcorn Balls?
Keep popcorn balls in an airtight container. You don’t need to refrigerate. Eat within a week of making for the freshest popcorn taste.
Nutritional Facts:
Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 257IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Recipe courtesy of A Table Full of Joy.com
