These easy popcorn balls are the perfect no-stress cooking project for a winter afternoon! This recipe just has three ingredients, and no corn syrup!
If you’re looking for healthy popcorn balls without corn syrup, check out this recipe for Gluten-Free Honey Popcorn Balls.
Since the weather has been snowy and cold where we live, I was reminded of this recipe and decided to republish it.
We spent many happy winter days in the kitchen making this easy recipe. Now that my kids are older, they still love making and eating these!
Some links below are affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
The awesome thing about popcorn balls is that they easily resemble snowballs! They would go perfectly with a unit on snow, especially with this book (one of our favorite books about snow days).
Easy Popcorn Balls
This recipe for easy popcorn balls is super simple and only has 3 ingredients! As I mentioned above, it’s a great recipe to have your children help with.
In the photo below, my youngest daughter (who was around 5 at the time—she’s now 12!) is helping to stir the marshmallows. Be sure to use caution when you have little ones around a hot stove!
If your children are too young to help around the stove, you could always have them help you measure out the ingredients. And then comes the fun part!
With popcorn balls, the most-anticipated job for little ones is helping to shape the popcorn into balls. Children love doing this! It’s a great sensory experience for them. Unless (like one of my children) they don’t like the feeling of getting their hands sticky. 🙂
How to Make Them
As I mentioned above, this recipe uses just 3 ingredients!
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup of popcorn kernels
- 1 bag of regular-sized marshmallows (not the mini ones)
Instructions:
1. Melt the two sticks of butter in a large pot (I use my large stock-pot).
2. Pop one cup of popcorn. (We have an electric popcorn popper that we found at the thrift store for very cheap. We buy popcorn in bulk from our food co-op.)
3. When the butter is melted, pour the bag of marshmallows into the pot with it and stir until the marshmallows melt.
4. Pour the popped corn into the melted butter and marshmallow mixture and stir until all the popcorn is coated. Grease hands with butter (this is the part kids like to help with).
5. When the popcorn is cool enough that you can hold it in your hands without getting burned, form it into balls. Lay the balls on waxed paper to cool.
Easy Popcorn Balls
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup popcorn kernels
- 1 bag regular marshmallows (regular, not mini)
Instructions
- Melt the two sticks of butter in a large pot (I use my large stock-pot).
- Pop one cup of popcorn. (We have an electric popcorn popper that we found at the thrift store for very cheap. We buy popcorn in bulk from our food co-op.)
- When the butter is melted, pour the bag of marshmallows into the pot with it and stir until the marshmallows melt.
- Pour the popped corn into the melted butter and marshmallow mixture and stir until all the popcorn is coated. Grease hands with butter (this is the part kids like to help with).
- When the popcorn is cool enough that you can hold it in your hands without getting burned, form it into balls. Lay the balls on waxed paper to cool.
That’s all there is to it! These are a great simple treat when you don’t have much time. And kids absolutely love them!
Related Posts:
Gluten-Free Honey Popcorn Balls
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here. Sharing here.
Sarah says
March 21, 2020 at 1:33 pmAdd some fun blue, white, and/or snowflake sprinkles, and you got yourself a great snack to go along with Frozen movie night! ❤❤
Joy Kincaid says
March 21, 2020 at 3:49 pmGreat idea! Thanks for sharing!
April J Harris says
January 29, 2018 at 7:05 amOh my goodness, this is a much easier recipe than I remember for popcorn balls! It’s so nice not to have to make caramel!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe at The Hearth and Soul Link party, Joy. Have a lovely week ahead!
Joy Kincaid says
January 30, 2018 at 7:55 pmThey are so easy! Thanks for stopping by, April, and I hope you have a great week also!
Char says
January 24, 2018 at 4:45 amPopcorn balls are a family favorite! It’s great to find a simple recipe!
Char says
January 24, 2018 at 4:42 amPopcorn balls are one our family’s special treats when our kids were little. I made them with the Karo syrup that almost burned my hands with each batch! How wonderful to have an easy recipe!
Joy Kincaid says
February 7, 2018 at 11:52 pmSo glad it was helpful! This recipe is seriously so easy! 🙂
Emily @DomesticDeadline.com says
January 23, 2018 at 6:36 amI haven’t made popcorn balls in years, I’ll have to make them soon! Thanks for linking up to #HomeMattersParty
Joy Kincaid says
January 23, 2018 at 5:48 pmThanks for stopping by, Emily!
Misty Meadows Homestead says
January 19, 2018 at 6:34 pmLooks like a lot of fun!
Joy Kincaid says
January 20, 2018 at 5:08 pmMy kids think they’re amazingly fun! 🙂