Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls from your childhood! This classic recipe is easy, sticky sweet, delicious, and timeless. Great for a party, holiday, or any occasion and can be dyed different colors. Loved by kids and adults alike!
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Who remembers popcorn balls from when they were a kid? And more importantly, why do we stop making them once we grow up? I’m here to change that today with this classic popcorn balls recipe. You can even dye them different colors to suit the holiday, like red and green or Christmas, pastel colors for Easter, or orange for Halloween. Get in the kitchen (with your kids!) and make up a batch. They’re so easy and yummy!
What’s in this Popcorn Balls recipe?
You only need a handful or simple pantry items to make popcorn balls. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Popcorn – I always use my stovetop popcorn method, which is the best tasting and foolproof without stray kernels, but feel free to buy it already popped. See amounts below.
- Light corn syrup – This acts as a stabilizer and what gives the balls a nice shine!
- Unsalted butter – This is another essential ingredient, which helps bind the mixture together so the balls hold their shape, while also adding richness and flavor.
- Powdered sugar – You need powdered sugar for this recipe. Avoid granulated sugar, or the mixture will taste grainy.
- Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows are recommended as they melt easiest.
- Vanilla – For flavor. If you need your popcorn balls to be bright white, use clear vanilla extract.
- Salt – Just a pinch of salt elevates all the other flavors, but this ingredient is completely optional.
- Cold water
Popcorn Calculations
You need 20 cups of popped popcorn for this recipe, which is about 5 quarts.
- 1/4 cup popcorn kernels = approximately 7 cups of popped popcorn.
- 1/3 cup popcorn kernels = approximately 10 cups of popped popcorn.
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels = approximately 14 cups of popped popcorn
Recipe Variations
- Dye the popcorn balls different colors. You can easily make your popcorn balls any color to suit your occasion. Simply add in a few drops of any color food coloring to the marshmallow mixture in the pot as it’s melting.
- Use pastel marshmallows. Mini pastel marshmallows are super cute, especially for an Easter treat!
- Add in sprinkles. Once you’ve combined the marshmallow mixture with the popcorn, you can also add in some sprinkles for festive coloring.
- Change the size. I find that between 3-4 inches round is the perfect size, but you can definitely make them smaller.
Helpful Tips
- Grease Your Hands. These are sticky! So greasing your hands with nonstick spray or butter before forming the balls will help a lot.
- Work Quickly. As the mixture cools down, the balls get harder to shape, so you need to work rather fast. If you can, enlist someone to help you – kids love to make these!
- Don’t Form Too Tightly. When forming the mixture, you want to press firmly enough to shape into round balls, but not so compacted that they’ll be tough to eat. They should still be light and fluffy.
How to Store Popcorn Balls
- Counter. Wrap popcorn balls tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them away from heat or moisture.
- Can you freeze popcorn balls? Yep. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap, then transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw at room temperature, remove the plastic and enjoy.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Popcorn Balls
Old Fashioned Popcorn Balls are a classic recipe. They're easy to make, sticky sweet, delicious, and timeless. Great for a party, holiday, or any occasion.
Servings: 22 balls
Ingredients
- 20 cups popped popcorn (stovetop popcorn or store-bought popped popcorn)
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter , cut into cubes
- 2 teaspoons cold water
- 2 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 heaping cup mini marshmallows
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Start by making my stovetop popcorn method (there won't be any unpopped kernels!) Or store-bought is totally fine. Pour into an extra large bowl.
- In a medium pot over medium/medium-high heat, combine corn syrup, butter, cold water, powdered sugar, and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture is combined and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt (and any food coloring, if using.)
- Carefully pour over the popcorn, and gently stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to coat thoroughly.
- Let cool for just a couple minutes until you can handle the mixture, then working quickly before the mixture cools too much, grease your hands (with cooking spray or butter) to easily shape the balls. Gently squeeze just enough to shape into 3 & 1/2-inch balls (you want them firm, but not so compacted that they're tough to eat.)
- Serve and enjoy!Don't miss the helpful tips, recipe variations, and storage info in the article.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
Loved recipe! Made this with Grandkids 6 and 8 on a -17 degree day! Was easy and very tasty !
Perfectly chewy, hold together nicely and are smooth to the touch. Love These.