Popcorn balls!
And while we’re on the subject: How do you feel about popcorn balls? My whole life, I’ve been a little on the fence about them. I love the idea of them, but oftentimes, they wind up being a little unremarkable. Either too sweet and sticky or not sweet and sticky enough. So for these, while I start with slightly sweet kettle corn as the base, I steered clear of the sticky syrup approach in favor of something a little…well, easier.
I made kettle corn, but you can use whatever popcorn you want. Heck, even microwave a bag—I won’t tell anyone! Pour a little peanut oil into a saucepan—one that has a tight-fitting lid.
Then pour in popcorn kernels. Shake the pan a bit to make sure all the kernels are coated. Turn on the saucepan over medium-high heat.
When the oil is starting to sizzle but before the corn starts popping, pour in some sugar and gently shake the pan to coat all the kernels.
Then, when the first couple of kernels start to pop…
Put on the lid and hold it tight with one hand while you use the other hand to gently shake the pan back and forth on the burner. You want to keep the kernels moving around the whole time they pop.
And please be careful! Don’t shake too vigorously—just a steady movement back and forth.
Remove the pan from the heat when it sounds like the popping has slowed down considerably. You have popcorn!
Pour the popcorn onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a nonstick baking mat…
Then use a spatula to quickly break up the big clusters of popcorn. The popcorn shouldn’t be too sticky at this point—just slightly sweet! But try not to snack on it…they’re for the popcorn balls. Note that this will be highly difficult.
Let the popcorn cool while you make the sticky mixture.
Melt a little butter in a pot…
Then throw in some marshmallows. I used about a half a bag of mini marshmallows, but you can use big ones or marshmallow creme.
Stir as the marshmallows heat up and melt…
Then (this is totally optional!) add a couple of drops of orange or yellow food coloring.
Stir it to mix it in, and if you want a deeper color, add in a little more coloring.
Pour in the popcorn and quickly stir it with the spatula to coat it.
I love how it looks like there are cobwebs all over the place. You could even take this big hunk out of the pan as it is not and plop it on a serving plate for a kids’ party if you can get the cobwebs to stay. Looks creepy!
But I’m moving forward with zee balls: Add some candy corn…
And some shelled peanuts. Yum!
And you can do lots of different candy/nut combinations: Reese’s Pieces, sunflower seeds, pistachios, etc.
Stir it around quickly before the mixture sets up.
Then give your hands a light spray of cooking spray and form the popcorn mixture into 2 to 3 inch balls.
Set ‘em on a baking sheet as you form them…
Then let ‘em set completely at room temperature before packaging them individually…
Or serving them on a platter or cake stand! So fun and cute…And kids aren’t the only ones who gobble them up.
Here’s the handy dandy printable, guys. Happy (almost) Halloween!
Recipe
Popcorn Balls
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Difficulty:
- Intermediate
- Servings:
- 12
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Peanut Oil
- 6 Tablespoons Popcorn Kernels
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 6 ounces, weight Mini Marshmallows (about Half A Package)
- Orange Food Coloring (optional)
- 1 cup Candy Corn
- 1/2 cup Shelled Unsalted Peanuts
- Cooking Spray
Preparation Instructions
Add the oil to a medium saucepan (one that has a tight-fitting lid) over medium-high heat. Add the popcorn and shake the pan gently to make sure the kernels are coated. When the oil starts to sizzle, but before the corn starts popping, add the sugar to the pan. Shake the pan again, and when the first couple of kernels pop, place the lid on the pan and shake the pan gently with the other hand while you hold the lid in place. Keep doing this as the popcorn pops, until the popping slows down.
When almost all the kernels have popped, pour the popcorn onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, separating the kernels slightly with a spatula or spoon. Let the popcorn cool slightly.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a separate pot over low heat. Add the marshmallows, stirring as they melt. When the marshmallows are almost melted, add 2 or 3 drops of orange food coloring (this is optional!) Stir it to combine.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the popcorn to the pot, stirring immediately to coat it as quickly as possible. Right after stirring, add the candy corn and the peanuts and stir until the candy and nuts are totally worked in.
Spray your hands lightly with cooking spray and form the popcorn mixture into individual balls 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Set them aside and let them cool and set completely! Serve at room temperature.
